Regretting the Wife He Threw Away novel Chapter 232

Three days passed, and the search and rescue teams had found nothing.

Both the rescue squads and the police had done everything they could.

“We’ve searched the mountain, the woods, and the entire length of the river downstream. There’s nowhere left to check,” the team leader reported, his expression grim as he debriefed Cedric Clarke at the rescue base camp.

Earlier that afternoon, Quentin had already taken the rest of the medical staff back to the hospital.

But Cedric Clarke refused to give up hope.

The team leader looked troubled. “In our experience, if no one turns up downstream, chances are they were buried by the landslide.”

“That’s not possible…” Cedric shook his head, unwilling to accept it.

“There’s one other possibility,” the leader offered, “Someone might have found her downstream and taken her away before we got there.”

Cedric’s face was haggard—he hadn’t slept for three days and nights. He set his jaw. “Then widen the search along the river. We keep looking until we find her—alive or… not. If we still find nothing, we dig up that landslide. No one leaves until Stella is found. That’s final.”

The team leader hesitated, but a job was a job. If the client insisted, he had no choice but to order his team to continue.

It wasn’t until the second day after Stella went missing that her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joyner, received the call.

Ableson and Scarlett Joyner rushed straight to the mountains, staying at the site for a day and a night. By the following afternoon, the strain became too much for Scarlett—she collapsed from exhaustion and grief.

Cedric arranged for someone to take both Ableson and Scarlett to the hospital.

Lockwood Hospital.

When Briony heard Scarlett had been hospitalized, she and James hurried there to visit.

They entered the hospital and headed straight for the inpatient ward.

Down the corridor, Melody Lynn had just finished picking up medication for her daughter, Ottilie Kensington. As she turned around, she spotted Briony.

“Isn’t that Briony?” Melody paused, frowning. “And the man with her—he looks quite charming. Is that her new boyfriend?”

“How should I know?” Ottilie grumbled, sniffling from her cold. “Let’s go, Mom. Why do you even care what Briony’s up to?”

“Oh, use your head!” Melody shot her daughter an annoyed look. “Ever since Stewart dumped Briony, the old lady’s been thrilled—she’s even given us more allowance these past few months! But if Briony gets herself a well-off boyfriend and the old lady finds out, she’ll be furious. And when she’s in a bad mood, do you think life gets any easier for us?”

“Then just don’t say anything!” Ottilie rolled her eyes.

“As if silence could keep it from her forever.” Melody grabbed Ottilie’s hand. “That old woman’s always keeping tabs on Briony, even if she pretends not to care! Come on, let’s see what’s happening.”

Despite her protests, Ottilie got dragged along, trailing behind Briony and James.