Irene suppressed her grief when she saw how helpless Elio was. She said, "It's alright now. Both of you should go home."
"I'm sorry, Irene. I don't know how to help," Elio said guiltily.
"It's okay, it's not your fault. C'mon, take Millicent home," Irene said. She wanted to be alone right now.
Night fell, and Irene was sad to see the empty house.
Traces of Edward could be found everywhere within the house. Like a movie playing in her mind, Irene recalled happy memories of the past. She remembered them clearly, as though they had just happened yesterday.
Just yesterday, she had been laughing and smiling. Yet now, her eyes were filled with tears.
"I'm sorry, Grandma. I couldn't protect the company. Eric is too powerful," Irene thought sadly.
It was all her fault. If only she hadn't held a wedding on the sea, none of this would've happened. Irene couldn't help but blame herself.
Charlotte seemed to sense Irene's despair, and she cried despite her attempts to soothe her. Irene looked at her and wondered, "Is Charlotte also worried about her father's safety?"
Where the hell was Edward? Charlotte and Irene missed him dearly.
Suddenly, Irene received a call and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Really? You've located Celine? How about Edward? Has he been found yet?"
The search and rescue team called to inform her that Celine had been rescued and sent to the hospital. She was in a coma. Since she was suspected of premeditated murder, she would spend the rest of her life in prison. However, there was no trace of Edward.
Irene was disappointed, and the light in her eyes dimmed. Despite that, she tried to cheer up. Now wasn't the time to give up! Since Celine had survived, Edward must be somewhere out there. She had to find a way to hold on to the company and wait for his return!
Irene felt a little better as she thought about that. Quickly, she called Claudia.
"Mum, there is news from the rescue team that Celine has been found alive."
"What about Edward? Have they found him?" Claudia asked eagerly.
"Not yet. But there's nothing to worry about, mum. Since Celine has been found, Edward will definitely be fine. We should work hard and not give up hope. We should focus on dealing with Eric and the rest," Irene said in comfort.
"Okay," Claudia said in disappointment. But when she thought about it, she figured that this was also good news. At least, it meant they could have hope, right?
A mysterious man would pay them a sudden visit in their time of distress. His arrival would help Irene solve the urgent situation.
The next day, a strange man knocked on Irene's door.
"Hello, who are you looking for?" Irene asked.
"Are you Miss Irene?" asked the man. He was wearing a black suit and gold-rimmed glasses.
"Yes. What can I do for you?" Irene asked curiously.
"Your husband, Mr. Edward, has left some documents with me. I believe it's time to have a look at them."
Irene was a little surprised. She thought, "Did Edward leave me a will? When did he do that? Why didn't he tell me?"
Based on the professional way he was dressed, Irene figured he wasn't a liar. She then invited him into the house.
"Please have a seat. What would you like to drink?" Irene asked.
"No need, thank you. Here's a brief rundown. Mr. Edward has made prior arrangements about a notary agreement with us in the past. In the event that he is missing, all the shares that he owns will be inherited by you, and all the affairs of his company will be handled by you."
"You are free to divide the inheritance when your child has grown up. He has also stated that a portion of the properties under his name will be given to his mother, Mrs. Claudia. Everything else will be inherited and managed by you."
"This agreement was written in our notary, and it bears his signature. Please have a look at it."
Irene had never expected that Edward would place such great trust in her. Tears spilt from her eyes as she looked through the documents. Suddenly, she remembered what Edward had said before, "Irene, I'll give you the entire company as a betrothal gift. Will you marry me?"
It turned out that he wasn't joking. Irene covered her mouth and tried not to cry.
"We know that Mr. Edward is currently missing, so it's time to hand over this document to you. Mr. Edward has helped me a lot in the past. If you have any issues, feel free to contact me," said the man as he handed Irene a business card.
"Sorry to disturb you. Farewell," said the man as he got up.
After the man left, Irene burst into tears uncontrollably.
Edward truly was kind and thought of her dearly! Where was he now? She would definitely find him no matter where he was!
Irene calmed down and told the news to Claudia, Elio, and Millicent in a hurry.
"That's great, Irene! It's great that Edward was well-prepared! We'll see how Cameron and Eric deal with this!" Claudia exclaimed. As the saying goes, what goes around comes around! If it weren't for Edward, Eric and Cameron might have succeeded. Claudia and Irene would have a hard time if that happened.
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The readers' comments on the novel: Infatuated with my Ex-wife