Forged My Marriage, Stole My Baby—Now I’m the Judge You Kneel To - Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Rain had started falling outside at some point.
Shane snapped back to reality and pulled out his phone with shaking fingers.
*Sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service...*
The robotic voice coldly delivered the news: Rowena had completely cut him off.
He shot up and ran to the walk-in closet.
Her side was completely empty. Not even a single hair left on the vanity.
"Where's all of Rowena's stuff?" he snapped at the housekeeper.
The woman looked terrified. "Miss Sinclair packed everything up and... and threw it all away the day you and Miss Vell came back from New York."
Shane felt like he'd been punched in the gut.
She'd already been planning to leave.
While he was busy playing his stupid games, she'd already given up on them completely.
"Shane?" Gina's voice came from behind him, all sweet and concerned. "What's wrong? The baby just fell asleep, but I heard all the noise..."
Shane slowly turned around, his eyes ice cold.
The look on his face made Gina's blood run cold, but she forced a smile and stepped closer. "Don't be too upset about grandpa..."
*SLAP!*
The blow sent Gina stumbling to the floor, her cheek burning.
"Shane?!" She clutched her face, staring up at him in shock. "What the hell?!"
Shane looked down at her like she was garbage. "You really think you covered your tracks that well?"
Gina's eyes went wide—he knew?
No, impossible! She'd been so careful...
"I... I didn't do anything..." Her eyes welled up with fake tears. "Did Rowena tell you something? I know she's always hated me..."
Shane let out this bitter laugh and threw a stack of papers in her face. "Take a good fucking look."
The papers scattered everywhere, and when Gina saw what was on them, she went pale.
"This isn't me!" She started ripping up the papers, screaming. "Someone's setting me up! It has to be Rowena! Shane... baby...I love you..."
Shane slowly crouched down and grabbed her throat, his eyes bloodshot. "Don't you dare say her name."
Gina couldn't breathe, clawing desperately at his hands.
Shane suddenly let go and told the security guys who'd come running"Get her out of here. Lock her up."
In his study, Shane kept calling Rowena's number over and over, but it just kept ringing.
He contacted every place she might go.
Her family's old house, her favorite coffee shop, even her college professor...
Nothing.
"Keep looking," he told Jasper. "Check every hospital, hotel, and airport in Boston!"
Jasper looked uncomfortable. "Sir, there's something else. Miss Sinclair's assets... they've all been moved."
"...What?!"
"Including her shares in Vellmore Corp.A week ago,she secretly transferred everything to Thorne-the heir of the Lincoln Group ."
Late that night, Shane sat alone in what used to be Rowena's bedroom.
Moonlight filtered through the curtains onto the empty bed.
He remembered how five years ago, when she first moved in, she'd smiled and said"Shane, this is gonna be our home now."
Now there was nothing but silence.
He opened the nightstand drawer and found a photo at the very bottom.
From their first date. Rowena was smiling so bright it could light up a room, and he had his arm around her waist, looking at her like she was everything.
On the back, she'd written
*Shane, don't ever forget what you promised me today.*
He slammed the frame shut, feeling like someone was squeezing his heart in a vice.
What had he promised?
He'd said he'd always love her, protect her, never let anyone hurt her.
And look what he'd done.
Three days later, Jasper came back with news.
"Sir, we found Miss Sinclair's last known location. The private airport on the west side—she took a flight to Switzerland."
"Switzerland?" Shane bolted upright. "Book me the next flight out. I'm going after her!"
Jasper hesitated. "But... the flight manifest was fake. We checked immigration records in Switzerland. Miss Sinclair's name isn't there."
Shane froze.
Rowena'd erased every last trace of herself.
She really serious. She was done with him forever.