Chapter 80 Eighty


    By the time night fell, Jacob thought he would go crazy. He had thought he would catch up with Isabelle


    outside the hospital once he left Naomi behind.


    But she had been nowhere to be seen, and she had switched off her phone. Hourster, he still had no


    idea where she was. He had looked everywhere he could think of–the office, their apartment, her


    parent’s house.


    Wherever she was, he had to find her. If he had to search all night, so be it.


    He was sitting in his car with her diamond ring in his hand when he received a call from Kevin. He had


    instructed his assistant to remain outside their apartment building and watch it in case Isabelle came


    back. Meanwhile, Jacob drove around the city, hoping to get a glimpse of her on the streets.


    He epted the call quickly, knowing Kevin wouldn’t call unless there was something to report. “Yes?”


    “She just went up to the apartment,” Kevin told him.


    “Stay put,” Jacob instructed, starting the car. “I’m on my way. If she leaves before I get there, follow her.


    Do not lose her. I’ll be there in five minutes.”


    “Got it, Sir.”


    He hung up and drove into the street, joining the traffic. He was relieved that she was back home, but


    he had a feeling that she wasn’t back to stay. She had given him her ring back, for heavens’ sake!


    He sped up, manoeuvring past other cars on the road. Traffic was a bit dense, but he had to get to her


    before she disappeared again. He never should have let her out of his sight earlier on in the hospital.


    He looked at his watch. If he got away from the heavy traffic, he could make it to their apartment


    building in five minutes.


    He was almost at an intersection when he noticed that the green light was about to change to yellow.


    There were two cars ahead of him. By the time it was his turn, it had already turned yellow.


    He couldn’t afford to sit around for a minute and a half when he finally had a chance to see her. He shot


    forward, wanting to get across before traffic resumed from the other side. But it so happened that he


    wasn’t the only impatient driver, and a pickup truck shot forward from the street on the right side.


    The truck rammed into the back of his car, sending it spinning clockwise. He tried to control the car, but


    it didn’te to a stop until it rammed into a streetlight pole. The sudden movement sent his head


    flying towards the window.


    And then all went nk.


    Outside the apartment building, Kevin nced at his watch and then towards the building’s entrance.


    Isabelle still hadn’t left, and that was good news.


    But it had been thirty minutes already since he had called Jacob. He had said he would get to the


    building in five minutes.


    What was keeping him so long?


    Was the traffic that bad?


    He paced outside the car he was using, keeping his eye on the building’s exit. Maybe she wasn’t going


    to leave.


    His phone rang, and he retrieved it out of his pocket quickly. He expected it to be Jacob, but instead, it


    was Jason.


    The moment he received it, Jason barked into his ear, “Where are you?”


    “Running an errand for the boss,” he replied, wondering why Jacob’s vice president was shouting down


    his ear.


    Jason cursed, and then said, “Jacob was in an ident. He has been taken to the Larson Hospital.


    Head over right away.”


    Kevin was jumping into the driver’s seat before Jason was done with that statement. “Yes, sir,” he


    replied.


    Jason hung up and Kevin started the car. He shot out of his parking space at a speed he was certain


    wasn’t allowed in themunity.


    In his hurry, he missed the sight of Isabelle making her way out of the apartment building,gging a


    huge suitcase behind her.


    ***


    After leaving the apartment, Isabelle went to the nearest bus stop. Her n was to catch a ride to


    another part of the city, far away from the ce she and Jacob lived in.


    She had two reasons–to avoid him, and she had to look for somewhere she could afford with her


    limited funds. The city centre was not it.


    As she stood under the bus shelter, the wind got stronger and it started raining. Due to the wind, most


    of the rain flew into the shelter, and she had to back away to a corner to stay dry.


    As if the day could get any worse, she thought. She rubbed her cold hands together and wished she


    had worn a hat, or a scarf. Wished she was somewhere warm, in Jacob’sforting embrace.


    She shook her head. If she started thinking about that, she would start crying again. And she had


    already cried enough for the day.


    Her stomach twisted as her mind went back to the hospital. She still couldn’t believe Ruth was gone. It


    had happened too fast. She hadn’t even said goodbye. She hadn’t–


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    She pressed her face into her hands. She didn’t want to start crying in public. But tears seeped through


    her eyes anyway, and she wiped them with her fingertips.


    She had never felt so lost before. Ruth had been the closest person to her. The one person she could


    trust with her deepest thoughts, worries, and joys. The only person who had never turned their back on


    her, who loved her unconditionally, who made her feel like she truly belonged.


    And now she was gone.


    Her adoptive family had turned on her, and Jacob had found out that she had been lying to him all


    along.


    She was all alone. She had no one.


    Like back when her rtives abandoned her after her parents died. She felt the same despair she felt


    back then. That no one wanted her, and she didn’t belong anywhere.


    Maybe it was her fate to be alone forever.


    She needed to start afresh. Once she arranged Ruth’s funeral and put her in her resting ce, she was


    going to leave the city. She felt that was the only way she would be able to move on from everything


    and start over again.


    The wind blew stronger, and the cold intensified. She considered getting a taxi after all–which she had


    nned on avoiding to save money. If she stayed in this weather longer, she might end up with a cold


    that cost more to treat than a taxi ride would.


    She stepped to the front of the shelter, braving the rain as she checked the highway for an oing


    taxi. She stepped back a few secondster when a private car came to a stop at the curb.


    The driver’s door opened as she shifted her gaze back to the oing traffic.


    “Isabelle?”


    She jolted and turned back to the driver. It was Seth!


    He rushed into the shelter and pulled her away from the rain. “What are you doing here at this time?


    Where are you going?” he asked, looking her over and noticing the suitcase behind her.


    “I’m waiting for a bus,” she told him.


    “You know there is a storming, right? You can’t be out here for long. Where are you going? I’ll take


    you.”


    There was a storming? She hadn’t known that. She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’ll catch a bus


    soon.”


    Seth frowned. “You haven’t gotten the alert, have you? Bus services have been suspended. There’s a


    strong storming.”


    Isabelle’s heart thumped in her chest. Oh no. Her phone had been turned off since she left the hospital


    earlier. No wonder she had missed the alert.


    The day had confirmed that yes, it could get worse.