Chapter 16

By the time they arrived, the sun was already up. The village woman who had been looking after Elizabeth rushed over as soon as she saw Michael. "Michael, I'm so sorry! Your wife's gone! We searched every corner of the village and can't find her anywhere!" "Wasn't she supposed to be under your care? How did she disappear without you even noticing?!" Michael's usual calm demeanor was gone—his eyes were bloodshot, voice sharp with anger. The woman instinctively took a step back, guilt all over her face. Hearing her call Elizabeth his wife made William's expression shift instantly. No sooner had Michael spoken than William charged over and yanked him aside. "Elizabeth is MY wife! If it weren't for you dragging her out here, how the hell would she have gone missing? Get the hell away from me—I'm this close to losing it." The woman stood there, frozen. What the hell? Was this an elopement? A love triangle? Her gaze darted back to William. He looked disheveled, sure—but his angry aura and th