Chapt. 27 - Gone

“Do you want to know how it feels when I can’t find you anywhere? Empty. Like a body without a soul. Is this what you call ‘half a soul gone’?” –Mike–

***

“Greg, Jimmy, Jiji's not here!” Mike shouted, causing the two men fighting the criminals to turn their heads.

This was an opportunity for the kidnappers to escape, and Greg and Jimmy weren't interested in chasing them because their focus now was on his sister, whom he couldn't find anywhere in the room.

The building only had a few large rooms, and it seemed impossible for Angie to disappear. Someone must have kidnapped her and taken her away.

They were so careless that they didn’t even notice it.

“Where’s Jiji? What are you doing here?” Mike asked, pointing his gun at Jimmy, who raised both hands. He just stared at Mike, who looked helpless without his strong legs. But he felt no pity at all. Mike was still a dangerous man. “Tell me where she is!”

“I came because she called me. And when I arrived here, she was still in the room, trying to untie the ropes binding her hands and feet. I don’t know why she disappeared.”

Mike didn’t take his eyes off the man before him, ensuring Jimmy wasn’t lying. From the man’s eyes, he could see honesty.

Then what did he do, and how could he have received a call from Angie? Didn’t the girl leave her phone at the apartment?

He ignored the various speculations and hurried away. His mind kept thinking, trying to find clues among the events between him and Angie.

It could be the person Angie disliked the most who had done something like this. But who?

It would be too hasty to jump to such a conclusion. It could be someone obsessed with her, doing this to possess her. If that were the case, only one person might have done it. Though Mike wasn’t sure, Cynthia’s account could be valid.

***

“Jordan, what are we going to do here?” Angie asked, her gaze constantly sweeping across the grand room where she stood. Jordan had managed to save her from the criminals, even though Jimmy had come to help. It was so easy.

Doubts briefly crept in, but Angie dismissed them all. Jordan wouldn’t endanger her life, would he? The man loved her deeply. That was what Jordan had said before Angie decided to stay with Mike.

Perhaps Jimmy and Jordan were working together to help each other. That was what Angie believed for now.

“You’ll be safer here, Ji.”

“Is this your house?” Angie asked, once again examining the modern design of the building that had left her speechless. The man nodded. Angie couldn’t believe that Jordan, who dressed so simply, had such a luxurious residence.

Several people in black uniforms stationed at various corners caught Angie’s attention, reminding her of the atmosphere at Mike’s apartment.

“Those people... why are they here? Are you the same as Mike?”

“What? What’s the same? They’re just on guard. I hired some security guards for my residence because lately, there’s been a lot of news about robberies.” Jordan tried to calm Angie, who seemed increasingly anxious.

She kept looking around. Her eyes didn’t leave the few large men who seemed familiar.

"Will you take me home?" Angie asked. However, Jordan, standing with his back to her, only glanced at her out of the corner of his eye without answering.

He continued walking and stopped in front of a room. "You'll be safer at my place, Ji. Just be patient for a moment. I promise to inform your mother and brother and take you home once the situation is safer. Because I’m certain Mike is the one behind all this.”

“Mike? Impossible. He…” Angie couldn’t finish her sentence. She was naive, after all, so she believed Mike wouldn’t harm her. However, her memory returns to a few hours earlier, when Mike handed her the divorce papers. “Mike doesn’t care about me. So I don’t think he’d do this. I suspect someone else, but I won’t speak until I have proof.”

Jordan turned, looking at Angie with an expression that was hard to interpret. Angie no longer trusted anyone after what had happened to her in the past few days.

The days that followed were challenging for her to endure. She knew that love didn’t exist for Mike, but why did she feel so empty after being separated from that man? Shouldn’t she be happy, since Jordan, the man she had always desired, was now always by her side?

No. That wasn’t how she felt. Only an emptiness, like a body without a soul. She even spent every night in tears.

She missed him... so damn much. What was Mike doing right now? Was he still searching for her?

“You didn’t finish your food,” Jordan said, noticing the tray he had served Angie was still full of food. Just like this morning. Untouched.

“I wanna go home, J. I miss Mum and Jimmy,” Angie replied, her voice trembling. She didn’t want to appear weak. Though it felt comforting to receive special treatment, she had already revealed all her vulnerabilities to Mike, so she didn’t want any other support besides him.

Jordan seemed to be trying to keep his patience at a safe level. He approached and took Angie’s fingers to calm her down.

“I promised you, didn’t I? I will definitely take you home. But not now. Look outside; the guards are still tightening security. They’re the ones most concerned about the news reports.” Jordan then reached into a drawer and pressed a button. A large-screen television displayed the news, making Angie’s heart feel like it was about to leap out of her chest and stick to the screen.

So cheap. Her heart felt so cheap every time she saw Mike. The man... was still sitting in his wheelchair, with a pale face and black sunglasses covering his eyes, moving through the crowd of journalists.

There was no smile on his handsome, dishevelled face. Mike had always been grumpy, but Angie knew that man had once been so radiant when they were together.

Now, Mike was like a living corpse. As empty as she was.

“Mike...” Angie bowed her head to hide the tears that were about to fall. She didn’t want Jordan to react, so she hid the heaviness in her chest.

‘He’s still looking for me...’ Angie thought, then let her tears fall freely.

Let Jordan know that she was indeed crying. Not because of a broken heart, or an outpouring of sadness, but because of a happiness she couldn’t express.

“Mike is still looking for me,” she murmured again. Instantly, Jordan turned off the flat object and stood up.

“You saw it yourself. They’re a dangerous group, and I don’t want you to suffer if you’re in their custody. So…” Jordan knelt down, staring into the dark, tear-filled eyes. “Stay here until I say it’s safe for you to go home. Okay?”