Aoxiang Group.
Qin Tianyi was in the main conference room, reviewing data and documents submitted by his managers, all in preparation for a city construction project.
The high-end apartment project originally planned for that plot of land had been scrapped this year. Although they had recovered two hundred million in costs, there was no major project to support the group's annual revenue.
The city construction project was now exceptionally important. This afternoon, he had a meeting scheduled with the leader of the bidding company responsible for the project to understand their basic requirements for bidders.
At that moment, his phone rang. The number was unfamiliar. He declined the call.
However, the call came again several times, forcing him to answer. He picked up his phone and asked coldly, "What is it?"
"Mr. Qin, I am the bodyguard secretly protecting your wife. I am at the airport now. Your wife is about to fly to Paris, but I didn't know beforehand and don't have her passport or ticket. I can't follow and protect her. What do you think..."
"What did you say?" Tianyi put down the data file in his hand, disbelief coloring his voice, "What time is her flight? You must stop her. Absolutely do not let her board the plane."
"It should be in about half an hour. I can try to stop her, but I'm not sure I can. It depends on whether you can come in person," the bodyguard said.
Tianyi replied, "I'm coming to the airport immediately. You must stop her for me!"
He hung up the phone and said to a manager beside him, "I have an urgent matter to attend to. Please inform Mr. Xiao that he will handle the meeting with the bidding company this afternoon."
"Understood." The manager responded, unsure of what had happened but noticing Qin's agitated expression.
As Qin Tianyi rushed to the airport, he still found it hard to believe that Susu had booked a flight to Paris.
When she left that morning, she had eaten breakfast with him as usual and hadn't mentioned going abroad. It seemed she planned to act first and inform him later.
Upon arriving at the airport, he went directly to the international terminal. He saw the bodyguard who had been secretly protecting Susu blocking her at the entrance to the waiting hall, saying, "Mrs. Qin, please wait a moment. Mr. Qin will be here soon."
Meanwhile, the broadcast announced that the flight to Paris was awaiting its final passenger. Airport staff had also found Susu.
Susu was explaining to the airport staff, trying to get them to help pull the bodyguard away.
Qin Tianyi strode towards the chaotic entrance and said to the airport staff, "I apologize, my wife will not be taking this flight. Please inform the captain that we will cancel the ticket shortly."
The staff gradually dispersed. The bodyguard who had been blocking Susu wiped his brow and stepped aside.
Susu knew he wouldn't let her go to Paris to find Sophie. With a mix of nervousness and helplessness, she looked at him and said, "I'm sorry. I actually booked the earliest return ticket. I just want to go to a familiar place in Paris to look for her. Knowing she's at least safe is enough..."
Tianyi angrily grabbed her arm and dragged her to a deserted corner of the airport hall, roaring, "What exactly do you think you're doing? You're already at the airport and you didn't even tell me! If I hadn't asked Xiao Lin to send a bodyguard to protect you, were you planning to tell me after you returned from Paris!"
"I saw you've been very busy lately and didn't want you to worry about Sophie's matter. She's my good friend, can't I handle it myself? I planned to go and come back quickly, without causing you trouble, and there would be no danger."
Susu tried to explain, and she was puzzled as to why Tianyi was so opposed to her going to Paris to find Sophie.
Tianyi held his forehead, his head throbbing, and said irritably, "Susu, can you please stop acting on your own like this? It's really tiring for me. You're always thinking about Sophie, always about repaying kindness, have you ever thought about my feelings..."
"I am considering your feelings, which is why I don't want to add to your troubles. Besides, when I brought Sophie here and left her, I handled everything myself. I can go to Paris alone..."
"Then let me tell you, you won't find her even if you go to Paris! You will never find her!" Tianyi released her arm and covered his face with both hands, saying, "You don't owe her anything anymore. She doesn't deserve our care!"
Susu was a little stunned and asked with a sense of unease, "What do you mean? Do you know something you haven't told me? Did something happen to her? Is she gone?"
"She's not dead." As he spoke, Tianyi, enduring a headache, pulled her hand and walked towards the airport exit. "I'll take you somewhere."
Susu felt a bad premonition and dared not ask where he was taking her, merely following him blindly.
Tianyi brought her to the abandoned Qin family mansion. She asked, confused, "Why are you bringing me here?"
"Don't you want to find Sophie and see if she's safe?" Tianyi said coldly. "Now I'll let you see enough."
He led her to their former room. As Susu walked in, she saw that one wall was covered with surveillance screens.
When Tianyi turned on the screens, Sophie appeared.
Susu stared at the screen in shock, seeing Sophie gazing blankly at the ceiling.
She couldn't immediately tell where Sophie was, but it looked like an enclosed space.
"You, you're keeping her locked up? In this mansion, right?" Susu looked at Tianyi in disbelief, asking heartbrokenly, "Why? Why would you do this to her?"
Just as Tianyi was about to answer, Sophie in the screen suddenly lunged at the wall, shouting frantically, "Susu! Give Qin Tianyi to me, give him to me! Let's stay by his side forever!"
Susu was startled and took a step back towards the screen, asking in surprise, "What's wrong with her? What exactly happened?"
Tianyi supported her from behind and said, "This is why I'm keeping her locked up! She's not well. Her mental problems have never improved! I had professional doctors examine her. She has schizophrenia with delusions, and it's a very, very severe case!"
"Impossible, this is impossible." Susu still couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Sophie began to pound the wall again, her eyes wide as she roared, "Qin Tianyi! I like you, I like you so much! If only you were a little bit good to me, just a little bit, like you are to Susu!"
Tianyi looked at the frenzied Sophie on the screen with cold eyes, showing no pity, only pain on his face.
Sophie's words completely stunned Susu.
She had never known Sophie thought this way!
Sophie continued to hit the wall, seemingly without feeling any pain, still raving, "Qin Tianyi! If you have the guts to lock me up, have the guts to hit me, to kill me! Aren't you going to avenge Chen Ma? What is this, keeping me locked up like this! Kill me, come and kill me!"
Susu couldn't accept what she was seeing. She saw Sophie hitting the wall until her hands were bleeding, leaving bloody handprints on the wall.