Part 9
The press conference room exploded into chaos.
Reporters scrambled to their feet, shouting questions, but Nathan didn't look back.
He turned and walked out the side door, leaving the board of directors staring at his resignation paper in absolute shock.
By the time he got into his car, his phone was ringing continuously.
He turned it off and threw it onto the passenger seat.
He didn't care about the shares. He didn't care about the money.
He just wanted to get back to the estate.
But when he arrived home, the mansion was strangely quiet.
The news vans were gone from the gates, chased away by his security team, but the house felt empty.
"Jenna?" Nathan called out as he walked through the front doors.
No answer.
He walked into the kitchen. It was spotless, but there was no sign of Daisy’s drawings or Jenna’s notebook.
A cold panic began to creep up his spine.
He ran upstairs to the guest wing where Jenna and Daisy lived.
The doors were open.
The closets were completely empty.
On the neatly made bed sat a single piece of paper with his name written on it in Jenna's elegant handwriting.
Nathan grabbed it, his hands trembling for the first time in his life.
Dear Nathan,
I watched the press conference. I heard every word you said.
You are the most incredible man I have ever known, and what you did today was the most honorable thing anyone has ever done for me.
But I cannot let you destroy everything you’ve built for us.
You belong in that boardroom. You are a leader, a visionary. You shouldn't have to give up your empire just to defend your cleaning lady.
If I stay, the media will never leave you alone. Every time you try to do business, they will bring up my past, my husband, and my poverty.
I love my job, Nathan. But more than that, I care about you.
Too much to let myself be the anchor that drags you down.
I’ve taken Daisy, and we've moved out. Please don't look for us. It's better this way.
Thank you for giving us a beautiful six months. You made us feel like we belonged in a fairytale, even if just for a little while.
With all my heart,
Jenna.
Nathan crushed the letter in his fist.
"Damn it, Jenna," he growled.
He didn't hesitate. He grabbed his keys and ran back down to his SUV.
She thought she was protecting him.
She thought his money and his title mattered more to him than the only two people who had actually made him smile in five years.
He knew exactly where she would go.
She had nowhere else. Her pride wouldn't let her run to a shelter, and she didn't have enough money for a hotel.
May you like
She would go back to the only place she knew—her old neighborhood.
Nathan slammed his foot on the gas, the engine roaring as he tore down the driveway, determined to find her before the sun went down.
