Chapter 498 Found That Island
Albert's heart hammered against his ribs, threatening to burst from his chest entirely.
Vincent's voice cut through the air like lightning splitting darkness, his words instantly dissolving the storm clouds that had gathered in Albert's mind. Albert strode to the car with purposeful steps, sliding into the driver's seat. His grip on the phone was so fierce his knuckles had turned bone-white, the device seeming ready to shatter under the pressure of his barely contained desperation.
When Albert finally spoke, his voice betrayed him with an unmistakable tremor. "Where is she?"
"Right here, Mr. Valdemar."
Vincent extended the tablet, its screen displaying the circled island they'd discovered. The landmass floated in the vast ocean like a precious gem catching light—what had once been merely a dot on a map now held all of Albert's answers. Yvette was there. He would bring her home. The thought consumed every corner of his mind.
"Give me the details," Albert commanded.
Vincent nodded. "Our team investigated several suspicious islands in the vicinity. After systematic elimination and cross-referencing with the janitor's description, we've confirmed this is the location."
"You're certain he was telling the truth?"
"Yes." A flicker of unease crossed Vincent's features. "Given his mental state during questioning, deception would have been... unlikely."
Albert's brow darkened, but he said nothing more. "Arrange the helicopter."
"Already in motion." Vincent drew a deep breath. "Mr. Valdemar, for safety's sake, shouldn't we send an advance team?"
"Whoever gets there fastest goes first," Albert replied, his voice carrying the weight of finality. "Find her with maximum speed."
"Understood."
Albert's throat worked as he swallowed hard. He couldn't bear the thought of Yvette suffering even one more second.
The helicopter lifted into the night sky with Albert gripping the controls, his gaze fixed ahead with unwavering determination. The cold metal beneath his hands offered an odd comfort as his heart thundered like a caged beast desperate for freedom. Each breath carried anticipation, excitement, and infinite longing.
He was about to see Yvette again.
The aircraft's roar shattered the peaceful night as Albert's eyes bore into the darkness ahead, as if his will alone could bridge the distance to that island. He yearned to materialize instantly before Yvette, to pull her into his arms and tell her how desperately he'd missed her, how terrified he'd been, how deeply he loved her.
Wind rushed through the windows, carrying the salt tang of the sea and night's bitter chill.
Finally, the helicopter touched down on a clearing. Albert leaped out, scanning his surroundings with growing unease. The island bore few signs of human habitation—its primitive, untouched state made his stomach clench with dread. This was exactly the kind of place where someone could be held captive without hope of discovery.
The deeper they ventured, the heavier Albert's steps became. He searched the horizon for any trace of the medical facility, but found only azure waters and pristine beaches stretching endlessly before him. It was as if the place had never existed at all.
How could an entire medical facility simply vanish?
"Mr. Valdemar," Vincent's brow furrowed with concern. "This doesn't match the janitor's description."
"Check our navigation," Albert said grimly, questioning his piloting skills for the first time in years.
"Course is correct," Vincent confirmed after a tense pause. "But this clearly isn't what he described. A hospital can't just disappear overnight."
Where had they gone wrong?
Albert studied the map intently, searching for clarity that refused to come. His lips pressed into a thin line as he began a methodical search of the island, Vincent close behind. Only the rhythmic crash of waves against the shore answered their desperate hunt.
As night deepened and the ocean wind brought bone-deep cold, their pace gradually slowed. The salt air cleared Albert's head with brutal efficiency.
"How exactly did the janitor describe this place?" Albert asked suddenly.
"I have the recording."
Vincent produced his phone and played the audio. Albert followed along with the map, analyzing every word with forensic precision. Suddenly, his eyes sharpened as he pointed to a smaller island adjacent to their current location.
"We need to check there."
Vincent looked puzzled. "The terrain couldn't possibly support a medical facility of that size..."
"We're going," Albert said with finality. "The janitor's words misled us. Arriving by boat doesn't mean he traveled exclusively by water."
Without further explanation, Albert headed for the helicopter. Vincent, understanding dawning in his eyes, followed immediately. As they lifted off toward the smaller island, Vincent radioed their advance team to investigate ahead.
Within five minutes, confirmation crackled through the radio.
Vincent turned to Albert with barely contained excitement. "Mr. Valdemar, we've found the medical facility!"
Albert's grip on the controls tightened almost imperceptibly, though his resolve only strengthened. "Good."
They combed through every corridor and room of the facility, but Yvette and Clifford remained elusive. Every inquiry about the missing pair met with cold denial—staff members claimed no knowledge of either person, as if they had never existed within these walls.
Yet the janitor had confirmed with absolute certainty that Yvette was here.
The intensive search and crushing disappointment eroded Albert's patience to nothing. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool night air. His expression turned thunderous—lips compressed, brow furrowed, eyes holding dangerous depths that promised an imminent storm.
Yvette was so close he could almost feel her presence, yet she remained beyond his reach. The frustration lodged in his chest like a physical weight, refusing to be dislodged.
Just as Albert fought to contain his mounting fury, the advance team members came running toward them with urgent expressions.
"Report," Albert commanded, his voice a low rasp that carried unmistakable authority. The men instinctively lowered their gazes, unable to meet his penetrating stare.
Vincent's jaw tightened. "Why aren't you searching?"
One team member glanced nervously at Albert, who gestured impatiently for him to speak.
"Mr. Valdemar!" The man's voice carried both excitement and trepidation. "We haven't located your wife yet."
Albert's expression grew even more forbidding, colder than the ocean wind cutting across the island.
"But we found Mr. Hayes! He's in a concealed room within the medical wing!"