8
Sitting alone in the car, I was a mess, unsure where to go. I tried to convince myself to calm down. But I couldn’t stop worrying about Cora being out there alone. If she stayed in a hotel, would she be uncomfortable? Was her health alright? Did she have anyone to care for her?
1
The temperature was about to drop. Without me to hold her at night, would she be cold? Was the place she went to safe?
The thought of Cora being all alone after just having surgery tore at my heart. immediately took out my phone and called my assistant. “Transfer money to Mrs. Fu’s bank card right now and check with the airline if she bought a ticket.”
The assistant quickly called back. “Mr. Fu, the transfer failed. The bank said Mrs. Fu has already canceled all her bank cards. The airline confirmed that she boarded a flight to Belgium a few hours ago.”
A few hours ago? Suddenly, I realized something. I rushed back to the hospital to check the surveillance footage of Cora leaving. I saw her standing in front of Adeline’s hospital room for a long time before leaving. That was the exact time when I was entangled with Adeline in the
room…
Did she leave because she saw what I did with Adeline? No, it couldn’t be. The assistant said she booked the flight to Belgium days ago, and the prenatal hospital confirmed she had scheduled the Abortion Procedure.
But she shouldn’t know that Adeline and I aren’t related by blood…
I was in turmoil. I kept reassuring myself. Cora loved me too much to leave. She was just mad about me bringing Adeline home. If I found her and sincerely apologized, everything could be explained. I could promise to keep my distance from Adeline and never hurt her again.
As for the child–it’s okay, we’re still young, and there will be more children.
Then the assistant called again, speaking hesitantly. “Mr. Fu, Mrs. Fu sent you an email before boarding. You should take a look…”
I quickly opened my email, and Cora had sent a Divorce Agreement and an audio recording. The audio was recorded while I was in the kitchen washing fruit. I couldn’t believe Cora already knew everything I had done to her. Everything Adeline said was the truth. All my sins laid bare.
12:24 PM M
<
Listening to it made me feel ashamed, made me feel sick. My face turned ghostly pale, as if all the blood had been drained from it.
Cora’s flight information was the only lead I had found in my frantic search. I used all my connections, casting a wide net, vowing to find Cora, apologize, and bring her home. Despite this, I felt like a headless chicken, personally weaving through crowds, my once confident and towering figure now seeming so pathetic.
“Hi, have you seen this Chinese girl in the photo?” I asked everyone I met in fluent English, showing them Cora’s picture on my phone. But my search was like looking for a needle in a haystack. All I got were shaking heads and confused looks.
I hired the most renowned private detective team in Europe, those detectives known for their ability to find anyone in the European streets. Yet, they all reported back, one by one, with no progress, their heads hung low. I personally visited every local hospital and rehabilitation center.
But there was no news of Cora.
I was still abroad, anxiously searching for Cora. The notifications from social media kept interrupting my thoughts, beeping incessantly.
Displaying photos of Cora on his cell phone.
Yet, searching for her felt impossible, like looking for a needle in a haystack, only to be met with shaking heads and puzzled glances.
He had hired Europe’s most renowned team of private detectives at great expense. Despite their reputation for finding anyone in Europe’s alleys, they returned one by one, dejected, with no progress to report.
He personally visited every local hospital and rehabilitation center.
Still, there was no news of Cora.
Asher was abroad and consumed with anxiety about finding Cora.
Notifications from social media incessantly broke his train of thought.
Frustrated, he unlocked his phone to find messages from friends in his social circle, accompanied by several links.
The headlines were so shocking that he couldn’t bear to read them:
“Secrets of the Elite–Principal Violinist and CEO’s Forbidden Love”
“Violinist’s Reputation Shattered, Rocky Mountains Betrayal and Attempted Murder of Best Friend, Shocking Truth of Asher Corporation’s
CEO’s Wife’s Amputation”
Asher’s hands trembled as he clicked on the links. The audio that played made him feel as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss.
He couldn’t understand how this audio had been published on numerous domestic marketing accounts, spreading online like wildfire.
Could Cora have contacted the media?
If so, could he reach Cora through these media channels?
His spirits lifted.
He was willing to let his life and career be turned upside down by this media frenzy.
He didn’t care if it meant his reputation would be destroyed.
All he wanted was to find Cora!
Asher called his assistant, hoping to have him contact the marketing accounts to find any trace of Cora.
However, his assistant’s phone was disconnected.
That’s when he realized that Cora hadn’t sent the audio to the marketing accounts.
12:24 PM M
<
It was his trusted assistant who had betrayed him, selling the audio to the marketing accounts.
His emotions, already fragile, were now on the brink of collapse.
