Capella International Airport, VIP Lounge.
Zane Hawthorne never showed up to his own engagement party, but it wasn't canceled. Miss Kingsley completed the ceremony by herself.
Nathan Bennett wasn't close with the Hawthorne family; he only attended the engagement party out of respect for the Kingsleys. Since the groom was a no-show, the ceremony was cut short, which saved him some time.
Zane Hawthorne's sudden "disappearance" had the guests buzzing with speculation. Of everyone there, he was likely the only one who knew Zane's whereabouts, because...
Nathan Bennett lowered his gaze to his phone, looking at the black dot that had stopped moving ten minutes prior.
The GPS marker was in a villa district in the eastern part of the city.
His secretary had sent over a file confirming that Zane Hawthorne did, in fact, own a property there.
Of course, he didn't care whether Zane Hawthorne lived or died. The one he cared about was Zoe Rhodes, who had "eloped" with him.
At the thought, Nathan Bennett pulled a silk hair tie from his suit pocket. It was the one Zoe Rhodes had left in his car not long ago. It was a little dusty, but if he brought it close, he could still smell her unique fragrance.
The pink ribbon coiled around the man's fingertips like a lock of a young girl's hair, tightening, ever tightening, until a red line was etched into the pad of his finger. Only then did Nathan Bennett expressionlessly loosen his grip and flip the ribbon over.
On the inside of the ribbon, at one end, was a fresh piece of embroidery: Zhi.
He certainly had many questions. For instance, why wasn't Zoe Rhodes dead? And why did she still look just as she had ten years ago—sheltered and naive, as if she had been perfectly protected by Ethan Rhodes all this time?
It wasn't that he hadn't considered the possibility that she wasn't the real Zoe Rhodes.
Looks and personality could be faked, but this hair tie was a key piece of evidence.
He and Ethan Rhodes had done business together in the past; they were partners. He'd always heard that whenever Ethan Rhodes finished a business trip, he would skip the social functions to pick out a gift for his little sister back home.
At first, he hadn't thought anything of it. But then, by a strange twist of fate, he discovered that Ethan Rhodes loved to get his sister small, custom-made gifts.
And on every single item, he would have these three letters engraved: Zhi.
Anyone else would just assume it stood for Zoe Rhodes's name.
But he knew it was one of Ethan Rhodes's little-known peculiarities.
In the entire world, besides the Rhodes siblings themselves, he was likely the only one who knew this secret. So even an impostor wouldn't be able to fake it so perfectly. Not unless Ethan Rhodes himself had authorized it, but...
Considering Ethan Rhodes's current circumstances, that possibility could be all but ruled out.
"Mr. Bennett, it's time to board."
His secretary entered and reminded him softly.
Nathan Bennett handed over his glasses, took his jacket, and rose to put it on in one unhurried motion.
"What's the situation with the Hawthorne family?"
The secretary reported every detail. "I hear The Hawthorne is furious and has already sent people to find Mr. Hawthorne."
"Miss Kingsley also threw a fit and trashed her dressing room. She's demanding an explanation from the Hawthornes. Even though she's from a collateral branch of the Kingsley family, she's still a Kingsley, so the Hawthornes will have to show her some respect."
"I imagine things won't be quiet at the Hawthorne residence tonight."
Hearing this, Nathan Bennett chuckled. Without his glasses to obscure them, the playful glint in his deep-set eyes was clear to see.
The man looked down, fastening his cufflinks. "And what about the other matter I had you look into?" he asked casually.
The secretary nodded. "From what I've gathered, this Miss Rhodes and Mr. Hawthorne were childhood sweethearts. They were in the same class from kindergarten all the way through high school. I heard that years ago, The Hawthorne even talked about arranging a marriage for them when they were children."
"But the Rhodes family never agreed. Later, after Miss Rhodes's parents passed away and the Rhodes family fell into decline, the matter was naturally dropped."
"Were they very close?"
"That's the strange part." The secretary had gathered some information. "Some say they were inseparable growing up, while others claim their relationship was terrible and they weren't close at all."
"However, I did manage to contact their high school dean. He said that Mr. Hawthorne and Miss Rhodes were caught dating once. They were even publicly reprimanded in a school-wide announcement."
"..."
After speaking, the secretary cautiously glanced up to gauge Nathan Bennett's reaction.
He had been by Nathan Bennett's side for years. And while his boss was always inscrutable, he could usually read his mood from certain micro-expressions.
But he just couldn't get a read on where this Miss Rhodes stood in Nathan Bennett's heart.
'He's clearly interested, but as for whether you could call it true love... it's hard to say right now.'
"When she ran into trouble, her first instinct was to find Ethan Rhodes. When she couldn't find him, she subconsciously went to Zane Hawthorne." Nathan Bennett mulled over the relationship between these childhood sweethearts. "It seems the talk about them dating wasn't just a baseless rumor."
"That was all many years ago. Whether it's true or not doesn't really matter anymore," the secretary added quickly, trying to smooth things over.
Nathan Bennett lowered his gaze and gave his secretary a long, deep look. Finally, he took his glasses, put them back on, and when he looked up again, his eyes held an amiable smile. "You're right. It doesn't matter anymore."
'So what if they were together before?'
'Even if they're still together now, it's not a big problem.'
'I'll just take her from him.'
Before boarding the plane, Nathan Bennett opened his phone and checked her real-time location again.
Once Zoe Rhodes found Zane Hawthorne, she seemed to have completely forgotten about him.
He had sent his bank card number as she'd requested, but he never received a reply.
'Looking at the time... she hasn't moved an inch. She's probably still catching up with her old flame. After ten years apart, they must have so much to say... so much to do...'
Suddenly, Nathan Bennett stopped in his tracks.
The team of assistants behind him also stopped short. The lead secretary stepped forward to ask what was wrong.
Nathan Bennett's brow was furrowed. After a few seconds, he abruptly turned around. "Get the driver back here."
On his phone, the black dot that had been stationary for so long was now moving rapidly.
—
At an intersection, two sedans sped past.
In the car behind, the subordinate at the wheel was breaking out in a cold sweat. He glanced at the man in the passenger seat and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Donovan, they won't stop. Looks like they're about to leave the city limits. Should we keep following?"
At his words, the man beside him slowly pulled his hand back from the open window and took the half-smoked cigarette from his lips.
In the crimson glow of its tip, his handsome, fox-like eyes were lazily half-closed, as if he were merely a spectator watching a farce from the audience.
A moment later, a crazed voice cut through the silence of the car—
"They won't stop? Then crash into them."
With a deafening BANG, the car lurched violently.
Two minutes later, the man in the ink-black suit stepped leisurely out of the passenger side, one hand shoved in his pocket.
Ash fluttered to the ground. He raised his hand and forcefully ground the cigarette butt out against the window of the car in front.
He peered through the tinted window, searching for something.
After a moment, he leaned down and pulled the car door open.
The first thing he saw was Zoe Rhodes, fast asleep in the back seat.
The man's sigh of wonder dissolved into the night air—
"Ah, how can you look so much like her?"