Chapter 6 THE WOMAN WHO WALKED AWAY

​Javier slowly lowered her phone, the mysterious caller's words echoing in her mind: 

"There are things about Camille Mia that neither you nor Alex knows." A frown creased her forehead. "Who are you?" she asked, but the line had already gone dead.

​Noticing the change in her expression, Nina looked at her with concern. "What happened?"

​Javier slipped the phone back into her handbag. "Someone called. They said Camille is hiding something."

​"Do you believe them?" Nina asked, frowning.

​Javier slowly shook her head. "I don't know. But whoever it is... they know about Alex. And they know about me."

​Nina's expression turned serious. "Javier, from now on, don't answer unknown calls when you're alone. If someone is playing games, they could become dangerous."

​Javier nodded quietly. She gently placed a hand over her stomach, her expression softening. "I'm not alone anymore."

​Meanwhile, Alex drove through the city once again, desperately searching for Javier. 

He visited every place she loved—the flower shop where he bought her roses every birthday, the riverside cafe where he had proposed to her, and the bookstore where they had first met but she was nowhere to be found.

​Just then, his phone rang. It was his assistant. "Mr. Swan, the board meeting begins in fifteen minutes," his assistant reminded him.

​"I'm not coming."

​There was a brief pause. "Sir?"

​"I'm looking for my wife."

​"The directors are insisting that you attend."

​Alex's voice turned cold. "I said cancel it." Without waiting for another response, he ended the call.

​Almost immediately, his phone vibrated again. This time, the caller ID displayed Camille's name. Alex hesitated for a moment before answering.

​"Hello," he said.

​"Alex," Camille's voice was filled with concern. "I heard you canceled all your meetings. Is everything alright?"

​"My wife left."

​Silence hung between them for several seconds before Camille spoke softly. "I'm sorry. I never wanted this."

​Alex let out a weary sigh. "I know. I'm just trying to find her."

​"If there's anything I can do..."

​"There is," Alex said calmly. "For now, please keep your distance."

​Camille froze. "What?"

​"I don't want people misunderstanding us anymore."

​Camille's heart sank. "I understand."

​"Thank you."

​Alex ended the call, leaving Camille staring at her phone as the screen slowly went dark. A single tear rolled down her cheek. "So... I've already lost," she whispered.

​At Swan Group, the boardroom buzzed with uneasy whispers.

​"The president hasn't shown up again," one director murmured.

​"This isn't like Alex," another replied.

​Before anyone could say more, the boardroom doors swung open and Kendall Swan walked in. Everyone immediately rose to their feet.

​"Mr. Swan," they greeted him.

​Kendall took his seat at the head of the table. "My son won't be attending today's meeting."

​One director cautiously asked, "Is something wrong?"

​Kendall answered without hesitation. "Yes. He forgot the most important responsibility of his life. From today until further notice, I'll temporarily oversee the company." No one dared object.

​That afternoon, Javier and Nina left the hospital together. As they stepped outside, a black luxury sedan sat quietly across the street. Inside the vehicle, a man lowered the camera pressed against his face.

​Click. Click. Click.

​Several photographs captured Javier instinctively resting her hand on her stomach. The man smiled before picking up his phone. "I've confirmed it."

​The voice on the other end responded immediately. "She's pregnant?"

​"Yes."

​"What about Alex?"

​"He still doesn't know where she is."

​A soft laugh echoed through the speaker. "Perfect. Keep watching her."

​The call ended. The photographer started the engine and drove away without attracting attention. Neither Javier nor Nina realized they were being followed.

​Back at Swan Mansion, Alex sat alone inside the nursery. The room had never been used. Years earlier, he and Javier had decorated it together, laughing as they imagined the future.

​"When we finally have a baby," Javier had said with a bright smile, "we won't have to rush."

​A faint smile appeared on Alex's face at the memory, but it disappeared just as quickly. He slowly looked around the silent, empty room, where nothing remained except memories and regret. 

"I'm sorry," Alex whispered into the empty nursery. "I wasn't there." The silence that followed felt heavier than ever.

​Just then, his phone buzzed with a new email.

​Subject: CCTV Footage – Crystal Crown Hotel

​Alex immediately opened it. The hotel had finally sent the security footage from the night of their wedding anniversary.

​He watched himself arrive at the hotel, watched the reporters swarm around him, and watched himself dancing with Camille. A wave of regret washed over him.

​Then, the footage switched to another camera. Alex frowned. A woman wearing a black cap stood quietly behind one of the pillars. She wasn't watching Camille, nor was she paying attention to the reporters. She was watching him. Every movement, every conversation.

​When Alex left the ballroom, the woman immediately pulled out her phone and made a call. Alex paused the video and zoomed in, but the image became too blurry to identify her face.

​"I've never seen her before," he muttered. Who was she, and why had she been watching him so closely?

​That evening, Javier stood alone on the balcony of Nina's apartment. The city lights glittered beneath the night sky as a cool breeze brushed against her skin. She wrapped her arms around herself as her phone suddenly vibrated.

​This time, it was Alex.

​She stared silently at his name on the screen, her thumb hovering over the answer button. Just then, Nina stepped onto the balcony carrying two cups of tea. "He keeps calling?" she asked gently.

​Javier nodded. "Since this morning."

​"Are you going to answer?"

​Javier looked at the screen one last time, then pressed Decline. "I'm not ready."

​Back at Swan Mansion, Alex slowly lowered his phone, closing his eyes in defeat. One unanswered call. Then another. And another. He understood now. 

Javier wasn't refusing to answer because she hated him; she was deeply hurt, and he was the one who had caused that pain.

​Just then, his phone rang again. This time, it was an unknown number. Alex answered immediately. "Hello?"

​A distorted voice came through the speaker. "If you want to see your wife again... stop looking for her."

​Alex's expression darkened instantly. "Who are you?"

​The caller let out a low chuckle. "Someone who knows this is only the beginning."

​The line went dead. Alex stared at the screen, his grip tightening around the phone. This was no longer just about a broken marriage. Someone was deliberately pulling the strings from the shadows.