Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts novel Chapter 72

Ines hobbled down the stairs, faintly hearing the chaos behind her. Silas was calling the ambulance, while Emma and Shirley were calling out non-stop.

"Ms. Ines, what happened?"

Eda heard the noises upstairs and emerged from the kitchen, but Ines was already out of sight.

Ines was walking like a marionette, unsure of where she was headed. She thought she heard the sound of an ambulance. It was only after she had walked a considerable distance that she realized she had left in such a hurry and forgotten her bag.

She was in a familiar yet unrecognizable place. In this city, the only people she could rely on were Ethan and Phoebe.

She let her mind wander and walked aimlessly. After a while, she heard the sound of a ferry and realized she had ended up by the river. Many people were enjoying themselves by the water.

She found a seat among the many benches by the river. After a while, a young couple sat down next to her. The girl was petite and sat on her boyfriend’s lap. They were college students on a date.

At first, they were just whispering sweet nothings to each other, but gradually the sounds of their kissing became more conspicuous. Out of the corner of her eye, Ines saw the guy's hand slide under the girl's shirt as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Ines gave a bitter smile and stood to leave.

Ethan didn't get home until after 11 p.m. He noticed it was pitch dark as soon as he opened the door. Usually, Ines would leave a small light on in the living room. Could it be she hadn’t come home yet?

Ethan strode into the bedroom to find the bed made and no sign of Ines. She clearly hadn't come home.

He checked his phone but there were no missed calls or messages. He tried calling her several times but couldn't get through.

This was unlike her. Even when they first got married, she would always let him know if she was changing her number or going to see friends or work late. What could have happened that she'd ignore him completely?

Frustrated, Ethan browsed through his contacts only to find he didn't know much about her, not even one of her friend's number.

He ended up calling Noel Yates, who seemed to have already gone to bed and complained when he picked up the phone.

"Ethan, I thought you'd completely forgotten about me since you got married. Did your wife kick you out tonight? Is that why you're calling?"

Ethan had no patience for Noel's banter and cut him off. "The daughter from the Wagner family, could you find her contact information for me?"

Noel suddenly perked up and sat up in bed. "What do you need her for?"

"I'm looking for my wife, so cut the crap and find her number for me." Ethan was in no mood for jokes.