Chapter 128

Robert, unable to bear witnessing Chase's despair, helped him to his feet. "Mr. Reyes," he said, "given the evidence, it seems likely Amanda has met with foul play. However, no one has reported her missing, and there's been no sign of her body. There's still a sliver of hope. Please try not to become too distraught. Let us handle this; it's too early to jump to conclusions."

Those words, intended to soothe Chase, offered a fragile thread of hope—a spider's silk—to cling to amidst the overwhelming uncertainty.

"Right," Chase replied. "Without a body, there's still a chance Amanda will return."

"You should all go home," Robert instructed. "We'll contact you if we need anything."

Concerned that Chase might act rashly, they took him back to the Kennedy home. During the drive, my usually talkative mother remained silent, gazing out the window with a distant expression. My father drove steadily, revealing nothing of his thoughts. Nicole sat beside Chase, stealing occasional glances at him. He kept his eyes closed, his silence ambiguous.

Upon arriving at the Kennedy house, Nicole gently suggested, "Chase, you've had a rough day with the surgery. You should eat something and rest. You don't want to exhaust yourself."

Chase's eyes snapped open. He glared at Nicole with fiery intensity, shaking off her hand. "You did this, didn't you?"

Nicole, feigning innocence, replied, "Chase, I don't know what you mean. What did I do?"

Before she could finish, Chase grabbed her neck. "You've been misleading us repeatedly. How can it be a coincidence? Amanda vanished on our wedding night, and then you show me those deceptive pictures, you snake!"

His sudden aggression startled me. He had always been accommodating toward Nicole. This was a first. It wasn't hard to see why; his emotions had been a rollercoaster for the past month. Finally, he realized Nicole was implicated in Amanda's disappearance.

Before anyone could react, Chase slapped Nicole hard. "Smack!" The sound echoed sharply, startling everyone, even the servant shoveling snow nearby.

Nicole stared at Chase, tears streaming down her face. I stepped in front of her. She had faked tears before, but these felt genuine. Nicole, can you feel pain, too? I thought. But how many times have I suffered unjustly because of you? Compared to my pain, what is this?

Getting slapped by someone you love hurts far beyond the face; it cuts to the heart. Maybe now you can finally understand the agony I've endured, I thought. Still, it wasn't enough. After everything Nicole had done, I wished I could expose her true nature to the world, to reveal the heartless, vile things she and Chase had done. For me, the slap barely scratched the surface of my anger.

My parents, however, were devastated. My ever-protective father shoved Chase away, while my mother held Nicole close, offering comfort.