There were always plenty of outsiders in Vistapeak City, but at this hour, the streets were nearly deserted, with only a handful of cars passing by.


    Yet the route Ridge took began to feel wrong.


    They were heading toward Greenwood Manor.


    Elissa nced at the driver. “Ridge, I’d rather go back to Juniper Road.”


    “Mrs. Frank…”


    Ridge hesitated, catching Frank’s eye in the rearview mirror.


    At first, Elissa had assumed Ridge was simply lost, but now she understood–this was Frank’s doing.


    Circling back to the same topic exhausted her. “I have no intention of returning to Greenwood Manor right now.”


    “Elissa,” Frank said gently, turning to look at her. “Let’s spend the holidays together. After the New Year, if you still haven’t heard anything, I’ll take you back to Juniper


    Road…”


    “When have we ever spent a holiday together?” Elissa stared at him, her tone cool as she reminded him, “Every year, you stayed at the old house. I was always alone at


    Greenwood Manor.”


    “Oh, right–except for Lucy.”


    She’d epted things as they were in the past. But now? How could he expect her toe running at a mere word, docile and obedient?


    Who gets that kind of luck in this world?


    Frank knew he was in the wrong. He was about to say something when his phone


    rang.


    He nced at the caller ID and answered immediately. “What is it?”


    “Mr. Atwater…” Bernard’s nervous voice came through the line. “Marcia’s gone. Since it’s New Year’s, I only had one person on duty. Marcia faked a stomachache and knocked out our guy when he went to check on her.”


    Frank’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Then what are you waiting for? Get more people on it. Find her and bring her back, no matter what.”


    <b>1/3 </b>


    <b>11:40 </b>


    Elissa couldn’t make out what was being said, but she saw Frank’s expression darken.


    Something serious had happened.


    Who was missing?


    After hanging up, Frank checked the time and turned to her. “I’ll drop you at Vistapeak Gardens. Something urgent just came up.”


    Vistapeak Gardens was closer than Greenwood Manor anyway.


    “Alright.” Elissa let out a breath, relieved. “If you’re in a hurry, I can get a cab from here.”


    Frank shook his head. “No need. I’ll take you.”


    She didn’t argue further, but she could feel the car pick up speed.


    When they reached the gates of Vistapeak Gardens, Elissa got out, and the sleek ck Maybach disappeared into the night.


    A cold wind cut through the silence. Hugging her coat tighter, Elissa turned and walked into theplex.


    She was almost at her building when someone suddenly lunged out from the shrubbery. Elissa’s legs went weak from shock.


    Under the dim streetlight, a woman stood with disheveled hair and a wild look in her eyes, radiating a strange, unsettling energy.


    It was Marcia.


    Marcia, who seemed half–crazed now.


    Just yesterday, she’d looked the picture of elegance.


    Elissa stared in disbelief. “What happened to you?”


    Even if Frank really had cut her off, she was still Spencer’s wife–no one in Vistapeak City would darey a hand on her lightly.


    Marcia let out a cold, hollowugh, her gaze fixed on Elissa with a strange intensity.


    The longer she looked, the more Marcia saw the Elissa from her memories–the little orphan she’d despised.


    Suddenly, she lunged, grabbing at Elissa’s cor with wild abandon.


    Elissa had expected a confrontation, but she hadn’t expected Marcia to grab her


    <b>2/3 </b>


    clothes. “Marcia, what are you doing?!”


    In the struggle, under the streemp’s glow, Marcia caught a fleeting glimpse of the butterfly–shaped birthmark on Elissa’s shoulder.


    It really was her.


    She really was that wretched little orphan!