Chapter 70
Colton’s world snapped into chaos the second the words she’s gone left the guard’s mouth. His pulse roared in his ears.
“What do you mean she’s gone?!” His voice cracked like a whip, making the bodyguards stiffen. “You were supposed to watch her every second–every second! And you let her walk out?!”
One of them stammered, “S–Sir, we didn’t see her leave. She–she climbed down from the balcony, tied the bedsheets-“}
“I don’t care how she did it!” Colton’s voice boomed through the hallway, his face flushed with rage. “You were here to stop it! I give you orders, and you follow them, or you’re useless!“}
–
Without another word, he stormed toward the security room, shoving one guard out of the way. The smell of stale coffee and electronics filled the air as he slammed a hand against the desk.
“Pull the CCTV footage. Now.”
The guard scrambled to rewind the video. Static flickered across the screen before an image came into focus–Nadia, her figure small and quick, climbing down from the balcony using knotted sheets. The camera angle caught her landing on the garden below, disappearing into the shadows.
and
Colton leaned forward, jaw clenched so tight it hurt. “Zoom in. I want to see where she went.”
The guard obeyed, switching to the outer gate camera. The footage showed Nadia stepping out from the trees… and then a car pulling up. The sleek, dark shape stopped just long enough for her
to climb inside. A man got out for a moment, helping
her into the backseat–but the image was blurred beyond recognition. The car pulled away fast.
Colton’s chest tightened. “Who is that? Who the hell is that?!“}
The guard shook his head. “It’s too blurry, sir. The plate’s unreadable.”
Colton snatched his phone and dialed the police, pacing like a caged animal as the line rang.
་སྡོད་ས་དར་
“This is Colton Montgomery,” he snapped the moment an officer answered. “My wife–Nadia–has been kidnapped. She’s in danger. I need you to send units after a black sedan-“}
The officer’s calm voice cut him off. “Sir, we’ve reviewed the footage your security sent. From what we see, she left willingly. There’s no sign of a struggle. That doesn’t meet the legal definition of kidnapping.“[
Colton froze. “What? No–no, you don’t understand. She was taken–“[
“Sir,” the officer interrupted, “we also pulled your marriage records. You and Miss Nadia Halvorsen are no longer legally married. Your divorce was finalized yesterday.”
Colton’s grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles whitened. “That’s not–how-? No, that’s impossible! I didn’t-“}
“Legally, you have no right to dictate her whereabouts anymore,” the officer said. “If she left of her own free will, there’s nothing we can do.””
The line clicked dead.”
Colton stood there for a beat, the silence pressing against him like a weight. Then, with a growl, he slammed the phone down on the desk so hard the casing cracked.
“This isn’t happening,” he muttered to himself, storming down the hall toward their bedroom.
The door swung open, and his eyes scanned the room. Everything looked… untouched. Her clothes were still hanging neatly in the closet. Shoes lined up. Jewelry boxes on the dresser. But as he walked to the desk, his gaze caught on a single envelope lying dead center.”
His hand trembled slightly as he opened it.
Inside was the divorce decree. Her signature. His own scrawled at the bottom–when he thought he’d been signing a “hospital liability form.” And beside the papers, her wedding ring sat cold and silent, the diamond catching the dim light.
Colton’s throat constricted.
“This isn’t right! This can’t be real!” His voice cracked as he tore the papers in half, the shreds falling around him like snow. “No way… No way she could-“E
He grabbed his phone again and called his lawyer. “What the hell is going on? Why do I have divorce papers in my room?!““} The lawyer’s tone was cool, almost detached. “You signed them yourself. It’s legally binding. As of yesterday, you have no right over Miss Halvorsen or her property.“%
“You’re lying!” Colton barked.%
“I’m not. She’s free to go wherever she wants. And as her former husband, you can’t stop her. That’s the law.”
The line went dead before Colton could curse him out.&
With a roar, he hurled the phone against the wall. The plastic shattered on impact.
From the doorway, Beatrice’s voice chimed in, falsely sweet. “So…. she left, right? She divorced you? That means she’s gone. For good.” Her lips curved into a smile. “We can get married now. She’s out of the way. You and me, Colton–finally-”
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“Shut up!” His voice was a whipcrack, making her flinch.
Her eyes widened, feigning hurt. “Why are you yelling at me? I’m on your side-“}
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But he didn’t stay to argue. He shoved past her and stormed out, leaving Beatrice standing in the doorway. After a moment, she smirked to herself. Whatever his mood, Nadia was gone, and that meant Colton was hers–whether he liked it or not.\
Hours later, Colton sat in the conference room of a high–rise downtown.
“She’ll be here soon,” Colton assured them. “Nadia had… a personal delay. But she’s authorized me to finalize everything.“} One of the older men frowned. “It’s her family’s business, Montgomery. We want her to deal with this personally.””
Colton forced a smile. “You’re dealing with me. Same difference.“}
The man’s frown deepened. “It’s not the same.”}
Frustration coiled tight in Colton’s chest. “Gentlemen, we can wrap this up today. Let’s sign-”
“No, another investor interrupted flatly. “We’ll wait for her.”
“She’s not-” He stopped himself, forcing down the spike of anger. “Fine. I’ll call her again.“”
He stepped out into the hall, dialing her number over and over. Each time, the call rang until it cut to voicemail. No answer. No message. Just silence.
When he walked back into the conference room, the investors were gathering their folders. “What are you doing?” he demanded.
“We’re not signing,” the first man said, standing. “Not with you.” “Why?” Colton’s voice rose. “You have no reason-”
“That’s not true,” Colton said quickly. “Those are fake-”
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“Your wife divorced you,” the man said coldly. “You’re a liar. We won’t tie our business to yours.“”
The man slid a tablet across the table. On the screen were photos–grainy but damning–showing documents accounts he’d hidden under Nadia’s name, and one clear, damning shot from the viral kiss cam.
he’d forged,
ལ།གདེ
But they were already walking out.”
By the time he returned to his office, the fallout had begun. Emails from clients breaching contracts. Calls from partners backing out. His assistant’s voice was tight with panic as she read out another termination notice.
Each one was another blow to his gut.
Colton slammed his fists against the desk, his breath ragged. He punched the wall oncé–hard enough for the drywall to crack under his knuckles.
The room seemed to tilt, the air too thick to breathe.
“Damn it,” he growled, voice hoarse. “Where are you, Nadia? Why would you do this to me?!”
