Chapter 137 She Disappeared
Time flew.
Since Regina and Douglas returned from their trip to Normon City in early May, she had been busy with work and almost forgot her birthday was approaching.
The night before her birthday, she was still working overtime.
Douglas, however, left work early that day.
Regina had intended to return home with him. That day, she hadn't driven to the office and was just about to call a cab when Jason contacted her, informing her that he was waiting for her in the parking lot.
Regina quickly made her way there.
Once in the car, she tentatively asked Jason, "Does he have any special plans today?"
'He?'
Jason immediately understood what Regina meant and explained, "Mr. Semona has some matters to attend to."
"What matters?"
Regina was puzzled because Douglas usually informed her of his schedule, but he had been silent all day.
Jason coughed lightly, his expression subtly changing, though Regina didn't notice. "I don't know either. Maybe something important."
So, Regina didn't ask further.
She seemed to have an unconditional trust in Douglas now.
Even if he didn't contact her for a day, she believed he had a good reason.
In contrast to her time with Philip, if he didn't contact her for a day, she would tend to overthink.
It appeared that the sense of security Regina yearned for could only be provided by Douglas in this lifetime.
Regina relaxed, leaning back in the car seat, massaging her tired temples, and eventually fell asleep.
Seeing through the rearview mirror that she was asleep, Jason sent a message to Douglas: [Mr. Semona, I've picked her up.]
The reply came quickly: [Good. Tell her you'll still be driving her to and from work tomorrow. Remember to follow the planned route.]
Jason promptly replied: [Understood.]
Dozens of minutes later, Jason dropped Regina off at home. Before she got out, Jason reminded her, "Mr. Semona is busy out of town today and won't be back tonight. He should be back by tomorrow."
"Oh, okay," Regina responded instinctively, not thinking much of it. "It's fine if he can't make it back. Don't rush. If it's too late, he can rest at a hotel for the night."
Jason was taken aback, wondering whether Regina had truly forgotten the significance of the following day.
Douglas had been preparing for this day for a long time.
But she seemed so indifferent.
Jason wanted to remind her several times but swallowed his words.
After getting home, Regina took a shower, then lay in bed and sent Douglas a message saying goodnight before putting her phone aside.
Meanwhile, Douglas sat in a vast flower field he had arranged himself, staring intently at the goodnight message on his phone screen.
After a while, he chuckled softly and sent a voice message, his tone gentle and affectionate.
He said, [Goodnight, Mrs. Semona." And, see you tomorrow.]
The next day, Regina groggily opened her eyes.
She reached out from under the covers to turn off the alarm, noticing she could sleep a bit longer. But she glimpsed some unread messages on her phone, which woke her up a bit more.
She opened them to find, besides the voice message from Douglas she hadn't listened to yet, several messages from Melissa.
[Regina, happy birthday. Regina, I'm sorry. Even though I keep telling myself not to bother you, I can't control my urge to see you. Promise me, just one last time, okay? Let me spend one last birthday with you. After today, I won't bother you anymore. Just consider it fulfilling a dying wish, okay?]
Reading the densely packed messages on her screen, Regina felt a suffocating pain in her chest.
She closed her eyes tightly, lying in bed for a while before getting up.
She remembered the day after learning about Melissa's terminal cancer, Douglas took her to an outdoor park, where they played many thrilling games. On the way home, he told her that today's worries should end here.
Yes, those unpleasant things should have ended that day.
Regina dressed, calmly stood in front of the mirror to wash up, had a simple breakfast, and went to work.
All day, her emotions were as calm as a still lake.
Only when Douglas sent her a happy birthday message did her heart ripple.
She immediately sent a voice message back.
[Got it, thank you... thank you, honey.]
Her deliberately lowered voice sounded especially sweet to Douglas.
He stood idly in the flower field, occasionally checking his watch and counting the time.
It was 8:35 PM, May 12th.
Her birth time was the perfect moment.
So, he decided to do something very important on this day at this time.
At six PM, Jason was ready to pick Regina up from work, but after calling her twice with no answer, he felt puzzled. Knowing tonight's timing couldn't be delayed, he rushed to Regina's office.
It was the end of the workday; some were packing up to leave, others were still working overtime.
Scanning the large office, Jason didn't see Regina. He grabbed Janet, who had just entered.
"Where's Ms. Valrose?"
Jason's grip was strong, making Janet wince. Knowing Jason's special status, she quickly said, "About two hours ago, Regina got a call. I don't know who it was, but they seemed urgent. Then... she asked for leave and left."
"Where did she go?"
"She said she was going to the hospital."
Jason released Janet and ran out.
He got in the car, driving towards the hospital while contacting Douglas to provide an update.
On the other end, Douglas's face turned cold upon hearing this.
Jason sped up, cutting the travel time in half to reach the hospital.
However, seeing the empty hospital room, Jason felt a deep sense of dread.
He whispered, "Mr. Semona, Mrs. Semona is missing. She's not at the hospital. Melissa's room is empty."
Douglas's Adam's apple bobbed heavily as he clenched the ring in his hand.
