Meanwhile, in the ward, Jenson felt a strange unease gnaw at him as he stared out at the darkening sky.

When Emily noticed how distracted he was, her gaze dimmed slightly. Her eyes turned red as she spoke in a pitiful voice, "Jenson, can you stay with me tonight? I'm really scared. Please don't leave me alone."

With that, she let out a soft sob, looking delicate and vulnerable.

Seeing Emily in tears, Jenson instinctively wanted to agree.

But just as the words reached his lips, an image of Estella flashed through his mind—her pale face and her teary yet stubborn eyes as she endured the terror of being held hostage.

For some reason, his chest tightened, and a sharp pain pricked at his heart.

Frowning, he turned Emily down. "Mike's been arrested. You don't have to worry about him anymore. Estie went through a terrible ordeal. I need to be with her. It's getting late—you should rest. I

Before Emily even finished speaking, Jenson yanked his arm free. 

"I'm going to find Estie. Stop getting in my way. Once you're discharged, move back to your house and find a time to finalize the divorce."

Without another word, he bolted out of the hospital and hailed a cab straight to their home. 

The entire ride, he frantically dialed Estella's number. 

But every call was met with the same cold, robotic response. "The number you've dialed is unavailable."

He still clung to a sliver of hope in his heart, thinking maybe her phone had just died, so she couldn't pick up his calls. As long as he made it home, he would see the one he longed for.

Jenson kept urging the driver to go faster.

But when he finally pushed open the door, the sight before him sent a chill down his spine. The living room—once warm and familiar—now felt empty.

The couch was missing her favorite throw blanket an

The phone rang several times. Just as it was about to disconnect, someone finally picked up.

"Jenson, bring Emily back immediately! If I don't see her in 15 minutes, you can forget about ever seeing your girlfriend again!"

Jenson's face drained of color the moment he saw the dagger pressed against Estella's neck.

"Don't hurt her! Where are you? I'll come to you right now! Emily, Mike abducted Estie! Tell him not to hurt her!"

The screen wobbled before Emily's face appeared.

"Mike? Mike Conway?"

Mike's gaze locked onto her.

"It's me, Emily. You promised you'd marry me. I gave up everything for you. You can't just leave me."

His voice grew more agitated with every word. The blade pressed deeper, leaving a thin cut on Estella's neck. She couldn't help but let out a gasp of pain.

Jenson's heart skipped a beat at the sight.

"Don't touch her! Don't be scared, Estie. I'm coming to save you!"

When Estella saw the raw panic on his face, her eyes burned with unshed tears. She bit her lip hard, refusing to cry.

But the next words out of Emily's mouth made her freeze.

"Don't panic, Jenson. He's not Mike. Ms. Hart, there's nothing between Jenson and me. You don't have to stage something this dramatic just to test his feelings."

The moment she said that, Jenson frowned, and a flicker of doubt crossed his face.

A sinking feeling hit Estella's chest. 

"I'm not acting, Jenson! Please believe me! Believe me just this once…"

With her life on the line, she paid no mind to the blade at her throat. She could only plead with Jenson in a trembling voice.

On the other end, Emily let out a helpless sigh. "Don't push Jenson like this. Will you finally stop with these games if I leave?"

Jenson's expression turned cold at those words. "Estella, I don't have time for your tricks. Even if you really were abducted, I still wouldn't let Emily leave!"

With that, he hung up without hesitation.

Estella stared blankly at the screen. She felt nothing but cold.

Behind her, Mike's voice rang out, filled with anger. "Blame yourself for being Jenson's girlfriend. Pick your man more wisely in your next life!"

…

When Estella opened her eyes again, she was lying in a hospital bed. Jenson sat by her side, his expression filled with worry.

"Estie, you're awake! Are you in pain? Do you feel okay?"

Her mind was a mess. However, she hadn't forgotten how Jenson had believed Emily over her and how he'd abandoned her to fend for herself.

If the neighbors hadn't intervened, she would have died that night.

"I'm sorry. It was all my fault. I should have trusted you. Please, don't be mad, okay? I didn't know it was really Mike. I've never met him—"

Estella pulled her hand away as she cut him off expressionlessly, "Did Emily not recognize Mike either?"

Jenson stiffened, his voice strained as he tried to explain. "It was dark. She just didn't realize it at first. But when she found out it was really Mike, she was devastated. She cried for a long time. Anyway, Mike's been arrested now. Don't blame Emily. Please? You've always been the kindest person I know."

Estella had almost died.

Emily had just shed a few tears. And now Jenson was here, asking Estella to forgive her.

At that moment, a nurse rushed in. "Mr. Moore, Ms. Blanchard is awake. She's crying and asking for you."

This time, Jenson didn't immediately leave. He looked at Estella, waiting for her response.

Estella curled her lips into a slight smile. "Go ahead. I'm tired. I want to rest."

After saying that, she turned away and closed her eyes.

Thinking she'd agreed to forgive Emily, Jenson gently pulled the blanket over her. "I'll check on her and be right back."

With that, he turned and left with the nurse in a hurry.

Minutes later, Estella checked herself out of the hospital. She hailed a cab and left.

On the way home, she received a photo from Emily. Jenson was kneeling before her, carefully holding her ankle as he helped her put on her shoes.

Seeing the "typing..." indicator on the screen, Estella immediately blocked her.

When she got home, she headed straight for the study. She pulled the fake marriage certificate from the safe, tore it to shreds, and tossed it into the trash can without a moment's hesitation.

Then, she grabbed her suitcase and headed straight for the airport.

From this moment on, Jenson Moore was nothing but a part of her past.

Meanwhile, in the ward, Jenson felt a strange unease gnaw at him as he stared out at the darkening sky.

When Emily noticed how distracted he was, her gaze dimmed slightly. Her eyes turned red as she spoke in a pitiful voice, "Jenson, can you stay with me tonight? I'm really scared. Please don't leave me alone."

With that, she let out a soft sob, looking delicate and vulnerable.

Seeing Emily in tears, Jenson instinctively wanted to agree.

But just as the words reached his lips, an image of Estella flashed through his mind—her pale face and her teary yet stubborn eyes as she endured the terror of being held hostage.

For some reason, his chest tightened, and a sharp pain pricked at his heart.

Frowning, he turned Emily down. "Mike's been arrested. You don't have to worry about him anymore. Estie went through a terrible ordeal. I need to be with her. It's getting late—you should rest. I'll visit you tomorrow."

The moment he finished speaking, Emily's sobs abruptly stopped. She grabbe

Chapter 9