In the footage, the woman saw an elderly grandmother trip and fall ahead of her and quickly walked over to help her up.

The movement, the posture, and even the worried expression between her brows were identical to the figure that haunted Julian’s dreams.

A sense of massive absurdity began to surface in his mind.

Even if it felt like he was deceiving himself, he was unwilling to let go of even the slightest chance. He immediately asked the assistant for the woman’s flight destination.

The assistant’s hands moved rapidly over the keyboard before he quickly replied,

"Mr. Sterling, this woman and Madam’s mother flew to the same destination: Switzerland."

Julian grabbed his car keys and strode out of the office.

"Book me the next flight to Switzerland immediately. Whatever it takes, I want to know exactly where Seraphina’s mother went."

From the beginning, Seraphina’s suicide had been hard for him to believe. Setting aside her strong-willed nature, her mother was bedridden and needed care; even if she had truly given up on him, she would have lived for her mother’s sake.

Now, this surveillance video stirred a thousand waves in the weak glimmer of hope in his heart. The faint, laughable fantasy was reignited. Even if it seemed utterly absurd to others, he refused to miss any news related to Seraphina.

Half an hour later, Julian arrived at the international departures hall with a group of men.

When the airport manager learned of his sudden late-night visit, he personally led a team to welcome him. After all, no one dared to offend the most powerful man in Seattle.

"Mr. Sterling, the flight you asked me to check does not have Madam’s name on it, but there is a lady with the same last name, Vance."

The airport manager respectfully held out a tablet.

When Julian saw the clearly visible face on the screen, his heart nearly stopped. A surge of immense joy almost burst from his chest; he could even hear the sound of his blood rushing.

He practically snatched the tablet away. As his gaze met the face that was nearly identical to the one in his memory, his hand trembled as he stroked her face on the screen over and over, his eyes filled with uncontrollable longing and madness.

The assistant, after seeing the woman’s photo clearly, was equally emotional.

"Madam... it really is Madam. She’s still alive."

Julian didn't know what means she had used to forge an identical body, but he didn't care about any of that anymore.

The only thing he cared about was that Seraphina wasn't dead. She was still alive...

Chapter 17

During the flight to Switzerland, Julian thought of a thousand possibilities. Perhaps Seraphina would treat him coldly, or even refuse to see him. But he never imagined that after landing in Switzerland, he wouldn't be able to find a single trace of her.

Top detectives searched the dark web, and his assistant personally navigated connections, but Seraphina seemed to have vanished into thin air in Switzerland.

In the end, he had to personally tread through all seven regions of Switzerland, walking every street she might have walked and visiting every place she might have stayed.

But Switzerland was vast. He searched day and night for three whole months and managed to cover only three regions.

Julian sat powerlessly on a sofa, smoking. The hazy smoke shrouded half his face; his exposed eyes were bloodshot, stubble covered his chin, and his suit hung loosely on him, making him look utterly dejected and desperate.

The assistant standing nearby hesitated several times before finally speaking,

"Mr. Sterling, the hospital is urging you to come in for a check-up."

Ever since learning of Seraphina’s death, Julian had spent every day in tears and every night drinking. The months of collapse and despair had long ago broken him down, leading to a severe stomach ailment. If not treated in time, it would only get worse.

Julian didn't reply. He reached out to stub out the smoldering cigarette, his gaze darkening as he looked at the assistant. "Is there any news of Madam?"

Just as the assistant was about to speak, his phone chimed. After checking it, his expression became excited.

"Mr. Sterling, we found a figure resembling Madam in Zurich! Through tracking, we’ve determined the woman is staying at a secret research institute at the foot of a mountain range."

But then, the assistant seemed to see something else, his eyes widening as he spoke urgently,

"This is bad, Mr. Sterling! That research institute has been completely buried by a landslide. All the researchers inside are missing, and rescue operations are currently underway. Should we..."

Before he could finish, Julian grabbed his car keys and rushed out.

"Prepare the plane immediately." His voice was filled with endless panic and terror, and his trembling hands revealed his deep unease. "Get to Zurich as fast as possible. Contact several of the best local rescue teams and medical units to rush to the scene. Seraphina must be okay."

The plane circled above the storm. Lightning and thunder, accompanied by howling gusts of wind, multiplied the difficulty of the rescue.

After a difficult descent, Julian hurriedly put on a raincoat. Without even waiting to grab excavation equipment or for the plane to fully stabilize, he rushed out, joining the rescue team to begin digging on the spot.

Mud mixed with rainwater soaked his expensive raincoat, and sharp rocks cut into his palms, making them bleed, but he didn't care at all.

"Sir, it’s too dangerous here. We can handle it. Please leave first."

The rescue workers' pleas and the sound of rain lashing against the buildings all went unheard by Julian. At this moment, he had only one thought.

Seraphina cannot be hurt. She must be fine. He had to find her.

Chapter 18

He dug tirely with his bare hands for three solid hours. All ten of his fingernails were torn away, and his hands trembled uncontrollably from overexertion, but he showed no intention of stopping.

Rescue workers tried to dissuade him, but after seeing the madness and determination in his eyes, they ceased their interference.

Rain blurred his vision, and the floodwaters showed signs of rising further, already reaching his calves. Just as he was nearing despair, several large boulders tumbled down from the mountain, instantly leveling the already fragile research institute.

Seeing the institute reduced to rubble, Julian froze. An unprecedented sense of helplessness and despair swept over him. But in this moment, he didn't even have the luxury of grief, for he knew that every second delayed meant a greater danger for Seraphina.

An unknown amount of time passed. The rough stones had completely worn down the skin of his palms, leaving his hands a mangled mess of flesh and blood. Finally, beneath a massive boulder, he located a researcher who had been the object of the long search.

With the help of the search and rescue team, the lifeless researcher was quickly carried out, but Julian no longer had the courage to look at her.

He was terrified that the person was Seraphina, and even more terrified that his delay in rescue had caused her death. Either outcome was something Julian could not bear.

Fortunately, after seeing the woman's face clearly, Julian breathed a sigh of relief. Yet he dared not stop his digging for a moment. His thin, weakened frame swayed precariously in the heavy rain, his physical strength nearly exhausted and his face pale as paper, but he persisted, conducting the rescue with a nearly psychotic obsession.

Finally, at the very moment he was about to collapse, he sensed a gaze from behind and whipped his head around.

The moment their eyes met, Sera’s eyes widened slightly, a flash of surprise crossing them.

But what followed was a calmness like stagnant water, a cold indifference that nearly made his heart stop.

To him, since his primary personality had been suppressed, seeing Seraphina again felt not like a few months, but like an entire lifetime.

Reunited with the lover of his dreams, Julian’s eyes instantly reddened. He wanted to stride over and pull her into his arms, but his long hours of standing had left his legs stiff and numb. He struggled to move his feet, walking toward her step by step.

"Sera, you’re okay... you’re really okay. I’m not dreaming." His voice trembled, hardly able to believe his eyes.

But in the next second, an even larger boulder suddenly rolled toward her. Julian’s pupils contracted sharply. He threw himself forward recklessly, shielding her in his arms.

Due to the massive impact, the two of them rolled several times on the ground. Julian’s thin raincoat had long been shredded by sharp stones, and now his back was soaked in a large patch of blood. Sera, held firmly in his embrace, remained completely unharmed.

Despite the agony, Julian endured the pain and comforted her with a smile. "Sera, how are you? Are you hurt?"