Chapter 51  The orphanage always had a steady stream of volunteers coming in to lend a hand, including a few celebrities and entrepreneurs Most of them were there for publicity, to clean up their image, or to build a public persona  I hadn’t crossed paths with Emily before, so she must have started coming around recently. Maybe it was just me, but there was something about the way she looked at Chase that felt a little too intense. Even though she tried to play it cool, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was up  Emily, with her usual grace, said, “I see Mr. Reyes, you’re so attentive to your wife. It’s really admirable. You two must have a wonderful relationship, night?”  Chase seemed a bit uncomfortable and wanted to steer clear of that topic. Tm here to pick her up” he replied  “Pick her up? I haven’t seen Mrs. Reyes these past few days. Are you sure she’s here?” Emily asked, puzzled.  chase said, trying to keep his cool, I need to discuss something with the director. I’ll catch you later”  He made his way hastily to the director’s office. The director had already come out to greet him, smiling broadly “What a surprise, Mr Reyes. You’re here in person.”  Chase wasn’t in the mood for chit–chat. “Has my wife been around lately?” he asked directly  The director shook his head. “She hasn’t been here for over ten days. Is everything alright?”  Chase felt a knot tighten in his stomach, unwilling to reveal too much. “It’s nothing serious,” he said, trying to sound casual. “When was the last time she visited? Did anything seem different?”  Seeing Chase’s anxious expression, the director paused to think. The last time Amanda was here was a couple of days before her wedding. She brought a bunch of candy and gifts for the kids, and they were over the moon. But, oddly, Amanda herself didn’t seem happy”  Scratching his head, the director added, “And that’s not the only strange thing. Everyone knows how solid your relationship is. You are envied by many. But over the past year her mood has been all over the place–sometimes up, sometimes down. About three months ago, it was like she went through something heavy. She lost a lot of weight, barely smiled, and spent most of her time here.” “Three months ago? What happened?” Chase asked, concem creeping into his voice.  The director gave him a quizzical look. “Mr. Reyes, if you don’t know, how would I? Since then, she’s been lost in thought, staring at the kids, sometimes even tearing up. I asked her about it, but she wouldn’t open up. She seemed… shattered.”  A shadow passed over Chase’s face as if he had just pieced something together. “Thanks. Please let me know if she comes here.”  “Of course,” the director replied.  As Chase hurried off, the director murmured to himself, “Looks like those rumors might be true. Their relationship isn’t what it used to  be  The director was always a kind soul, and he’d suspected there was trouble between Chase and me. He’d tried to talk to me about it several times, but back then, I was too caught up in my own plans for revenge to listen to anyone.  Sadly, I never got the chance to say goodbye to him.  I watched as he took out his phone, dialing my number with practiced ease. I knew there’d be no answer, just the dull tone of a voicemail.  As Chase left, he passed by Emily, who greeted him with her usual politeness. “Mr. Reyes, heading out already?”  Chapter 52