Farewell to Love: The CEO's Desperate Chase novel Chapter 179

He had spent last night alone at Hillside Manor. Even after a couple of drinks, lying by himself in the master bedroom's huge bed, the emptiness felt even starker, making sleep impossible.

For some reason, a strange phrase popped into his mind: "alone in an empty room."

Tyler scoffed at himself and shook the thought away.

He headed to the study to catch up on the morning's work and finally replied to Vivienne's message.

By the time he looked up again, it was already afternoon.

He needed to find Emilia.

But she hadn't answered his texts, wasn't picking up her phone, and she wasn't at the house they were supposed to share.

How was he supposed to find her?

Then, an idea struck him.

Emilia always picked up that little girl, Bella, from preschool.

With that in mind, he got the school's address and drove his Maybach over before dismissal.

Tyler's plan was just to wait for Emilia, but the first person he spotted was Bella, quietly drawing by herself on a stone bench.

He hesitated, then walked over and sat down on the empty spot beside her.

He glanced down at her drawing.

It was a child's sketch—stick figures, bright colors. A tall woman with long hair holding hands with a little girl.

Right now, Bella was scrawling the word "Mommy" in clumsy letters next to the long-haired woman.

Tyler immediately realized she'd drawn herself and Emilia.

And yet, looking at it, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was missing.

When he looked up, he found Bella watching him with big, curious eyes.

"Are you waiting here for your kid, mister?" she asked, her voice clear and sweet.

Mister...

Bella hugged her drawing protectively and shook her head.

"No, mister. This is a picture of me and Mommy. You can't be in it."

Tyler's smile faltered just a little.

"Come on, sweetie. I'll buy you some ice cream," he coaxed.

But Bella shook her head again, this time quite serious. "Mommy says I can't have ice cream. And Mommy says I can't just take things from other people."

Before Tyler could reply, Bella continued, "If you want a picture, you should find your own kid to draw you in their picture."

She looked so earnest, staring up at him with a mixture of seriousness and guarded suspicion.

As if he were some sort of odd stranger.

Tyler felt helpless.

Just a few innocent words from this little girl had pierced right through him, leaving invisible bruises on his heart.