Anne Davidson stood frozen, unable to accept what had just happened.
Much later, she returned to her room, picked up another phone, and dialed Alan Morgan’s number.
"What’s up?"
Alan Morgan sat in his hotel room, looking utterly defeated. He had frantically searched everywhere for Shirley Grant, in every conceivable place... but...
He had found nothing.
"Alan, you know Young Master Peary is getting married, right?"
Among their close friends, only Alan Morgan was practically with Maxwell Peary 24/7. Moreover, Alan Morgan was MC Group’s Special Assistant, so he was unarguably the most knowledgeable about Maxwell’s whereabouts.
"Yeah."
Alan Morgan responded, pulling himself together and booting up his nearby computer.
"Then why didn’t you tell ?"
Anne’s face was etched with sorrow, her earlier vitality gone. She seed so fragile, as if a gust of wind could carry her away.
"Would it make a difference?"
Alan Morgan wedged the phone between his shoulder and cheek, his fingers dancing across the keyboard.
"How could it not!"
Hearing Alan’s words, Anne visibly bristled, her voice rising.
SMACK. Alan slamd the phone onto the floor.
"HISS—"
He inhaled sharply, touching his stinging ear.
Damn. Never wedge your phone between your shoulder and cheek when talking to a woman. You could very well end up deaf.
"Hello! Hello!"
Hearing the dial tone, Anne Davidson was beside herself with fury.
Damn Alan! He’d actually hung up on her!
The thought only made her angrier.
anwhile, Alan bent down, picked up the phone that had switched off from the fall, and turned it back on.
Never mind...
Since the call had already disconnected, he wasn’t about to make the mistake of calling Anne back. He casually tossed the phone onto the desk and resud his investigation.
She wasn’t in her hotown.
She wasn’t in any of the places they used to frequent.
She wasn’t with any of her brothers either.
So why would the landlord have told him that Gerry ntioned going to her uncle’s place?
"Sir, are we really going into the mountains tomorrow?"
A dialogue box suddenly popped up on his computer. On the other end, a man sat respectfully, posing the question.
"Yes."
Alan answered without hesitation. Shirley Grant had an aunt who had married and moved deep into the mountains.
He planned to go into the mountains tomorrow. The conditions there were too primitive; vehicles couldn’t get through, so he’d have to go on foot.
If Shirley had really brought a sick Gerry into such a primitive, remote place... then she didn’t deserve to be a mother!
But he couldn’t rule out the possibility; he wasn’t ready to give up.
So, he had to make this trip.
"But sir, it’s very dangerous in the mountains, and the weather has been poor these past few days."
Weather was a critical factor for entering the mountains. If the weather was bad, they could encounter fog, landslides, or even more serious issues.
"We can’t wait."
After speaking, Alan Morgan stood up and looked out of the hotel window at the vast, unending mountain range.
Even though he knew the chances of Shirley being there were slim, he still had to go and see for himself.
Shirley Grant, do you have any idea how much I hate you?
Your departure seven years ago scorched away every feeling between us.
But if you only approached for money, why didn’t you deceive forever? If you had a change of heart, why did you still leave the child behind?
At the thought of the child, a sharp pain lanced through Alan Morgan’s heart.
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