Chapter 422 So Many People Like You
The bodyguard didn't finish his sentence, but Desmond instantly got the message.
He was being threatened.
Fear surged through Desmond, sending a chill straight to his core.
"Don't think I don't know you're bluffing!" Desmond tried to keep his cool, but his face showed his doubt.
After a brief pause, he shouted, "Maximilian won't leave me hanging."
"Mr. Hamilton said if the Kate family comes after you again, you're on your own," the bodyguard finally completed his sentence.
Desmond felt like all the energy had been drained from him, standing there in a daze.
Ignoring his stunned state, the bodyguard and another man grabbed him and started dragging him out.
Everything was packed, and the tickets were bought. They just needed to get him on the plane on time.
Once Desmond arrived in Luminous City, someone else would be watching him.
There was no way he would be allowed to return to Starhaven and cause more trouble.
It wasn't until Desmond was in the car that he snapped out of his daze. "I can't go back yet. I need to find Clara."
He remembered he hadn't contacted Clara yet, and Dylan's vague responses only made him more anxious.
Desmond reached for the door handle to get out, but the bodyguard stopped him, saying coldly, "Mr. Boleyn, calm down."
Staring at the strong arm in front of him, Desmond leaned back in frustration.
Seeing that Desmond seemed to have given up resisting, the bodyguards on either side of him remained vigilant, not relaxing their guard for a moment.
The atmosphere in the car was much calmer than before.
While Desmond's side was relatively peaceful, Dylan was on the verge of a breakdown.
He had asked everyone he could think of, but no one had any useful information.
Clara had disappeared after leaving the hospital, and the last person to see her was indeed Desmond.
But Desmond couldn't provide any useful information, so Dylan had no idea where to look for Clara.
"What do I do? What do I do?"
Dylan anxiously scratched his head, sitting on the crooked steps outside the hospital.
Afraid that Elodie and Nathan would find out about Clara's disappearance, he had made an excuse to take time off and hadn't gone to be with them.
Just thinking about the fact that a stranger had answered Clara's phone and had done something terrible to her made it hard for him to contain his anger.
He was both anxious and furious, calling Clara's number several more times, only to find her phone off.
"I'll just have to keep looking," Dylan muttered to himself as he stood up abruptly.
He had sent Desmond to look for her, but it had been a while with no response.
It seemed he would have to keep searching himself.
Dylan checked every place he could think of, but each time he came up empty-handed, his disappointment and anxiety grew.
Eventually, he even checked the villa where Johnson had initially let Clara stay.
He knew he couldn't get inside the villa, but he thought he might knock on the door or look through the windows.
However, he hadn't expected the villa to have been sold by the Thompson family, and it was now occupied.
Seeing people inside, he rushed to the door and knocked loudly, demanding, "Where's Clara? Where are you hiding her?"
The residents came out and, after hearing his question, promptly kicked him out.
Dylan was left feeling utterly defeated.
It was already dark.
He had been running around for hours, and more time had passed.
Sitting on the ground outside the villa, he clutched his phone in despair.
He had searched so many places but still hadn't found Clara.
He even considered calling the police.
But thinking about the possibility that Clara had been assaulted, he held back.
He would keep looking, just a little longer.
Despite this resolve, the futility of his efforts over the past few hours made it hard not to feel disheartened.
Unfortunately, neither he nor the Manners family had much influence in Starhaven.
With Clara missing, he had no choice but to keep searching on his own.
Suddenly, Dylan thought of someone.
Maybe she could help him.
His eyes lit up, and he quickly dialed a number.
Hearing the familiar message, Dylan realized Katniss had already blocked him.
He smiled bitterly, looking at the darkening sky, but decided to try again.
Clara was already in such a dire situation. What harm could it do to ask for help?
He found a store with a phone, explained his situation to the owner, and started dialing Katniss's number on the landline, rehearsing what he would say.
Meanwhile, Katniss had no idea someone was thinking about her.
After returning home with Maximilian, they stayed together.
Maximilian had even carried her to the shower, and after they cleaned up, the hotel room service arrived with their meal.
Maximilian placed Katniss in a chair, and she couldn't help but swallow at the sight of the food.
It wasn't that she was greedy, but making love with Maximilian had drained her energy.
Even though she hadn't been the one exerting herself, her stomach was still growling with hunger.
"Hungry? Go ahead and eat," Maximilian said with a doting smile, sitting next to her and handing her some food.
Katniss smiled, her eyes crinkling with joy. "You should eat too."
They had eaten out earlier with Emma, but neither of them had eaten much.
So, she wasn't the only one who was hungry.
Maximilian was probably starving too.
They finished their meal just before sunset.
After cleaning up, it was already evening.
Katniss couldn't sleep, thinking about everything that had happened that day, and it wasn't too late yet.
Maximilian wrapped his arm around her waist. "What are you thinking about?"
"About how amazing you are," Katniss said, her admiration genuine and unhidden.
However, her tone carried a hint of worry.
After all, Maximilian was so exceptional that many people coveted him. And those who did were no ordinary people.
First, there was Yasmin, and then Emma.
Maximilian's lips curved into a smile. "Are you complimenting me?"
He had been praised many times before, but the compliments he cherished most were from the ones he loved.
Katniss nodded, straightforwardly. "Yes."
After admitting it, she couldn't help but sigh. "So many people like you."
"Don't worry," Maximilian said, ruffling her hair. "But I only like you."
His sudden declaration shattered all of Katniss's worries.
She opened her mouth, unsure of what to say.
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