Chapter 350: Chapter 350

Abi held her head high, clutching her husband’s arms tightly. She looked radiant, but any decerning eye could see the dark circles and the pronounced worry lines under her eyes.

Abram was no better as he had no make-up to cover anything. The husband and wife had had the most miserable few days, to say the least.

They had suffered what the real meaning of desperation was in the face of losing the ’apple of their eyes’ and their only daughter. What made them most helpless was that they knew almost without a doubt that Ian was behind Brianna’s disappearance but had no evidence to prove such.

Was this how it felt for people to feel oppressed and suffocated under the gallanting of power?

Abram and Abi were undeniably among the most influential figures on the Island, capable of commanding anyone they wished. However, none of their attempts bore fruit, marking their first encounter with such failure in their lives.

For Abram and Abi, each new day after Brianna’s absence, came with a new surprise that plunged them more into the depths of whatever hell they were due to go.

It was as if crumbs of evidence were dangled in front of them to bait them, only to be taken away just as they were about to reach it.

Abram patted his wife’s arms, which were liked through his, trying to calm the agitation that was bubbling up through her.

"Do not listen to them. What has been said is already water under the bridge." He whispered to her, but even he did not sound convincing himself. What Ian had done had pushed the two to the brink of no return. The calculation was that all possible exits had been cut off, which was just too much for the two who had thought that they were invincible.

After a couple of days, their singular thought was, ’With all this money, power, and connections, why are we this helpless?’

They kept their heads high while navigating through the increasing crowd. It was that time again, yet who would have guessed?

The evening air was thick with the combined aromas of flowers and wine, drifting beneath a vast sky dotted with stars.

Twinkling strands of fairy lights danced softly in the darkness, casting a warm and inviting glow over the beautifully decorated garden. Those with keen eyes and who had been at Shelby’s wedding would have noticed that it was the same place.

Guests glided gracefully over the lawn, their laughter and the clinking of glasses forming a gentle murmur that infused the night with elegance and charm—very upper class!

In the past, Abi would have glided among this same crowd proudly, embodying elegance and power, dressed in only the finest attire. The admiration and envious looks from the crowd would have bolstered Abi’s pride and made her feel invincible.

However, tonight, all the sparkle and glamour felt superficial; her usual self-assurance was absent. The beauty around her seemed almost mocking, a reminder of the facade she could no longer support.

The future had done a swift turn around on her. This should have been the night where she had that rare upper hand on Geneva. Months of painstaking performance were supposed to come to fruition, but Abi did not have to think much to know that she was the one on the disadvantaged end that evening. she had no choice, and she could not back out if she ever wanted to see her only child again.

Abi looked down at her gown—a splendid creation of dark silk and delicate beading that used to fill her with pride—but now it only brought a slight heaviness to her chest. Abram, in a tux that complemented hers, was in the exact same mood.

Tonight, the gossip about outfits and who outshone who felt trivial to the point of silliness.

The delight she once felt in capturing attention and lowkey competing for attention with Geneva had given way to a deep, gnawing emptiness that dulled her feelings and left her feeling oddly untethered.

The excitement of the night and the urge to prove herself had dissolved into a quiet despair, an unwilling acceptance of truths she had long evaded. She found herself almost sinking into Abram’s side and away from prying eyes.

Her eyes landed on the very people for which she and her husband had come, and Abi clenched her fists.

Abram led her to the side and grabbed them two glasses of wine. They gulped one glass down and picked up the second almost immediately.

Beneath it all was a rush of emotions she couldn’t fully identify yet felt intensely, weighing down on her. Disappointment, perhaps, intertwined with an unexpected sadness. She longed to escape, to find a corner where the evening’s heaviness would lighten. Yet, there was no fleeing from this quiet unravelling that settled within her.

