The Divorced Heiress’s Revenge



Chapter 2421

Running around recklessly was not going to help the situation.

Justin decided to ask Bella to stop standing in the cold wind and return to the villa to warm up.

In the meantime, he got his people to begin the search and contacted Ryan to send reinforcements.

The two of them sat side by side on the sofa.

This time, it felt different. They were much closer than before, no longer separated by another person.

It felt natural, like two magnets drawn to each other. Neither knew who leaned toward whom first. But at the moment, Bella had no interest in romance.

She sat curled up on the sofa, her arms wrapped around herself, her damp jacket still on as a chill crept through her body.

Bella sat quietly and listened as Justin made calls, directing the search efforts with his usual calm and meticulous manner.

In the past, his presence would have been enough to ease her mind. But this time, her thoughts were in chaos.

The anguish in her heart felt like it was being torn apart by relentless, sharp claws, the piercing pain radiating through her chilled body and leaving her struggling to breathe under the weight of her emotions.

"Young Madam, please take off your jacket, or you'll catch a cold!" Wilma hurried over with a cup of hot tea, holding it out to Bella with both hands. "Drink this while it's hot. It'll warm you up."

Bella hesitated. "I'm fine. Give it to Mr. Salvador instead."

"He's as tough as steel! When he was a kid, he rolled in the snow and swam in frozen lakes during winter training. Stop worrying about him!"

Justin continued his call with Ryan, but his intense gaze shifted toward Bella upon hearing this.

Bella's elegant, pale features revealed her inner turmoil.

Despite her efforts to mask her emotions, her body trembled beneath the snow-white jacket, like a fragile ice sculpture on the verge of shattering at the slightest breath of wind.

After finishing the call, Justin's voice had a gentle tone. "Ryan's on his way. Don't worry. Ms. Smith's a tough one."

Bella handed him the cup with both hands. "Thank you, Mr. Salvador."

"No need for that," Justin said, waving off the tea.

As he lowered his gaze, his eyes landed on Bella's hands. Once flawless like porcelain, they now bore faint scars from the frostbite.

A pang shot through Justin's chest.

His thin lips moved slightly, as though he wanted to ask if her wounds still hurt.

Before he could speak, Bella beat him to it. She asked, "Is Ryan on his way?"

Justin nodded. "Yes."

"But what about Carrie? Will she be alright on her own?" Bella asked.

"She's not a child anymore. After everything she's been through, she's become more independent and resilient. Besides, Dean is with her. She'll be fine."

Justin frowned and reached over to unzip her jacket. "It's warm in here. You shouldn't keep that damp jacket on, or you might catch a cold."

Bella lowered her gaze. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, leaving her in a daze.

As her jacket came off, her soft figure in a silk nightgown came into view in the dim light. She looked dazzling.

Her glossy dark hair fell over her chest, partially obscuring the glimpse of skin beneath. It was a mix of innocence and allure, both modest and captivating.

Justin shifted uneasily, swallowing hard.

Bella realized she was wearing nothing but a thin, translucent nightgown underneath. She hurriedly clutched her jacket closed, blushing as she lowered her eyes in embarrassment. Though they had once been husband and wife, this moment felt like the shy, tentative stirrings of a new romance between two people unfamiliar with such closeness.

Observing this, Wilma quietly slipped away.

"What did Yvonne tell you the last time you spoke?" Justin steadied his turbulent emotions, his voice laced with a hint of hoarseness.

"She didn't mention anything... Or maybe she didn't have the chance," Bella replied. Bella's mind replayed the abrupt noise from the call. Her entire body turned cold, her lips pale. "The phone must have dropped somewhere. I heard a bunch of jumbled sounds, like something rolling around, and then the call was cut off. That's all I know.

"It's nearly dawn now. She was alone in the early hours of the morning when she suddenly called you. But why?"

Justin's brows furrowed sharply. He tended to focus on the reasons behind actions and the key issues. "If she was in danger, she could've called the police, Drew, or Ralph first. Why did she call you instead?"

Bella's lips tightened into a pale line as she mulled over the question. She had been wondering the same thing herself.

"Her motive is key here. If we can figure out why she acted this way, we might be able to retrace her steps and understand what happened to her."

Justin sounded more serious now. "The police might not take the case right away since they usually wait 48 hours for a missing person report. But we can't wait that long. We need their help right away.

"Ms. Thompson, you must contact Ralph immediately to review surveillance footage along Yvonne's route. That might help us pinpoint where she went."

"Yvonne... Maybe there was something important she needed to tell me. But she didn't have the chance before danger struck."

Bella buried her fingers in her hair, clutching it tightly as she struggled to breathe. "She's skilled in self-defense. Ordinary thugs wouldn't be able to handle her.noveldrama

"The enemy must have had a gun, forcing her to let go of the phone. That shows they were armed, organized, and not acting alone.

"She might have been targeted the moment she left home. No... They've been watching her for a long time! They were only waiting for the right moment to strike!"