?Chapter 78:


    Marc’s talksted for ten full minutes, detailing every interaction between him and Steying bare how deeply he cared for her—and ended with a heartfelt apology.


    “Stel, I love you. I know I did wrong. I’m not here to beg for forgiveness. I just want to make sure you’re safe. If you choose to stay away from me forever, I’ll understand. I just can’t stop worrying about you.”


    Once posted, the video spread like wildfire, racking up views and shares until it took over social media again.


    But at the high-security research facility, Ste remainedpletely in the dark.


    She had long since stopped keeping up with anything rted to Marc.


    “Ste, the process for our new identities is almost done. We’ll finally be allowed to reach out beyond these walls. Isn’t that amazing? I’ve felt so boxed in here!” Laura chatted as she lounged in their dorm.


    Ste perked up at that and began to ask more questions. What would be of their former identities?


    Laura replied, “That’s all handled. Once we sign the consent forms, the institute sends our families a formal notice, presumed dead.”


    “Presumed dead?”


    So it wasn’t a rumor after all.


    Ste found the idea reassuring. She was eager for the notice to go out. Naturally, she signed.


    Back outside, Marc had tracked down Lainey at the research facility.


    “Tell me where Stel went. You’re her closest friend, you’d know.”


    Lainey shot him a t look and responded with thinly veiled contempt. “Don’t act clueless now. Haven’t you done enough? You broke her heart, and now you’re here asking me? I don’t know where she is.”


    Marc stepped in front of her. “I know I messed up. But I’d never hurt her again, I swear it. Just tell me where she went.”


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    Lainey wasn’t buying it. If anything, she felt relieved Ste had stayed silent and hadn’t contacted her.


    With a touch of irony, she pulled up her chat log and held it out. “See for yourself. She hasn’t answered me either. Nobody knows where she is. So do us both a favor and leave me alone. Try anything else, and I’ll report you.”


    She walked away without offering a single clue.


    Marc stood there, reying the empty thread in Lainey’s messages.


    Ste hadn’t even replied to Lainey. Could she really be…


    No. He wouldn’t believe that.


    He kept searching, no matter how much it cost, pouring money into investigators and contacts.


    Then, one afternoon, the doorbell rang. Marc opened it to find two police officers waiting on the porch.


    “Are you Mr. Marc Walsh?”


    His expression shifted to cautious confusion. “Yeah, I am. What’s going on?”


    Though he’d used every connection he could think of, he’d never gone to the authorities. He couldn’t bring himself to believe Ste had vanished—she just didn’t want him in her life.


    The officers didn’t soften their tone. “We’re here to deliver a formal notice of presumed death.”


    Marc blinked at them, his thoughts scrambling to catch up.


    Noticing the disbelief on his face, one of the officers produced an ID. “Here’s our identification.”


    Marc scanned the badge number, reluctant but forced to ept its legitimacy.


    Even then, the words made no sense.


    He took the document from the envelope and unfolded it. The moment he saw the name printed at the top, his vision sharpened, and a jolt ran through him.


    “Seriously?” His voice rose with disbelief.


    That couldn’t be right.


    The notice was for Ste?


    Marc looked up at the officers, stunned. “This has to be a mistake. Ste? No, she’s just avoiding me. She’s angry, not…”


    She was probably just angry and avoiding him. There was no way she could actually be gone.


    One of the officers answered steadily, “Sir, we don’t handle these notifications lightly. The cause and date are both listed. Our job was to deliver it. We’ll take our leave now.”


    Because the marriage hadn’t been legally dissolved, the notice was sent to Marc as the next of kin.


    Once they left, Marc copsed onto the couch, the document still in his hands. He read it again, and again.


    It said Ste had taken personal leave, and then been in a vehicr incident.


    Still unwilling to believe it, Marc began digging for information about that day. There had been a vehicr incident, exactly as the letter described. And her name really was on the passenger manifest.


    He felt like the air had been knocked out of him. His grip on the document grew unsteady as his fingers shook.


    How was that possible? How could Ste be gone all of a sudden?


    He’d finally made up his mind to walk away from Haley.


    Ste wanted a child, and he was ready for that. He wanted it too.


    He had imagined rebuilding their life together.


    Whatever had existed between him and Haley had always been about the investment. His heart never left Ste.


    So why had ite to this?


    The official paper lying in his hands offered no answer, only a brutal, undeniable fact.


    Marc sat frozen, his eyes fixed on the paper in his hand. The entire morning passed in a blur, with the household staff moving quietly, afraid to disturb him.


    Then, without warning, Marc flung the document to the floor.


    No, no way!


    This wasn’t real. It had to be a lie.


    Ste worked at a high-level research facility, one that dealt with ssified information. If they wanted to fabricate an official document, it wouldn’t be difficult.


    This so-called notification must have been forged.


    A scheme by the institute to help Ste disappear, to push him toward giving up and signing the divorce.


    The realization sparked a fit ofughter. It was manic and sharp.


    She’d really gone this far, just to be rid of him?


    His attention drifted to the untouched divorce papers lying nearby. His expression hardened.


    Even if she truly was dead, he wouldn’t sign them.


    He’d track her down and expose the farce.


    Leaving the paper where it had fallen, Marc threw on his coat and stormed out the door.


    By five in the evening, after the institute’s daily operations wrapped up, Lainey made her way out with her bag slung over her shoulder. She was ready to call it a day and rest.


    Ste still hadn’t texted or called her. While a trace of worry lingered, she didn’t think Ste was in danger, at least not physically.


    But as she reached the main gate and stepped onto the road, a shadow loomed ahead.


    Startled, Lainey halted and took a cautious step back. Marc stood there.


    Her surprise quickly gave way to irritation.


    “Marc, what kind of mess are you trying to stir up this time?”


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