Chapter 8 Disappear
Larry leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "Could it be that she’s trying to disappear?" he asked cautiously, watching Christian’s reaction. He rubbed his mouth with his fingers before adding, "Just to… escape you?"
Christian’s eyes flashed dangerously. "That’s not possible," he snapped. "She knows she can’t run away from me. I’ll find her—even if she disappears to the fucking ends of the earth."
His hand shot out, grabbing a glass of water from the table. He downed it in one go, but the thought of Ivy leaving only fueled the rage bubbling inside him. His grip on the glass tightened, his knuckles turning white. The next second, he hurled it across the room.
The sharp crash echoed, shards of glass scattering across the floor. He didn’t even flinch. His hands were still shaking, his face locked in a tense, unreadable expression.
At that moment, his phone rang.
He snatched it up quickly, his heart thudding. Was it Ivy?
But then, the name ‘Samuel’ flashed across the screen.
"Speak," Christian ordered the second he answered.
"Sir, we’ve found Ms. Watson. She quit her job and emptied her current home. She’s moved her belongings."
Christian’s entire body tensed, the worry on his face shifting into something darker—rage mixing with unease in a lethal combination.
"She emptied her place?" His voice was dangerously low.
Was she really trying to run away from him?
"Yes, Mr. Evans," Samuel confirmed. "She’s moved into her parents’ house for now. She’s staying with them, but I believe it’s temporary—her belongings were transferred to a storage unit rather than their apartment."
Christian’s gaze flickered to the shattered glass on the floor. His eyes darkened even further. "Did you check for flights? Has she booked any to leave the country?"
"I did, sir. There are no flights booked in her name. She isn’t leaving."
Christian let out a slow, shuddering breath. His fingers clenched around the phone as he muttered, "Alright. Keep an eye on this. Don’t let her leave the city without informing me."
"Understood, Mr. Evans," Samuel replied before the call ended.
Sawyer let out a sharp exhale, leaning back against the couch. His gaze flickered to Christian’s still-trembling hands. "You should calm down now," he said. "She’s still in the same city. She just moved her stuff. She’s probably looking for a new place to stay."
Christian didn’t respond. His fingers swiped through his phone, searching Ivy’s social media. But there was nothing. No posts. No updates. Not even a hint of where she might be.
Larry frowned, deep in thought. "Why would she quit, though? The company she worked at is one of the best in the business. Maybe she didn’t like the job… or maybe—" He paused, then smirked. "Maybe her family is worried she’s not married till now and called her home to arrange a marriage with a family friend’s son."
The moment the words left his mouth, Larry’s smirk vanished.
Christian’s sharp, dangerous gaze was locked onto him.
Larry winced, immediately raising his hands in surrender. “It was just a joke. Don’t take it seriously.”
But the moment he saw the look in Christian’s eyes, he didn’t wait for a response. He shot up from his seat and bolted out of the room before a fist could come flying his way. From past experience, he knew one thing for sure—whenever the conversation involved Ivy, a punch was almost always guaranteed.
Sawyer also got up from his seat. Glancing at his watch, he straightened. "I gotta go now. My wife’s waiting at home. Don’t stress over this too much, man. Ivy’s still in the city."
With that, Sawyer walked out, leaving Christian seated alone.
But the tension in Christian’s face only grew, his jaw clenching tighter. His mind raced with possibilities, none of which he liked.
In the end, his fists clenched.
Then, he stood up, marched out of the building, and drove off into the dark streets.
***
"Ivy, come take a seat next to your dad," Patty urged with a warm smile as she placed a plate of food in front of Ivy. "It's your favorite. You've been away for so long—I was starting to get worried about you. And look at you! You've lost so much weight, honey."
Ivy returned her mother’s smile and settled into the chair beside her father, Adam. As they began eating, Patty asked casually, "How's work going? Is it good? No one is bothering you, right?"
Ivy shook her head. "Of course not, Mom. I'm fine."
Patty smiled in relief. "Good." Then, after a brief pause, she asked, "Honey, what’s going on with you and that boyfriend you had?"
Ivy’s fingers froze mid-air. Adam, noticing her reaction, immediately interjected, "Patty, don’t ask such questions. She’ll tell us when there’s something important for us to know."
Ivy resumed eating and gave her father a small, reassuring smile. "It’s alright, Dad. I’m fine." Then, turning to her mother, she explained calmly, "Mom, he was just a friend, not my boyfriend. He was pursuing me, but we weren’t a good match. And he got a job overseas, so he left months ago."
Patty’s face darkened, her expression twisting with anger. "What kind of man would do that?! Pursuing you first and then running away?"
"Mom, it’s fine," Ivy interrupted. "I’m not upset at all. It’s all good."
At that moment, the doorbell rang. Patty started to stand, but Ivy pushed back her chair instead.
"Finish your food. I’ll check the door," she said, already heading toward it.
She walked to the entrance, unlocking the door without much thought. The second she did, she was pulled into a crushing embrace.
A familiar face buried itself in her neck, warm breath fanning against her skin. A strong hand gripped the back of her head, holding her close as a deep growl rumbled in her ear.
"Why did you disappear?"
The scent, the touch, the voice—she recognized everything instantly.
Panic surged through her as she struggled to break free, but his grip only tightened. His lips found her neck, his teeth sinking in, biting her as if punishing her.
"Ah—" She winced, but her voice came out in a hushed whisper, afraid of alerting her parents. She pressed her palms against his chest, trying to push him away, but he didn’t budge.
