"Where are you, Serena?" Rhys muttered softly while continuing to ponder. Since that day's incident, time has passed, and Rhys has never stopped searching for Serena. His life has truly become chaotic after the departure of the woman he loved the most. Rhys can't sleep soundly, he can't eat regularly, and he can't even focus on work. His mind is constantly filled with thoughts of Serena.
Repeatedly, he asks Romeo about Serena's whereabouts, requesting that he search for her. Rhys continues searching for Serena in the same places, even contacting Serena's closest associates relentlessly. Every night, he cries, thinking about the departure of the woman he loves and feeling a profound emptiness in his soul. It's as if half of his breath has vanished.
"I heard you haven't been to work for almost two weeks. Why did you do that?" asked a woman who visited his apartment upon learning that he had been absent from work for almost two weeks.
Rhys was silent, not answering. He sat with his eyes blank and looked so lethargic. His appearance was very messed up. He had no time to pay attention to his appearance because he was too busy thinking about Serena. "Rhys, answer me!" The woman tried to get Rhys' attention. But since she had been ignored, she felt a little annoyed, to the point of raising her voice.
Rhys finally glanced at the woman standing before him. "How am I supposed to work while my mind keeps thinking about other things?" Rhys finally said.
"Don't tell me that all this has to do with that lowly woman. You didn't come to work just because she left you?"
Rhys' expression changed upon hearing her words. He looked at the middle-aged woman, who was his mother, with a confused face. His gaze was now probing his mother. "How did you know that Serena disappeared?"
"So I guessed right that all of this has something to do with that bitch? I'm your mother, Rhys. So I know everything about you. And besides, wouldn't it be nice if she left on her own? Because then, I wouldn't have to bother thinking of ways to keep her away from you so as not to interfere with your engagement process with Hailey."
"Does Serena's leaving have anything to do with you?" Rhys could never trust his mother. His gaze still didn't stop, looking at his mother questioningly.
"Me? Do you think I have time to deal with a bitch like her? You know, I'm busy at the hospital. I'm devoting all my attention to my husband, to your father! If you want to know where I got the information about that woman, I got it from my subordinate, who happened to see Romeo leaving with some of his friends. And he said Romeo got the task from you to find that bitch."
"I hope what you're saying is true. Because if you're proven to be involved in Serena's disappearance, I'll never be able to forgive you."
"You dare to threaten your own mother?"
"Mother? Since when have you been my mother? You never gave me attention or affection, treating me like a chess pawn that you could manipulate at will. Is that what you call a mother?"
"Rhys, you don't understand anything. Everything Mother does is for the best—"
"The best for me? I'm sick and tired of hearing that line constantly come out of your mouth!" Rhys interrupted quickly. "Do you not have any other reasons that you have to resort to clichéd statements like that?"
The woman sighed deeply, massaging her temples gently. She knew Rhys's nature well, requiring an extraordinary amount of patience to deal with him. "Enough. I don't want to argue with you because my purpose in coming here is not to fight with you, Rhys. I just want to remind you that the current situation is not in our favor. You have to work, and don't let the company go down, because that will have a bad impact on our family. Stop thinking about that woman and focus on the company and your engagement with Hailey!"
"How many times do I have to tell you that I won't get engaged, let alone marry, someone I don't love? I just want Serena!"
"Don't provoke me, and you better follow all my orders, because if you mess up this relationship, you'll be in big trouble! You MUST marry Hailey! It's the only way to strengthen our influence and protect everything we have right now." The woman emphasized her statement, making it clear to her son that he had to marry Hailey no matter what.
Rhys clenched his fists tightly. He couldn't bear his mother's constant control.
"That's all I have to say to you. And remember, stop searching for that bitch and follow all my orders, or else you'll lose everything!" The woman got up from her seat and left Rhys alone.
*
"Jasper!" Romeo approached the man with a worried expression. The called man turned towards the sound, rising from his seat spontaneously. "What happened to Master?"
