"Thank you, Samantha," Charlotte replied, her voice raspy. "Stella will be very happy to hear that."
But...
Charlotte's spirits remained heavy. She didn't say anything more. After hanging up, she turned to Helen. "Give me the car keys."
"Ma'am, it's getting dark, and driving in your condition is very dangerous," Helen pleaded gently, nervously wiping her hands on her apron. "Mr. Blair isn't back yet. Let me call a driver..."
"No need."
Charlotte shook her head, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I can drive myself."
At this hour, all the drivers at Imperial Heights were off the clock. Calling them back would waste too much time.
"But..."
Helen stared at Charlotte's heavily pregnant belly, her brow deeply furrowed.
Not only was she far along in her pregnancy, but her emotional state was incredibly volatile.
No, "volatile" was an understatement.
In all the time Helen had cared for her, she had rarely seen her look so devastated and unmoored.
If anything happened... she would be risking her life and her unborn twins'.
Helen couldn't let her do it!
"
Charlotte scowled, about to argue, when the front door suddenly flew open. A man
in a sharp suit, his hair slightly disheveled from the wind, strode in.
"Come here."
Anthony was breathing heavily, having clearly rushed back. "Helen, get my wife a coat."
"Right away, sir."
Seeing the master of the house return, Helen let out a massive sigh of relief and hurried to fetch a coat.
Charlotte froze for two seconds before practically throwing herself into Anthony's arms, her eyes immediately turning red.
She felt helpless.
So incredibly helpless.
"Don't be scared," Anthony murmured, leaning down to pull her into a tight embrace. He rubbed her back soothingly. "The internet posts are being dealt with, and the car is out front. We can go find her right now."
Taking the coat from Helen, he draped it carefully over Charlotte's shoulders before wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her outside.
Charlotte practically dragged him toward the car.
Helen watched them go, frowning deeply, but ultimately kept quiet.
Anthony took the wheel, with Charlotte in the passenger seat.
The number you have dialed is powered off.
Listening to the automated voice, Charlotte's fingers trembled slightly. She took a deep breath, forcing
herself to focus.
Then, she opened a tracking app, attempting to ping Stella's phone.
The results showed the phone was at Stella's apartment.
Whether Stella herself was there, no one knew.
In the past, no matter how bad things got, Stella never turned off her phone.
And she never ignored Charlotte's calls.
She had finally built up the courage to leave the past behind and start a new life.
But now...
It was ruined.
Everything had been destroyed.
"Drive faster," Charlotte choked out her bowed as she
phone her voice.copped her
unrecognizable. FindNovel.net
"I got it."
Anthony rubbed the top of her head, gripping the steering wheel as he slammed the gas pedal to the floor.
The sky had turned pitch black.
The autumn rain arrived with brutal, sudden violence.
The entire city was swallowed by a torrential downpour, reduced to a hazy gray blur.
Imperial Heights was closer to Stella's apartment than the Gates Estate.
By the time they pulled up, Roger was just slamming his car door shut and sprinting toward the building.
Charlotte, clutching her belly and ignoring the pouring rain, hurried after him.
Anthony chased after them, pulling out his phone to call Hans. "Pull up all the Surveillance footage around. Stella's apartment complex immediately."
The apartment door was unlocked, and every light in the house was blazing.
But the apartment was completely empty.
A frantic search yielded nothing but her phone sitting on the dining table, next to a box of delicate pastries.
Staring at the cute cartoon sticker on the box, a painful knot twisted in Roger's
chest. His eyes burned bloodshot.
It was obviously baked for him.
It had been almost an hour since the scandal broke.
She wasn't home, and she hadn't taken her phone...
Where could she have gone?