CHAPTER 127: THE LAST GUIDE : RUN

"She resigned."

Liam’s voice crackled through the phone, and Theo, standing rigid in front of Aurora’s parents’ house, felt his stomach drop. A cold weight settled in his chest. He didn’t like the sound of this... didn’t like it at all.

"She sent in a resignation letter last week. Effective immediately," Liam continued, the sound of shuffling papers filling the silence between them. "I just found it buried in the HR files."

Theo’s jaw tightened. "Never mind. I’m at her parents’ house right now." He ended the call before Liam could respond and pressed the doorbell.

Silence.

He rang it again, impatience bleeding into every movement. Leaning to the side, he peered through the narrow pane of glass by the door, hoping for any glimpse inside. But there was nothing, no shadow, no sound. The house felt hollow and empty.

"Damn it!" He slammed his hand against the wall beside the door, the sharp thud echoing in the silence.

"Oh gosh!" The two women inside the car, tucked away just out of sight, flinched at the sight.

"This doesn’t look good, Daisy." Aurora’s voice trembled as she turned to her friend. She had been the one to suggest this plan, but now her face had gone pale.

"No, it’s okay. It’s good we asked your parents to move out first..." Daisy tried to smile, though her fingers twisted nervously in her lap. "I don’t even know why he’s so angry. He was the one who didn’t want this marriage to continue. Why get mad when I sent him the divorce papers? I just gave him exactly what he wanted."

"I really didn’t expect him to show up this fast. I mean, you only sent it this morning..." Aurora huffed, trying to steady her nerves. "Thank God we were a bit late... if not, we might have run straight into him."

They had only come to gather a few things they could fit into the car. The house wasn’t empty yet, most of the furniture and larger belongings were still inside, waiting for the movers. But right now, with him standing at the door, it felt impossible to even step out without being caught.

"We’ll wait for him to leave," Aurora whispered, her voice tight with unease. "Then we can grab what we need quickly and get out of here."

From inside the car, they watched as Theo turned and stalked back toward his own vehicle. For a moment, it looked like he might finally drive off until he slammed his fist against the window with a loud crack.

"Oh gosh!" Aurora flinched, clutching the steering wheel. "Is he even going to be okay?"

Instead of storming off, Theo staggered back a step, then slumped down beside the car, burying his face in his hands.

Daisy’s chest tightened as she gazed at the man crumpled on the pavement. Every instinct screamed at her to rush out and demand, ’Isn’t this what you wanted? Don’t you hate me?’ But her hand stayed frozen on the door handle.

Her throat ached with words she couldn’t push past her lips. All she could do was sit there, trapped between anger and the unbearable pull of concern, while Theo sat broken just a few feet away.

Aurora shifted uneasily in the driver’s seat, her knuckles white against the wheel. "Daisy... we can’t stay here. If he looks this way, he’ll find us."

Before Daisy could answer, Theo suddenly pushed himself to his feet, his gaze drifting across the driveway.

Aurora didn’t wait for Daisy’s reply. She started the engine with a jolt, the car lurching forward as they pulled away, leaving Theo behind in the rearview mirror.

Daisy twisted in her seat, eyes locked on the shrinking figure in the rearview mirror. Through the blur of distance and shadows, she could see his knuckles were bleeding.

The whole drive back was steeped in silence. Aurora kept her eyes fixed on the road, her lips pressed in a thin line, as though any word might shatter the fragile calm Daisy was clinging to. She didn’t dare disturb her.

But Daisy suddenly spoke, her voice low and uneven. "Do you think he really... couldn’t find us? We’re just at the end of this city..."

"Ah... I’m making sure he couldn’t find it," Aurora said with an awkward smile, keeping her eyes on the road.

"How?" Daisy turned toward her, gaze sharp despite the dim light. "I really wonder... How did you get that house for us this fast? I mean..." She trailed off, her lips pressing together before she shook her head. "Nevermind."

Aurora’s hands flexed on the steering wheel. For a second, her smile faltered, but she quickly masked it with a small laugh. "You know, I put a lot of money into it..."

"But you tell me... even opening a small shop consumes most of the money you get..." Daisy’s voice sharpened, refusing to let it pass. Her gaze bore into Aurora’s profile. "Tell me honestly, Aurora. Is there something you’ve been hiding from me?"

The car seemed to shrink under the weight of her question. The soft hum of the engine filled the silence, louder than it should’ve been.

Aurora didn’t answer right away. Her jaw tightened, her knuckles pale against the wheel. Then, forcing a light tone, she gave a small shrug. "Alright, fine. It’s nothing complicated. A friend of mine had to go overseas in a rush, and the house would’ve been empty. She just needed someone to keep it safe and clean, so..." Aurora let out a quick laugh, flicking Daisy a sideways glance. "Lucky us, right?"

Daisy frowned, studying her. The explanation slipped out too smoothly, too fast. But Aurora’s smile was fixed in place, leaving Daisy with no choice but to swallow her doubts, for now.

"Really?" Daisy nodded slowly, eyes narrowing. "Which friend is it? Should I call her to say thanks?"

Aurora let out a short, forced laugh. "Ah, come on, Daisy. Not all my friends are your friends. Besides, she’s already halfway across the world. What would you even say to her? ’Thanks for running away and leaving your house behind’? You’d just make it awkward."

She kept her gaze on the road, her lips curving into an easy grin. But her fingers, tight on the steering wheel, told another story.

"Right... you have a lot of friends, unlike me..." Daisy’s words once again sent the car into deep silence.