Tonight, under the stars and the warm glow of garden lights, she felt exposed, caught between her past self and the uncertain shadows of who she was becoming—a woman no longer shielded by armour but exposed, vulnerable, and compelled to confront herself amidst an evening that had lost its significance. This Dinner gala was supposed to be Brianna’s engagement, but here she was.....

"Let’s go...." Abram nudged her, and she walked through the sea of guests to the very middle of the floor, where the hosts, Geneva and Alex, were. Abi bit her lips when they came to the front of the small crowd, vying for attention and bootlicking the older couple.

"You actually came?! Some thick skin she has!" The last sentence was muttered beneath the speaker’s breath, but some people close to her still heard it.

At this, the place quieted down and Abi forced a smile to her face.

"I wouldn’t miss it for the world...."

"Ha! You won’t? That’s surprising, but did you think that you would be welcomed here... after our last meeting? What happened to all those threats?"

"What?" Abi’s whisper still reached all within that small circle. She felt so put on the spot and tried to think to herself that there was no one around but the two of them. Abi was surprised that with Geneva’s outlook, she had actually said those words for all to hear.

Alex and Abram took backseats and watched them. Abram wanted to barge in, but he could not. The two had been prepared for more than this when they had made the decision to come to the Thornston estate that evening, despite that the whole island already knew of Brianna’s involvement in Shelby’s near death.

"I – Mrs Thornston...."

Abi and Geneva’s little brunch and how she had stormed off angrily had obviously made it’s way to the ears of those idle wives, most of which were there so they kindof understood what Geneva was driving at. Also, they would take Geneva’s words over anyone’s and with Abi’s current social standing, it was clear as day that none would give her the face!

"Oh, so, I am Mrs. Thornston for today? Geneva smirked. "Did you think that I don’t know what you did behind my back?"

Geneva’s gaze turned cold, and then she smiled just as suddenly, "I have no reason to speak to you. If you’ll excuse us, we have guests to attend to...."

Alex stepped up as if on cue and stretched out his hand that Geneva took and then they turned to leave.

"Ermmm.... May I have just a minute of your time? Please intercede on our behalf with Ian ... he-"

"What do you mean by that?!!!! You have the guts to come here, to MY HOME! and demand this of me after what your daughter tried to do to my daughter-in-law and her best friend? I did not even call you accountable for that, and you come here to throw accusations?"

The crowd perked up more about this, .... I mean, who didn’t like a few gossip? But they never expected to see Abi fall to her knees in that moment. Even Abram was taken aback at this action. Abi was that invincible person who had never bowed to anyone in her life. For her to go on her knees, that way was distressing for him.

"Get up, Abi! What are you doing?!"

"It’s okay, Abram. It’s our daughter. I must be willing to do much more for her!"

Geneva looked down at Abi with not a shred of remorse.

"We have nothing to do with your daughter’s disappearance. I have seen the efforts you have put in to look for her. However, you should consider that she feels guilty for what she did and may be in hiding. Why do you think that I would waste my time of a brat like that? I have better things to do with my time."

"YOU!" Abram shouted, looking his composure, but one look from Alex was all that it took for him to quiet down.

"She’s not like that! My Brianna is not like that! I just want to speak to Ian-"

"About what?" A calm male voice asked,

They had all been so intent of the conversation that they had not noticed when Ian had walked to the back of the crowd.

They turned to face the man of the hour, Ian, who walked slowly as the guests parted to let him through until he reached the front.

"Take care of your wife! This is not a place where she can be willful!" Ian snapped, and Abram frantically found himself helping Abi to her feet at once. Even he was surprised at his reaction.

’Why did I obey him?’

"Now, what is going on?" Ian asked again.

"Please let my daughter go!"

The dinner grounds hushed up, and people exchanged glances.... In surprise and shock. Their minds were one in thought, ’Why was Abi asking Ian to let her daughter go?’

’Did the Thornstons do something to Brianna Mush because of what she had done?

Or, most importantly, the one thought that most dared not to even venture,

’Did Ian Thornston have a hand in Brianna’s disappearance?’

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