Chapter 403

Despite Charles’s growing disdain for Catherina, the sudden disappearance of a living person was troubling enough to demand action. Reluctantly, he instructed the servants to begin a search. They scoured the estate through the night, finding no trace of her. But by the following day, a grim discovery awaited them—streaks of blood near the storage room door. With mounting unease, Charles ordered the room to be opened. Inside lay Catherina, battered, bound, and barely clinging to life. The sight sent a shiver through the servants, who stood frozen in terror, unaccustomed to such brutality. Even Charles, despite his growing cynicism, felt a pang of shock. Without hesitation, he arranged for Catherina to be rushed to the hospital. Though she was far from a beloved figure, she was still a life—a fragile thread teetering on the edge. Charles, however, saw no need to involve Eleanor. This was his obligation, and his alone. Yet fate had other plans. When Eleanor appeared at the hospital unanno