"Oh! I forgot to tell you about my product," she exclaimed, her clear eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Since the two of us would be working together on its launch, you should know about it. I've been developing it for four years, but it's still incomplete. However, don't worry. After hearing about your problem, I'm giving it extra time. Soon, it will be ready. My product is..."

RING!

Feng Jianyu's phone interrupted her mid-sentence. He excused himself before answering, recognizing his assistant, Rong Xiang, on the line. The call was urgent, informing him of an important meeting he had already postponed three times. Another delay would be detrimental to the company.

"Boss, you need to attend this meeting. The clients are arriving any moment now, and they've already been turned away three times. This is about Feng Corporation's credibility. I promise I won't pester you after this—just this once."

Feng Jianyu ran his fingers through his hair, glancing at the girl standing nearby. With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly agreed, "Fine! I'm coming." He hung up, frustration evident on his face, and walked toward her with a frown.

"What happened?" she asked, concern etching her features.

"Important meeting! I have to go! Be good and eat lunch. We'll talk later." He left without waiting for her response.

"Hey, wait! You forgot to take the diamond!" she yelled, sprinting after him.

"KEEP IT WITH YOU! I TRUST YOU!" he shouted back, not looking over his shoulder.

The meeting dragged on late into the night. By the time he finally stepped out, it was 2:00 a.m. He retrieved his car from the parking garage and drove toward the resort where they were staying.

The rain fell beautifully outside. With thoughts of sharing the good news that she had finally agreed to work with him, he called his cousin, Wang Shi.

"Hey!"

Wang Shi answered, his voice thick with sleep. "Dude, can you please check the time before calling? I just got to bed after an 18-hour surgery."

"Shut up and listen to me. I have some good news—"

CRASH!

Car accident!

THREE MONTHS LATER

CRASH!

The beautiful flower vase on the side table shattered into pieces.

"What the hell are you saying? Where is she? Did you check the resort thoroughly? What did the manager say? She would never do this! She wouldn't betray me! She promised…"

Rong Xiang trembled in his shoes, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as he stammered his response. "S-Sir, she left the resort the same night. A…a…"

"What else?"

"T-The family diamond is also missing." He couldn't bring himself to meet his boss's dark gaze, nearly flinching at what might come next.

Feng Jianyu woke up after three months in a coma. The first image that flashed in his mind was her innocent face. Immediately, he asked Wang Shi to send someone to the resort to look for her.

Wang Shi pressed a hand on Jianyu's shoulder. "Relax! She will be fine."

"It's been three months! Three damn months! I promised to help her, but I never returned after that night. She must feel abandoned, thinking those promises were just lies from a spoiled brat. I disappointed her." He ran a hand across his face, frustration spilling over. "Everything is f*cked up. I don't want to lose her. Please come back!"

Feng Jianyu's heartfelt words stunned Wang Shi. What was happening to him? Had he truly fallen for her?

"Phone," Feng Jianyu said, extending his palm and waving for Wang Shi's phone. He called his assistant, Rong Xiang, desperate to know about Alice. That was when his assistant informed him of her apparent betrayal.

"T-The family diamond is also missing," Rong Xiang said, his voice shaky. "The manager and staff confirmed they hadn't seen her since that night. I waited to inform her about your accident, but she never showed up!"

"Damn it! Did you check the coffeehouse?"

"Yes, sir! I went with a private investigator to all the places she might be, but it was all in vain! Later, we found out that the family diamond was missing; it wasn't with you at the time of the accident, and I didn't find it at the resort. M-Maybe… she… she…"

"Shut up! Don't you dare say that! She isn't that kind of girl." He paused, letting out a deep sigh. "Just keep looking for her. Check all the exit points."

After hanging up, he slumped back on the bed, his gaze fixed on the white ceiling.

'Where are you? Please be safe. Don't worry; I'm coming for you. Be safe…' In that moment, he couldn't stop himself from imagining all the terrible things that could have happened to her.

Over the next six months, he searched the entire Country Y but found no trace of her. Nobody had seen her since that night. It was as if she had vanished into thin air, leaving no proof of her existence.

Due to the heavy rainfall that day, the CCTV cameras had failed to capture anything conclusive. All he had was a blurry video of her running out of the resort with a backpack slung over her shoulder.

Feng Jianyu was torn, his heart wanting to trust her while his mind screamed of betrayal.

When he realized his search teams had given up after six months of intensive searching, he abruptly called off the search and ordered his men to return.