Chapter 464 My Wife is Missing
Shortly after, Waverly witnessed Victoria and Alexander exchanging words. His expression darkened instantly before he turned and walked away.
Waverly hurried after him, catching up at the elevator. "Are you leaving already?" she called out.
Alexander rarely bothered to acknowledge her, but this time he turned, his face grim. "Perhaps you could assist me, Miss Windsor. My wife seems to have disappeared. This being your territory, I imagine you'd have resources to help locate her."
Thomas observed his demeanor with silent approval—Alexander's concern appeared genuine.
Waverly hesitated momentarily, feeling strangely fortunate. Without her having to manipulate the situation, he had provided the perfect opening. It seemed the universe was conspiring in her favor.
"Victoria's missing?" she exclaimed with manufactured concern. "With her injuries and limited mobility—that's concerning. I'll contact security immediately for surveillance footage."
She promptly made a call while Kimberly and the others looked on with appropriately somber expressions.
News of Victoria's disappearance at Hearst Castle quickly reached Zephyr, who immediately dispatched people to search for her. Meanwhile, Anouk had excused herself twenty minutes earlier, claiming she needed to rest.
In the security room, they reviewed footage showing Victoria with Winter and Kimberly exiting the elevator on the fifth floor and heading toward the lounge. Nothing unusual appeared after that.
Thomas turned to Kimberly. "How did you discover she was gone? And where's Winter now?"
Kimberly answered straightforwardly, "Winter went to fetch clothes for Mrs. Howard. I escorted Mrs. Howard back to her room, then heard a loud noise outside. She asked me to investigate, and when I returned about ten minutes later, I found only her discarded clothes—she was nowhere to be seen."
Waverly stood nearby, listening intently while checking her watch. The timing was perfect.
"Found her," announced the security guard. "Mrs. Howard went to the sixteenth floor, room 8990."
The footage showed someone in a wheelchair being pushed into room 8990, followed by a woman who promptly left. Only her back was visible—no clear facial identification.
"Oh my God," Waverly gasped, covering her mouth in feigned shock.
Thomas raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Miss Windsor?"
"That's... that's Holden's private suite," she said cautiously. "Does Ms. Kennedy know him? Holden has severe germophobia and rarely allows anyone into his personal space."
Her implication hung in the air, understood by everyone present.
As if on cue, the video jumped to the next segment showing Holden swiping his keycard to enter room 8990.
A flash of satisfaction crossed Waverly's eyes, carefully concealed beneath her concerned expression.
"What's happening here?" Zephyr's voice suddenly filled the security room.
"Dad, you're here?" Waverly called out.
Zephyr's gaze remained fixed on Alexander, ignoring his daughter. "Where is Victoria?"
Waverly's expression darkened further, though she struggled to maintain her composure.
Meanwhile, on the sixteenth floor in suite 8990, Holden sensed another presence immediately upon entering.
His guard went up as he walked into the living room and spotted a wheelchair. Scanning the space, he noticed someone standing on the balcony.
As he turned to look, Victoria was already watching him.
"You?" Holden's brow furrowed in surprise.
Victoria stood on the balcony with the darkness of night behind her, but the room's soft light was enough for him to recognize her instantly.
He stepped forward. "What are you doing here?" Then, eyeing her curiously. "So your leg injury was fake?"
Victoria answered his first question, "I'm here for the same reason you are."
She glanced at the wine stain on his clothes.
Holden paused, noticing she had also changed her outfit.
Something clicked. "Your clothes were stained with wine too?"
Her silence confirmed his suspicion.
He sniffed the air, detecting a peculiar fragrance.
"I'd advise against breathing too deeply," Victoria warned. "The air in here isn't exactly clean."
When Holden first saw her, surprise had momentarily dulled his senses. Now, with her warning, he became acutely aware of the unusual scent. Being no stranger to establishments offering sexual services, he quickly identified it.
The room had been laced with an aphrodisiac incense—the kind that clouds judgment and stimulates desire when inhaled in sufficient quantities.
The scent had noticeably dissipated, likely because she had opened the windows to ventilate the room.
Outside room 8990, a group had gathered.
"Alexander, are you going straight in, or should we knock first? I'm concerned about what we might..." Waverly's voice trailed off with feigned worry.
Inwardly, she was eager to witness the scene she expected to unfold. Surely Alexander couldn't continue accepting Victoria after finding her in another man's bed.
"What are you afraid of? Finding my Vicky in bed with another man?" Thomas interjected bluntly.
Waverly's expression froze. She quickly turned to Alexander. "That's not what I meant! I'm just concerned because Holden is a playboy, and I worry..."
"Besides, they're alone together in there. I'm worried Ms. Kennedy might be taken advantage of."
She continued with apparent thoughtfulness, "She came to see Holden without telling you, Alexander, which suggests she didn't want you to know. Perhaps we should knock first to avoid embarrassing her."
While seemingly advocating for Victoria, her words were carefully designed to sow distrust between Victoria and Alexander.
Zephyr listened with deepening concern, his gaze shifting to Waverly's profile with newfound darkness.
Surprisingly, Alexander himself remained completely composed. Even knowing his wife was alone with another man—having secretly arranged to meet him—he showed no anger.
"How thoughtful of you, Miss Windsor, to speak so kindly on my behalf. Should I present you with an award for your consideration?" a voice rang out in the hallway.
Everyone turned to see Victoria standing there with Winter by her side.
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