Chapter 1615

A face flashed in Stella's mind. Just the thought sent a shiver of excitement through her, making her hands tremble slightly. 'Could it really be her? The one who likely perished in the inferno, the one for whom Ron had been hunting relentlessly for two years?' Stella wanted to get closer, to see clearly, but fear held her back. She was afraid of facing a truth she might not be ready for. So, she stood there, her gaze fixed on the slender, familiar silhouette. As Stella gazed intensely, her assistant, Bernadette Leggero, followed her gaze and spotted the same figure. "What's so special about that woman?" Bernadette asked. Bernadette's words snapped Stella back to reality. She quickly averted her gaze, feigning indifference. "Nothing, let's head back," Stella replied. They had only taken a few steps when Stella could not resist glancing back. She could not shake the thought that the silhouette was unmistakably Emma's. "Bernadette, give me my phone," Stella said. Bernadette promptly dug out the phone and handed it to Stella. Stella grabbed her phone, opened WhatsApp, and scrolled to Abigail's chat. She typed rapidly: [I saw someone who looks a lot like Emma from the back. But I'm afraid it's not her, didn't dare to get a closer look.] As she was about to hit "send", Stella hesitated. She remembered Ron had always suspected that Abigail and Nathan were hiding Emma, so there was a high chance he was monitoring Abigail's phone. Sending this message could tip off Ron. After a brief moment of deliberation, Stella deleted the text. Instead, she sent a different message: [Abigail, I'm missing you and my godson.] It was their coded language; Abigail would understand it meant urgent, covert business if she remembered. Soon after, a reply popped up from Abigail: [I'm not too busy with work lately. I'll bring Pax over to visit you on set.] Stella: [Great, can't wait to see you and Pax.] After Stella sent the message, she glanced back once more, her heart full of hope that it was indeed Emma. Abigail was quick on her feet; she arrived that very evening. After ditching her driver and Bernadette, Stella drove to the airport herself to pick up Abigail. "Didn't bring my godson along?" she asked as Abigail got into the car. Abigail chuckled. "Pax is glued to his dad. Couldn't pry him away this time." "Look at you, the mother whom Pax doesn't cling to," Stella teased. Abigail shrugged. "I'm swamped with work, Nathan spends more time with him. Plus, Nathan worries about me handling Pax alone, doesn't trust me to travel solo with him. If I insisted on bringing him, Nathan would've tagged along." Stella smirked. "Your man really looks out for you." Abigail smiled knowingly. "Isn't yours the same?" Stella paused, "Abigail..." Abigail seemed to anticipate what Stella was about to say. She tossed her phone into the car and pulled Stella ten feet away, asking anxiously, "Is it about Emma? Did you hear something?" Stella nodded. "Today, while I was on set in a village, I saw a woman whose silhouette was strikingly similar to Emma's, but I didn't dare approach her. I was afraid it wasn't her, and even more afraid of scaring her off. "But I did some digging. The kids in the village mentioned their teacher, Ms. O'Neill, who started teaching here around the same time Emma disappeared. I have a strong hunch that Ms. O'Neill might actually be Emma." Abigail replied, "You did the right thing. We don't know if Emma wants to be found. We can't just barge into her life without knowing."