If being betrayed by his assistant upset him this much, how desperate and angry must Cora have felt upon discovering the truth?
After a brief stay in Belgium to recuperate, I arrived in Interlaken, a famous fairy–tale town in Europe.
Over the years, I’ve known that no matter how skilled the surgeon, they can’t restore my amputated fingers.
My dream of being a violinist is now beyond reach.
Fortunately, although Asher didn’t love me, he was generous over the years.
The allowance he gave me was enough to ensure a worry–free life.
Before leaving Beijing, I withdrew all the money from my bank card and deposited it into a foreign account.
I’ve settled in one of Switzerland’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its natural beauty and abundant outdoor activities.
Whether seeking adventure or peace, this place offers unforgettable experiences.
I’ve opened a Bed and Breakfast at the foot of the “Top of Europe,” the Jungfrau, beginning a peaceful life on my own.
The past is not something I wish to pursue because I believe that justice will be served in due time.
Once everything was settled, I checked the domestic news again, and the situation had dramatically changed.
Asher’s previous affection for me had been well–known in the Beijing Circle. This time, his reputation crumbled, and the online attention was unprecedented.
Comparable to a celebrity.
Shortly after the audio content was released, someone found a video among my previously handled personal items.
A video of Adeline and Nolan on the Rocky Mountains, stealing my supplies and equipment, and attempting to kill me, was soon posted online.
It quickly caused an uproar on major social media platforms.
Netizens connected the dots of my experiences over the years, and the comments were filled with outrage, lamenting the collapse of their
values.
“Oh my god, the title of Principal Violinist was earned like this! Stealing someone’s boyfriend, and attempting murder on the Rocky Mountains. Failing to harm others, she even had her uncle cut off someone’s healthy fingers! The most poisonous woman indeed!”
“Asher is so disgusting, having an affair with his own niece! Such a vile man should just die!”
In just a few days, both the Asher and Nolan Corporations faced an unprecedented crisis, with their stock prices plummeting.
Nolan Corporation’s PR was the first to act, issuing a statement, firmly denying the online accusations, emphasizing that it was all due to Adeline’s instigation.
Nolan pushed all the responsibility onto Adeline.
In no time, Adeline found herself in deep trouble.
She returned to her husband’s home, only to be beaten and thrown out by an angry Nolan.
That very day, an attorney contacted her, forcing her to sign a clean–break divorce agreement.
<
Abandoned by Nolan, she turned back to seek comfort from Asher.
Asher was urgently called back from abroad to handle the crisis.
Now filled with resentment towards her, how could he still treat her kindly?
“I haven’t come to settle the score with you, and you still have the nerve to find me?”
“If you hadn’t spoken ill of me in front of Cora, would she have left me? Would our child have been lost? Adeline, you are the murderer of my child! I will never forgive you!”
“I love Cora, and I will never do anything to hurt her again in this life!”
“If you continue to bother me, I’ll make you pay for my child’s life!”
Asher’s Eldest Brother and Sister–in–Law were also humiliated for adopting such a daughter.
The upper social circles, though friendly on the surface, whispered behind their backs that they must have sinned in a past life, unable to have children and adopting a murderer.
Disheartened, they decided never to care for her again.
With her heart broken, Adeline nervously returned to the Orchestra.
The bustling rehearsal hall fell silent, and everyone’s mocking eyes turned to her.
“Adeline, how dare you come back? Because of your scandal, the Orchestra’s reputation has plummeted, and sponsors have withdrawn. You’ve been expelled.”
Adeline turned and stumbled out, tears streaming down her face.
The fame and glory that once surrounded her had now vanished.
She was utterly a failure, losing everything.
Though this turmoil nearly ruined Asher, he was indifferent.
Instead, he was grateful that more people were paying attention to him.
In the days without Cora, Asher, usually strategizing in the company, had long lost interest in work.
He didn’t even care about his appearance, with bloodshot eyes and a chin covered in new stubble, no longer the confident man he once was.
Every day without Cora made his heart ache.
He recalled the years they spent together, how Cora always made him feel warm and secure.
He opened his phone, and his photo gallery was filled with pictures of her, each one now piercing his heart with regret.
Only after losing her did he realize how terribly wrong he had been.
Asher quickly posted a reward notice on the Asher Corporation’s official Twitter.
Anyone who could provide clues about Cora would be rewarded with a million yuan.
He even put aside all his pride, recording a tearful video, confessing his feelings to Cora.
“Cora, where are you? Please come back… After you left, I realized you are the most precious light in my life… The things I did to you are my biggest regrets in life. I was blinded before and lost the most important you.
“I was wrong. If you’re willing to come back to me, I’ll accept any punishment. Give me a chance to love you again. This time, I’ll hold onto you
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