Chapter 82
Chapter 82
Alan wore a pained expression, apologizing once more, “I’m really sorry, Ms. Wright. You came out of nowhere, I swear I didn’t see you.”
Curtis stormed out of the hospital room. As soon as he left, Suzan darkened her face.
“So are you saying I’m faking this drama?” she snapped.
Alan waved his hands frantically, “No, that’s not what I mean!” Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.
He was new on the job, a decent driver but a bit green and reckless. It was his first time. chauffeuring Mr. Curtis while Jake was on break. Nerves got the best of him. Pulling out from the ElitePinnacle garage, he didn’t see Suzan, who was approaching Curtis’ car to say hello, and accidentally bumped into her.
Thankfully, the car wasn’t going fast, or the consequences could have been dire.
Curtis immediately scooped her up and rushed her to the hospital for a full check-up. Nothing serious, except Suzan’s knee needed stitches.
The incident wasn’t major, but it wasn’t minor either. Suzan was the heiress of the Wright family. Even a small injury was a big deal for them!
Alan spent the entire night on tenterhooks, convinced his job was on the line.
Curtis, donning his coat, strode out and dialed Leanne.
It was bizarre. She and Suzan had spoken over the phone just ten minutes earlier, and now Leanne was unreachable.
Curtis quickened his pace, his urgency mounting. He sprinted to the parking lot, flung. open the car door, started the engine, shifted gears, and floored the accelerator. The speedometer needle whizzed as neon lights zipped past the windows, reflecting off his grim face.
It was just his luck to hit every red light.
With Leanne’s phone going unanswered, Curtis furrowed his brow deeper, racing back to Crystal Cove Villas.
He leapt out of the car, slammed the door, and took the front steps two at a time, pushing open the front door.
Inside, the villa was pitch black, not a single light on.
The motion-sensor lights from the entrance to the living room flickered on one by one, illuminating the house, yet it retained an eerie silence.
Dinner was still laid out on the table.
Curtis’ heart, which had been beating like a drum in his chest all the way, finally returned to its normal rhythm.
He didn’t know what he’d been afraid of, but the sight of the untouched meal was a relief.
He’d seen this kind of quiet before, a false alarm. He figured Leanne must have gone to bed early, tired of waiting.
She liked to sleep with her phone on mute, hence why she wasn’t answering. It all made.
sense.
But there was a nagging tension in the back of his mind. Upstairs, the master bedroom was dark, not even the nightlights on.
He flicked the switch by the door, the room lighting up to reveal an immaculately made
bed without a wrinkle.
Leanne wasn’t home.
Curtis checked the walk-in closet. It was as full as ever, with no sign of her leaving.
The room just felt emptier somehow.
He circled the room, sensing something was missing but couldn’t figure out what.
The feeling fueled an inexplicable restlessness. He went back downstairs to the cat room. Leanne loved those kittens more than he did. She wouldn’t leave her cats unattended.
As long as the cats were still there…
But when Curtis pushed open the door, the room was barren. All the cat paraphernalia, the climbing frame, litter box, automatic feeder and toys, all had vanished.
here was not a single playful kitten in sight, not even a speck of dust.
The silence of the night seemed to swell like a tide, an unsettling quiet.
He always joked those cats were trouble. Now they’d vanished with the house.
Curtis dialed Leanne’s number yet again.
The relentless and mechanical tone rang out, long and unpleasant, still unanswered.
“Playing games with me? Ignoring my calls on purpose?”
Leanne had wanted to talk things through, and they hadn’t yet. She wouldn’t just run off without that.
Maybe she’d gone out to drown her sorrows again?
Lately, Joy, that fool, had been leading her astray. Leanne had grown wild, frequenting bars every other night.
Curtis scrolled through his contacts for Joy’s number, unsure if he’d ever saved it. Juggling the phone in one hand and his tie in the other, he tossed couch.
It missed its mark, landing on the floor instead
His search paused as his gaze settled back on the dining table.
e tie toward the
The dinner and the pair of place settings remained untouched. His eyes fixed on the spot where Leanne usually sat.
A platinum ring lay motionless and quiet on the polished wooden surface.