Chapter 435
I immediately felt flustered. It seemed like the more I feared, the more it came true. This was what I was worried about the most, and now, it happened.
I clenched the phone and hurried to the beach to find Atlas, urging him to book a flight back to Foswood as soon as possible.
After hearing what happened, Atlas comforted me and discussed it with my dad.
To ensure that Ava could completely forget the kidnapping, my parents would continue to stay on
Celestis Island for some time. Atlas arranged for someone to care for them. He and I flew back to Foswood.
Before boarding the plane, I had Grayson check what had happened to Ivanna. Lauren had urged me to return as soon as possible without explaining the entire story. I had a feeling it wasn’t that simple. On the plane, Atlas reassured me repeatedly, saying he would have Dylan investigate.
We landed in Foswood at 7 p.m. I quickly called Lauren.
She said she was waiting for us at the Vanderberg Palace.
Atlas’s driver came to pick us up, and the car went straight to the tarmac, aiming to avoid external disturbances as much as possible. Everything was done secretly, just like when we left.
In the car, Atlas called Dylan. Dylan said they had already dispatched people to investigate and there would be news later.
When we arrived at the Vanderberg Palace, Lauren had been waiting there for a long time.
She grabbed my hand as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders. “Chlo, you’re finally back!”
“What’s the matter?” I asked urgently. I had been restless the entire way here.
“Ivanna is definitely in trouble. I haven’t been able to reach her for two days.” Lauren’s face was stern.
“What did Jared say?” I asked directly. “He should know the most about this!”
“He’s also looking into it now, but there’s still no news.” Lauren shook her head helplessly, looking a bit unsettled.
“How did you find out?” I asked while Atlas furrowed his brows, not making any comments.
“It was 10 p.m. the night before yesterday. I called her, and we agreed to go shopping the next day.” Lauren detailed the events, “I heard it was pretty noisy on her end, so I asked if she hadn’t gone home yet. She said she was with some colleagues, so I didn’t ask further.
“But when I called her again the next day, her phone was off. I thought, since it was a day off, she might have partied too hard and was sleeping in. So, I waited until noon and called
“But when I called her again the next day, her phone was off. I thought, since it was a day off, she might have partied too hard and was sleeping in. So, I waited until noon and called her again, but even by 3 p.m., her phone was still off.
“I felt uneasy. Ivanna is punctual, and she wouldn’t stand me up. That’s when I suspected that something was wrong!”
Ivanna was indeed a very punctual person. Even if she couldn’t make it, she always had her phone on.
“Because it was a day off, 1 couldn’t contact her other friends. And you weren’t at home, sol called Jared. He said nothing and just hung up. It’s been almost 48 hours, and I still haven’t heard anything. Lauren’s lips were pale, and she added, “We can’t contact any of her other friends. But… now it’s certain that something has happened!”
I picked up the phone, about to call Jared. Atlas reached out and stopped my hand. “Don’t rush! Let me handle it!”
“But Jared should at least give me an answer, right?” I looked at Atlas sternly. “I told you, this was bound to happen eventually!”
“Perhaps a third-party investigation would be more effective! Trust me, wait for Dylan’s update,” Atlas said seriously. “Ask Jared. There are things he can’t say. Dylan is investigating from Trinity’s side.”
I thought about it fora moment. Atlas’s reasoning made sense. I exchanged glances with Lauren. She looked at me with a slightly unsettled expression.
“But it’s been almost 48 hours!”
Suddenly, I remembered I had Ivanna’s keys with me. I quickly said to Lauren, “Let’s go back to Amethyst
Apartments. I have Ivanna’s keys. Let’s go to her place and check!”