In the dead of night, the spacious villa was lit by only a single floor lamp. Aaron, having heard the lawyer's response, seemed frozen.

After a long pause, he finally asked in a hoarse voice, filled with profound, irreversible despair, "What did you say? Repeat it."

It was as though he was on the brink of shattering. The lawyer was too afraid to speak.

Aaron, his voice growing sharp, demanded through the phone, "Speak!"

"You’re lying to me, aren’t you?"

"According to the contract, she should have returned three days ago."

I was taken aback. In my memories, Aaron never showed any concern for me. For six months, he hadn’t...