---- Chapter 9 The assistant' s words hit Jackson like a physical blow. No survivors. His brain short-circuited. The world tilted, a nauseating lurch, and all sound faded into a dull, roaring hum. He stared blankly at his assistant, his mind refusing to process the information Elena. Her plane. Gone. "No," he whispered, the word a dry rasp in his throat. It was impossible. A mistake. She was at home, waiting for him with her surprise. They were going to a private island for their anniversary. "Get the car," he croaked, grabbing his assistant by the arm, his knuckles white. "Now." He stumbled towards the door, his mind a chaotic whirlwind of denial and a rising, suffocating panic. "Jackson, where are you going?" Candida's voice was sharp, cutting through the fog in his head. She grabbed his arm, her nails digging into his skin. "You can't leave me!" ---- He looked at her, and for the first time, he felt a flicker of revulsion. Her face, which he had obsessed over for years, seemed alien and grotesque. He shook her off, his movement rough. "Let go of me." "You're going after her, aren't you?" she shrieked, her voice cracking with hysteria. "She's dead, Jackson! You're choosing a dead woman over me!" He paused at the door, his back to her. A war raged inside him. A part of him, the part that Candida had controlled for so long, screamed at him to stay, to comfort her. But another, older part, a part he thought was long buried, was screaming Elena's name. "| have to go," he said, his voice flat and dead. "I'll be back." He didn't wait for her reply. He ran. In the car, he was a man possessed. He barked orders into his phone, his voice hoarse with desperation. "Contact the airline! | want the passenger manifest, now!" "Get me airport security! | want the surveillance footage of the boarding gate!" "Scramble the coast guard! | want every available ship and helicopter searching that crash site! The replies came back, each one a nail in the coffin of his ---- hope. "Sir, we've confirmed Mrs. Parks's name is on the manifest." "The surveillance footage confirms she boarded the plane, sir." "Mr. Parks... there's no sign of survivors. The wreckage is... extensive." Jackson' s breath hitched. A crushing weight settled on his chest, making it impossible to breathe. He squeezed his eyes shut, but all he could see was Elena's face. Her smile. The way her eyes lit up when she laughed. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be gone. He burst into the airport terminal like a madman, shoving his way through the crowds to the information desk. "Flight 742 to Hawaii!" he yelled at the terrified-looking agent. "Where is the information? Where are the families?" His assistant gently pulled him away. "Sir, it was a private charter. There are no other families." Just him. His phone rang. It was the housekeeper, her voice trembling with panic. "Mr. Parks! Miss Camacho is trying to leave! She has her bags packed! ---- Jackson's head throbbed. Elena was gone. Candida was leaving. His world was crumbling around him. He felt like he was being torn in two. He took a deep, shuddering breath: "You stay here," he ordered his assistant, his voice a low growl. "Keep me updated on the search. | want to know the second you find anything. Anything at all." He turned and ran back to the car, leaving his bewildered assistant standing in the middle of the chaotic terminal. He had to stop Candida. He couldn't lose her too. He found her on the driveway of the villa, a taxi waiting at the curb. "Candida!" he yelled, running to her and grabbing her wrist. "Where do you think you're going?" She looked at him, her eyes cold and full of scorn. "Let go of me, Jackson. It's over." "No," he said, his voice breaking. "Please." "You still love her, don't you?" she sneered. "Even dead, she has a hold on you." "It's not love," he lied, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. "It's... responsibility." She laughed, a harsh, ugly sound. "Responsibility? Is that why ---- you have her name on your marriage certificate, Jackson? Or did you forget who your legal wife is?" His heart stuttered. The world swam before his eyes. He pulled her into a desperate embrace, burying his face in her hair. "Please, Candida. Don't go. I'll do whatever you want. Anything." She was still for a moment. He felt her body, rigid in his arms. Then she pushed him away. "Fine," she said, her voice cold and calculating. "I'll stay. But on one condition." "Anything," he repeated, his voice a hoarse whisper. "l want her gone," Candida said, her eyes glittering with a cruel light. "| want every trace of Elena Medina erased from this house. From our lives. Forever." Jackson stared at her, a flicker of protest dying in his throat. He looked at her face, the face he had sacrificed everything for. The memory of Elena's smile, warm and loving, flashed in his mind. It was a ghost, a phantom of a life he had destroyed. He looked back at Candida. The ghost faded. "Okay," he said, his voice hollow. "It's a deal." She smiled, a slow, triumphant curve of her lips. She didn't see ---- the deadness in his eyes, the vast, empty chasm that had opened up in his soul. She didn't know that in that moment, he had sold the last shred of his humanity. Title: A Princess? No! I'm the Female General! In "A Princess? No! I'm the Female General!" by CrushReel, Adela Taylor, a noble family's daughter, disguises herself as her brother to secure their Duke title by joining the army. Despite facing obstacles, she achieves remarkable success. However, upon her triumphant return, her brother betrays her, setting off a chain of events that will test her resolve and reveal hidden truths. This captivating novel delves into themes of secrets, reincarnation, revenge, murder, and drama. Adela's journey from deception to betrayal is filled with intrigue and suspense as she navigates through a world where power dynamics and family loyalties collide. What sets this story apart is its strong female lead who defies expectations and challenges societal norms in a quest for justice and redemption. Experience the riveting tale of Adela Taylor online at CrushReel and witness the transformation of a princess into a formidable female general.