I hadn't known that. Sure, there had always been arguments at home. Karen loved showing off and hated working for anything, but I'd never heard a single word about theft. Never anything that serious. I wouldn't deny that my mother had always protected my sister. But this? This was too much. Carl had to be lying. Just another way to shift the blame, to make Karen look guilty now that she was missing and couldn't defend herself. "Judging by your face, you didn't know. I have proof if you want to see it. Your mother covered for her, and your father cleaned up the mess, always making sure the oldest daughter stayed in the dark. Your sister was always arrogant. She always wanted more than she had. But she's still my wife. "She and my son are missing, and I had nothing to do with it. I want to find out where they are just as much as you do. Especially my son. You know how much I wanted that little boy." That last comment didn't escape me. Even now, in the middle of all this

August's POV "Sweetheart, do you want something else to eat?" That had become a common question around the house. It had been two weeks since Karen disappeared, and Isabelle's answer was always the same. "Later." Then she'd walk away. "You got home late last night," she said, staring down at her coffee. "I've got a few urgent issues to deal with at work. I'll probably be working late for the next few days." "Okay." She didn't say another word. She left the dining room and sat down on the couch. Most days she stayed there with her phone in her hands. Other times she'd go to her aunt's house, or she'd spend hours driving around with the security team, searching for clues that never seemed to exist. Carl kept going to work. Life went on, for everyone except Isabelle. She lived only for answers. Answers no one could give her. At home, I felt completely helpless. There was nothing I could do to fix the situation. I couldn't even convince my wife to eat. Over the past

August's POVSince Karen disappeared, John had been working twice as hard. It wasn't technically his job. He was my head of security, not a private investigator. But I'd pay any price to get answers. The moment he walked into my office, I got straight to the point. "Any news?" John took a deep breath before answering. That alone told me everything. "Nothing yet. Both the police and our team thought we'd get something once we obtained her phone records. We found messages she'd exchanged with a friend saying she was afraid of her husband, that he'd been acting strangely. But that's all there was. The friend didn't know much either, and the husband has an alibi. We haven't found anything else linking him to her disappearance. No suspicious messages. Nothing." Silence settled over the room. We needed answers. Otherwise, Isabelle would keep wasting away under the weight of uncertainty. "What's your theory?" He hesitated for a second. "If I'm being completely objecti

"After I finally opened my eyes, I found out she owed money to a bunch of people. Other people suspected she was stealing too, but no one could prove it. And you know the worst part? She was sleeping with my dad while she had a boyfriend. I think his name was Michael... Gabriel... something like that. I heard the gossip much later that he knew everything and even helped her. After we had our falling-out, I still saw the two of them together for a long time." "Wow... that's insane." "Who are you talking about?" another woman asked as she joined the group. "Karen. Remember her?" "What a crazy story, her disappearing with her baby. Honestly, I think she ran away. She probably scammed her husband and took off with another guy. Remember that man she used to see? They looked inseparable on social media. There was plenty of gossip about him too." "Her boyfriend?" I asked, eager to hear more about this boyfriend I'd never heard of. "No, the other one. The rich guy. Total troublemak

Diana's POV "After your wedding to Oliver, we're going to restructure the company. Your department plays an important role. If you can't handle it, Caesar will help you…" "I don't need Caesar's help." "Or we'll hire someone from outside," my father continued, speaking as if I weren't even there. "Your mother is hosting a dinner next week. Apparently your future mother-in-law wants to discuss the wedding. What happened to August is unfortunate. That whole story about his missing sister-in-law only caused problems. I just hope that marriage lasts until next year, at least. "If your brother had been more cooperative, I could've let him choose a decent bride from a decent family. I never imagined that girl would be so troublesome. Anyway, that's all. Oliver also complained that you haven't been answering his calls…" Just like my dear fiancé, running to my father to complain about me. "I'm not marrying Oliver," I said firmly. "Yes, you are. That's not up for discussion." "Th