My Billionaire Ex-Husband Chase Me Back - Chapter 289

Chapter 289: They Weren’t That Close
Pacing around the office while waiting for Sam, Bella finally called her mother’s cell phone for the first time in years.

However, her face turned stiff when the call didn’t connect.

Bella’s steps halted as her eyes stared at her phone, confused.

“Did Mom change her cell phone number?” she mumbled, trying to call again.

The result was the same. Bella could only hear the automated voice from the other end.

“The number you are calling is not active!”

Sighing deeply, Bella tried to dismiss her worries that her father had found her mother and would torture her again.

“No… Mom must have turned off her cell phone to avoid Father finding her, right? She will be fine! I hope she is in a safe place now…” she tried to convince herself.

Before long,

Bella finally heard a knock on the door and saw Sam appear behind it.

Too worried about her mother’s condition, she no longer had time to ask him to sit but immediately told him what was happening in East City.

Sam was surprised to hear that. “Boss, do you need my help?” he sincerely offered.

Bella nodded.

“Yes, I do need your help, Sam. How many of our people are in East City and ready to be mobilized right now?”

She knew they had some members of the Sentinel Network there to observe the Donovan Group, but she didn’t know the exact number.

“We have ten people on standby. Do you want me to send some people from other cities there?”

“Yes, that would be excellent… if you still have a few available near East City.” She took a deep sigh before continuing her words. “Well, something will happen there when I take over the Donovan Group in a few days. And because my mother is also missing, I will probably fly there today…”

After some thought, Bella decided to fly to the East City as soon as possible to look for her mother because she could imagine that this matter might be more complex than it seems.

Moreover, this was the first time her mother had ever run away from home. That means whatever she has been going through, she could no longer tolerate her father’s evilness.

“OK, Boss! I will carry out your instructions now,” Sam said. When he was about to leave, Bella stopped him.

“Can you fly there now, Sam?” Bella asked.

Sam immediately nodded.

“Sure, Boss. I will…”

….

After Sam left her office, Bella finally sat in her CEO’s chair.

She tried to dismiss her thoughts about calling her mother again. It was useless to call because she was sure her mother deliberately turned off her cell phone to avoid her evil father.

However, Bella couldn’t stop worrying about her mother’s safety.

She tried to remember the places her mother usually visited in the past or the houses of her friends where she might be hiding.

After a few minutes of thinking, Bella failed to guess because she knew little about her mother. Suddenly, Bella felt terrible when she realized she wasn’t close to her.

Bella recalls that in her childhood, her parents favored her older brother, Henry. As a result, she spent more time with her Nanny and grandparents. Later, she moved to the capital to study and eventually lived abroad.

After graduating with her master’s degree, Bella returned to the country. However, she didn’t stay at her parents’ house because she immediately married Tristan at that time.

Thinking about it all made Bella’s chest feel tight. When she remembered her childhood, she felt annoyance, sadness, and emptiness all mixed.

Bella remembers she has no happy memories with her parents or older brother.

Sigh!

‘Let the past remain in the past, Bella. Now, forget all that; your life is much more beautiful now…’ She tries to cheer herself up while leaning back in her chair.

Slowly, she closed her eyes, trying to divert her worries about her mother.

But, of course, she failed.

Her eyes opened again. She sat up straight and took her cell phone.

After looking at her phone for a few more seconds, Bella decided to call her Aunt Emma; maybe she knew where her mother was now.

…

“Bella?”

“Yes, it’s me, Aunty…” Bella smiled, hearing her aunt’s confused voice.

“Why did you call me, dear?” Emma asked, puzzled since they had just talked for a long time this morning.

“Aunty, I want to ask you something about my mother…” Bella hesitated about whether she should be honest with her aunt. She worried her aunt would panic if she knew her mother had run away.

“Yes, go on…”

“Do you know my mother’s best friends? Or her favorite place in East City?” Bella asked carefully, not wanting her aunt to get suspicious and ask further questions.

Emma didn’t answer immediately. She tried to remember before saying, “There doesn’t seem to be anywhere she’d rather be. You know your father is very protective and never lets your mother leave the house alone, right?”

“Yes, I know.” Bella smiled bitterly. “How about her best friends?”

“There are only a few of your mother’s friends…” Emma’s voice trailed off, becoming suspicious of Bella’s question. “Bella, why are you suddenly interested in knowing your mother’s best friends?”

After thinking momentarily about how important it was to find her mother, Bella finally confessed to her aunt.

“Aunty, I learned that my mother had run away from home. Right now, my father is confused, looking for her…”

Bella told Emma she knew about this by chance from someone at home who knew Noora. She didn’t mention that she had hacked all her uncle’s and father’s communication devices.

“W-What? Natalie ran away?” Emma stuttered in surprise at Bella’s words. However, her surprise was brief because she doubted Natalie would run away from home—something she thought Natalie couldn’t possibly do.

“Bella, are you sure? I know your mother would never leave Lucas…”

“I think so too, Auntie. But if my mother runs away from home, it can only mean one thing. She is no longer strong enough to stay there…”

“Oh my God!! You’re right, Bella…” Emma sounded panicked and worried. “Let me help you look for her. I’ll try calling someone—”

“NO, Aunty! Please don’t call anyone about it…” Bella immediately interrupted.

She feared that if her aunt called anyone and her father found out, he might realize that his cell phone was being hacked or monitored.