Hearing her pained gasp, he immediately licked the spot he had bitten, soothing the sting before nuzzling deeper into her neck, inhaling her scent as if trying to calm himself. His erratic heartbeat slowly steadied, but his grip on her remained firm.
Pulling back just enough to look into her eyes, his possessive gaze locked onto her face. His arms encircled her small frame, pressing her against his broad chest, unwilling to let go. His fingers slid from her nape to the back of her head, threading through her silky hair as he rubbed gently. But his eyes burned with frustration, a deep frown shadowing his features.
"Why the hell did you move and try to disappear?" His voice was low, rough with frustration. His grip on her hair tightened as he leaned in dangerously close. "Do you have any damn idea what went through my mind? I could’ve done some pretty bad things if I didn’t find you, Ivy!"
She met his glare with an exasperated sigh. "I just came to my parents’ house for a few days. It’s not a big deal," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "I didn’t move because of you. I’m still in the same city. If I wanted to disappear, I wouldn’t be here at my parents’ house, would I?"
His jaw clenched as he took a deep breath, his expression darkening. "Then why did you quit your job?" His gaze searched hers, his voice dipping lower. "Is it because of me? I didn’t come to your workplace that often—I just dropped by a few times. But if it bothers you, I’ll stop coming. Alright?"
Ivy tried to free herself from his grasp, but he tightened his hold instead, one large hand engulfing her face, tilting it so her eyes met his again.
"Ivy, I’m chasing you to love you. I don’t want you to give up on the things you love because of me," he said, his voice softer now.
"Christian, let go of me," she muttered, grabbing his wrist to pry his hand off her face, but he only frowned deeper.
"Tell me," he demanded, his voice tight. "Did you leave your job because you didn’t want to see me? Is that it?"
She finally snapped. "What are you thinking?! I wouldn’t leave my job because of you!"
"Ivy?" Patty’s voice suddenly called from the dining room. "Who’s at the door, honey?"
Ivy’s eyes widened in alarm. She shoved Christian back, stepping outside with him before her mother could see. "Just a friend of mine! I’ll be back soon!" she called over her shoulder, quickly shutting the door behind her.
She grabbed Christian’s hand and pulled him down the stairs, and then away from the apartment building. He looked down at their joined hands, his fingers tightening around hers, following her obediently.
A light layer of snow covered the ground from an earlier snowfall, though it had stopped now. The air was crisp, cold enough to nip at her skin.
Once they were far enough from the house, she yanked her hand free. He immediately tried to tighten his hold, but she forcefully pulled away.
"You need to leave now," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Sniffling slightly from the cold, she added, "I’ve already told you everything there is to know. You shouldn’t have come here. Why did you come? Don’t come back."
Before she could take another breath, he closed the distance between them. His hands cupped her face, fingers pressing firmly along her jaw as his mouth crushed against hers. His lips moved with fierce determination, rough yet intoxicatingly warm. His tongue traced the seam of her lips before slipping inside, coaxing, demanding, tasting her deeply.
The kiss was wild—hungry and unrestrained—as if he’d been starving for her. His fingers slid back into her hair, gripping tightly as his mouth dominated hers, leaving her breathless and clinging to him. Each stroke of his tongue ignited something deeper, pulling her into the firestorm of his desire.
"Mmmhh—!" She tried to push him away, but he refused to let go, deepening the kiss as if trying to mark his presence on her.
It wasn’t until he had stolen every breath from her lungs, leaving her dazed, that he finally pulled back. But his hands remained on her face, his thumbs stroking her skin as he whispered, "Why are you avoiding me?" His voice was grim, laced with both complaint and desperation. "Ever since I met you, you keep avoiding me, Ivy. You don’t answer my calls. You don’t even acknowledge me. Is it because you don’t want me around?"
She met his gaze, her lips still tingling from his kiss. "If I said yes, would you leave me alone?"
Christian’s expression turned even more grim. His jaw tightened, his face dark with displeasure. "If you miss even one of my calls now," he warned, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "I’ll show up at your parents’ place to see you."
"Christian!" she snapped, forcefully removing his hands from her face and pushing him back. "Who do you think you are? Do you think I have nothing better to do than sit around worrying about missing your calls all day? And who are you to me? My boyfriend? Do I owe you an immediate response?"
Christian inhaled sharply, his brows furrowing. Then, without a word, he unwrapped the muffler from around his neck and looped it around hers.
"Stop it—" she protested, trying to take it off, but he tightened it. Holding both ends, he yanked her close, his grip firm but gentle.
"If I were your boyfriend," he murmured, his deep voice sending a shiver down her spine, "you and I would be married with three kids by now."
Ivy’s fingers instinctively curled around the fabric of the muffler, her grip tightening. His words hit her like a slow-burning fire, heating her from the inside out, igniting something she wasn’t ready to face.
Married. Three kids.
For a second, she let herself imagine it—waking up beside him, feeling his warmth every morning, the sound of little feet running through their home.
But reality crashed back just as quickly. She blinked, shaking off the dangerous thoughts.
She sniffled again, turning her face away. She pushed his hands off her, trying to remove the muffler, but he caught her wrists and turned her toward her apartment entrance.
"It’s cold. You’ll get sick. Wear it and get inside quickly."
She hesitated, but rather than prolonging the argument, she gave up and stormed back inside.
Christian remained in place, watching her disappear. Snowflakes began to fall again, but he didn’t move. He stayed there for a few more minutes before finally turning away and heading to his car.