CHAPTER 432: CHAPTER 432 MISSING

Another year passed quietly, like a long breath from heaven to earth. The hot summer faded into a gentle autumn, then melted into the cold fingers of winter once more.

And just like that... he forgot her completely.

But he was healed.

His mind, once scattered and tangled in layers of pain, identity, and memory, had slowly restructured itself. Sebastian Carter was back. No longer Ray. No longer Gray. No longer Alexander.

Just Sebastian.

Strong. Composed. Sharp-eyed. Cold again.

But... different.

When he returned to the old Carter Mansion, something felt off. The servants too careful with their words. The rooms too quiet, as if every wall was holding a secret.

He had only been back a few days when someone quietly told him—

"...Grandma Bria passed away three years ago."

The words felt unreal in his ears. He stood in the hallway where her expensive perfume once lingered, where her voice used to echo—bossy, powerful, sometimes annoying. Now... silence.

She was gone.

***

On his first day back at the company, Sebastian frowned as he walked into the building. Something about the atmosphere was different. The walls looked glossier. The logo on the glass was slightly changed. Even the scent of the office had shifted.

Quinn, his long-time assistant, walked beside him like nothing had changed. Calm, composed, ever so loyal.

But when Sebastian noticed all the small things that felt wrong—like paintings he didn’t remember approving, systems that felt new, or changes in staff structure—he asked sharply, "How long exactly was I gone?"

Quinn blinked. "Sir... officially, it’s been three years since your medical leave."

"Three years?" Sebastian echoed, brows furrowed deeply. "You mean I was in a coma for three years?"

Quinn only gave a quiet nod.

The thought left a strange taste in Sebastian’s mouth.

Everything made sense now. Why time felt like a skipping record. Why the world moved too fast while he still felt stuck somewhere behind.

Later that day, he found out his old secretary, Dolly—the one who had worked with him since the early years had passed away too. That news shook him more than he showed.

And since then... no secretary lasted.

He fired one for not organizing the files alphabetically. Another for mispronouncing a client’s name. Another for knocking on his door too loudly.

"They’re all useless," he muttered under his breath, slamming a file shut as he sat in his large black chair, gazing out the window with a tired, irritated sigh.

But Assistant Quinn was as calm as ever, like someone watching a movie with full spoilers in hand.

"Sir," Quinn said smoothly, pretending not to grin. "We’ve found the perfect secretary. She will be joining tomorrow. You might finally stop firing everyone."

"She better be perfect," Sebastian growled. "Or I’m firing you next."

Quinn nodded with exaggerated seriousness but turned away quickly, hiding the glint in his eyes.

***

That evening, He stepped into the grand hallway and was surprised to see how grown-up Rose had become. His little sister was seventeen now—just five months away from turning eighteen. She was no longer the clingy little girl who followed him around. Now she wore earphones, stayed in her art room for hours, and spoke like a quiet adult.

Yet, her smile had been dim lately.

Sebastian noticed it. And one afternoon, with a coldness in his voice, he asked the maid, "Is something bothering Rose?"

The maid hesitated, then lowered her head with a sigh. "It’s her cat, sir... Sparkle. The one she raised since she was thirteen. It passed away in an accident last month."

Sebastian blinked. He didn’t remember.

Annoyed for reasons he couldn’t name, he walked back to his study and shut the door behind him.

He sat in silence, his fingers tapping restlessly against the polished wood of his desk. A heavy, unsettled feeling pressed against his chest.

Why did it feel like something was missing?

Not just a small detail... but something important. Something no one wanted to talk about.

People walked on eggshells around him. Certain names never came up. Conversations stopped when he entered a room. Even his sister. Even Quinn. Even his bestfriend Liam. They were all hiding something.

Every night, before sleep took him, he would lie still in the dark and stare at the ceiling.

Why do I feel like I’m forgetting someone?

Why does my chest ache in places no doctor can touch?

Why do I dream of a scent I can’t name... a smile I can’t place... and a voice that calls me love?

He didn’t know it yet, but tomorrow, the missing piece of his life would walk back into his office... and nothing would ever be the same.

***

Sebastian had been having long, restless dreams lately. Each night, the same strange world appeared behind his closed eyes—a place that felt both familer and unreal.

This time, he found himself standing in front of a crumbling tomb surrounded by thick, dark mist. The air smelled of old stone and something distant... like burnt roses. The silence around him was heavy, almost watchful.

As he approached, he saw four thick locks dangling from the tomb’s seal, all strangely unlocked.

His fingers hovered for a moment, then he pushed the gate open.

A flash of dark light burst out, curling like smoke around his body. The world around him shifted. And suddenly, he was no longer in front of a tomb.

He was standing on a narrow bridge, suspended above a red river that glowed like blood under a moonless sky.

From the far end of the bridge, a large beast slowly emerged from the shadows.

It was covered in thick, dark fur, its massive form breathing slowly as it walked. Its eyes glowed faintly, watching him.

Sebastian didn’t feel fear.

Instead, he stepped forward, drawn to it. He didn’t know why but he needed to touch it. To understand it.

His hand stretched out, reaching toward the creature’s massive form as it moved closer.

And just as his fingertips nearly brushed its fur—

A blaring alarm yanked him awake.

He shot up in bed, breathing hard, sweat clinging to his skin. The dream was already fading, but the image of the beast... the red river... and those open locks still burned behind his eyes.

What was that place?

And why did it feel like he had been there before?