The Billionaire’s Promise

”I have bad news Boss. Your wife was kidnapped from the cruise ship. Her bodyguards colluded with the kidnappers. ”

”What? ” The pen he was holding snapped into two. His face contorted in fury.

”Find out who the kidnappers are right now! Exhaust all resources to bring her back! ” He commanded urgently, his voice filled with both anger and anguish.

”Bo… Boss. Their get away boat was caught in a tornado and has capsized. The kidnappers bloated bodies were recovered. Your wife is missing. ” The assistant was scared to say that probably his wife was also dead.

Time stood still.

Erik felt as if an iron fist squeezed his heart. It stopped beating for a few seconds and he cannot breathe. Clutching his chest, he staggered backwards and fell down as he lost consciousness.

An hour has passed when Erik regained his consciousness. Against the doctors advise, he boarded a helicopter and scanned the area where the cruise ship traversed last night hoping against hope that miraculously he will find his wife safe and sound.

Marlon, Eriks assistant alerted the marines and rescue boats were deployed.

The search continued for the entire day and the days that followed. Erik ordered the search area to be expanded to neighboring islands including the uninhabited small islands dotting the West Sea. In desperation, he announced a huge reward for those who can provide a lead to where his wife was.

Erik has slept for only two hours each night and ate very little. A week has passed but there was no news about his wife.

Perhaps his rational mind has accepted that indeed there was no chance for her to survive the tornado. But his stubborn heart was in denial. For as long as he does not see the corpse of his wife, he shall hold onto a glimmer of hope that she was still alive.

”Yana, why did it come to this? Next week is only our first wedding anniversary! ” He lamented bitterly.

At the end of the week with very little sleep and nourishment coupled with extreme exhaustion and emotional upheaval, Erik collapsed and went into coma. He stayed in the hospital for a week.

On the day he was discharged, he went to the bar with Marlon and his two best friends, Vince and Josh.

He downed glass after glass of liquor. His friends were just silently drinking with him. No words of comfort were being said. They just accompany him.

”I regretted not coming home that night and not going with her on that trip. I really regretted it. ” He said in a mournful voice.

The scene of the last time he saw his wife suddenly played before his eyes.

It was his companys anniversary. Cassie dragged him to the balcony of the banquet hall. She said she has something confidential to tell him. Without warning, she threw herself into him in a tight embrace.

”I know that you still love me and I love you too. All these years, I never stopped loving you. ” She then kissed him on the lips.

Before he can extricate himself from her embrace, he heard a faint gasp. When he turned around, he saw his wife, a shocked expression on her face. He pushed Cassie away and hurriedly walked towards his wife.

”Its not what you think… ” Erik paused when he saw her eyes. Her eyes were always bright and t