"Oh, he's just feeling pressured, and because of that, his emotions have become somewhat unstable. That's why he asked me to accompany him to see the doctor," explained Jasper with a calm demeanor.
"Are you sure that's all?" Romeo stared at him intently. He wasn't convinced that it was just that, considering Rhys went as far as asking Jasper to escort him to Dr. Rowan. Jasper fell silent for a moment. He was somewhat hesitant to ask, but it involved his boss's mental health, which had been quite unstable lately. Rhys had been getting angry without clear reasons, often lost in thought, and his mood swings affected his ability to focus on work.
Jasper took a deep breath before starting to inquire, "I actually didn't want to ask because it's his personal matter. But, it's affecting his work."
"What do you want to ask?"
"Does he have personal issues? Because lately, he's been lost in thought. He's also been getting angry when people in the office make small mistakes, and I've seen him daydreaming so much that he can't focus on work."
"His current condition is indeed not good. Even worse than you know. He can't eat regularly, he can't sleep soundly, and he often goes to bars to get drunk."
"W-what?" Jasper fell silent upon hearing those words. He truly didn't expect Rhys's condition to be worse than he imagined.
Romeo and Jasper's attention shifted as the door to Dr. Rowan's examination room opened. They turned toward the door and saw Rhys stepping out alongside Rowan. The woman looked genuinely concerned about Rhys's condition. "Remember what I said. Eat and rest regularly, don't think too much, or your condition will worsen. Don't forget to take your medication, and if you feel stressed, never keep it all to yourself. Call me, understood?"
"Okay."
"Good, then see you again." Rowan went back into her office. There were still patients she needed to attend to. Meanwhile, Rhys walked over to Jasper and Romeo, who were anxiously waiting for him.
"Jasper, now you can go back to the office, and please handle my work."
"Alright, sir."
"Romeo, take me home."
"Alright, let's go." Romeo walked ahead with Rhys following from behind, as usual, Rhys's appearance was noticeably disheveled. Even to the casual observer, Rhys's pale face was evident. They exited the hospital and parted ways in the parking lot, with Jasper returning to the office alone while Romeo drove Rhys home. Throughout the journey, Rhys remained silent, staring out of the window, while Romeo tried to focus on driving.
"Any progress on your search?" Rhys suddenly broke the silence between them.
"Not yet, sir. I'm still trying to find any trace of Miss Serena. But it's more challenging than I thought. I've searched everywhere, and I've instructed all my subordinates outside the city to look for her. But there's still no result," explained Romeo.
Rhys sighed heavily. "Where are you, Serena?"
*
At the moment...
Rhys snapped out of his reverie. For some reason, he suddenly recalled the events from five years ago, when Serena began to disappear from his life. Since Serena's disappearance, Rhys's mental health had been shaken, leading him to require special treatment from Rowan, who happened to be both a psychologist and a close friend since their college days. Fortunately, with Rowan's support, Rhys was able to cope with everything.
Suddenly, something crossed Rhys' mind. He shifted his focus to something else, taking out his phone and getting engrossed in it before making a phone call to Romeo.
"Hello, sir—"
"I've found Serena." Rhys cut off Romeo's unfinished sentence.
"You've met Miss Serena?"
"Yes. It seems she's returned to Pandora."
"Thank goodness, I'm glad to hear that. But, sir, what's wrong? Why do you sound unhappy? Is there a problem, sir?"
"I did meet her. But there's another issue. Serena is married, and she asked me not to see her again."
"W-what?" Romeo couldn't hide his surprise.
"I still feel like my issues with her are not resolved until I know why she left me in the first place. That's why I need your help. Come back to Pandora as soon as possible and continue the search here. I need to find Serena quickly so I can solve my problem."
"I understand, sir. In that case, I'll immediately book a flight to return to Pandora. Maybe tomorrow or the day after, I'll arrive in Pandora."
"Alright." Rhys unilaterally ended the call. "I hope Romeo arrives soon so that he can find Serena as quickly as possible. That way, I can talk to her..."
***