Chapter 263 Is It Isabella in Trouble?
His body plunged forward from the inertia, his forehead smacking against the steering wheel as his phone fell to the floor.
"Mr. Lawrence!" the butler's anxious voice echoed from the phone.
Sebastian immediately picked up his phone, "Immediately send someone to check the surveillance footage along the route, and then get someone to check the main city cameras! What are you, dead?!"
His voice trembled, a strong headache setting in as panic rose through his chest while chills crept up his soles.
Sebastian pressed at his temples, struggling to stay calm.
He dialed Kaine, "Ask Emily if she saw Isabella today. If she did, have her call me right away."
"Yes, Mr. Lawrence," Kaine acknowledged and quickly set to work.
Sebastian tried to contact Brittany afterward, but hung up immediately after the call connected. She had attended a meeting that afternoon and assigned numerous tasks to the design department; it was impossible she had seen Isabella.
Waiting was torture.
This time, he was more anxious than when Isabella was previously kidnapped.
He had endured this type of tortuous wait twice in his life.
Once was when his mother underwent a transplant surgery, waiting outside the operating room.
The other was when his mother passed away, watching the doctors wheel her while she was covered with a white sheet.
He thought that there shouldn’t be a third time.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
He snapped back to reality when he heard Emily’s tearful voice, "Is Isabella in trouble?"
"Stop crying and answer me now; where did you go today?"
"Grand Gourmet!”
"What time did you separate?"
She replied, "In the afternoon, around two or three,"
Sebastian glanced at his wristwatch. It was already past five! She had disappeared for such a long time, leaving his heart sinking further.
"Where did you two split up?" his voice grew deeper and chillier, as if the cold could travel through the phone and reach Emily.
"Right at Grand Gourmet, Isabella..." Emily shivered, "Isabella saw me off, and she must’ve gotten a ride-share afterward. Other than that, I… I don't know anymore."
"Let me know immediately if there's any news about her."
He restarted the car and turned it around, heading toward Grand Gourmet.
He floored the gas pedal, speeding past several cars along the way.
On the way to Grand Gourmet, he had people thoroughly investigate the surveillance around the restaurant.
Remembering what Emily told him, he ordered his company's hackers to break into the ride-share app's system.
However, he was informed, "Mr. Lawrence, the account you asked me to investigate didn't arrange for any cars today."
Bad news came one-by-one before Sebastian could even react. Kaine called afterward, "It’s strange, Mr. Lawrence— the surveillance near Grand Gourmet seems to have been deliberately wiped clean."
"Send it to me, and keep looking!"
Sebastian stopped in front of Grand Gourmet despite knowing this was a pointless trip.
He was panicking.
Joshua was right; Angela had the switch to his emotions.
Whether he admitted it or not, that fact was indisputable and he couldn’t run from it.
Sebastian opened the surveillance footage Kaine sent and checked every detail. He noticed Samuel and Lynda appearing in the footage, frowning slightly.
However, he wasn’t interested in how those two knew each other. Once he confirmed there was nothing suspicious about them, he moved past that part and continued to watch.
The subsequent footage was cut off, revealing no further information. Someone capable and prepared had clearly been involved.
Unable to confirm which car Isabella got in and which route she went, the situation’s complexity increased by a notch.
As time passed, the danger levels multiplied.
Sebastian punched the steering wheel, making the car let out a loud sound.
Before long, he smiled dangerously as a shadow passed through his eyes.
‘Fine,’ he thought, ‘Let's see who dares go so far and mess with my people.’
Sebastian had someone call the police, painstakingly getting footage from the cameras set up by every business around. He wanted to control the corresponding time frame, checking every vehicle that passed by.
His team had a comprehensive network of data and investigative channels, casting a wide net in their search. It wasn't difficult to pinpoint which vehicle might reveal something of interest.
15 minutes later, Sebastian found the lead he was after.
A strange car had taken a back road out of the city area and, after meticulous checking, was en route to an old mansion.
Tapping the steering wheel, Sebastian lowered his voice and slowly uttered one word— "Jarod."
The car sped down the road like a swift and agile cheetah.
On the other hand, It was clear that Elder Lawrence wasn't only concerned about his own kin, but also deeply cared for Isabella.
Honestly, Isabella was touched. Even her own father never showed her that much attention.
Thus, she decided to stay with the old man for a while longer.
Just as she was about to leave, Amber returned and happily insisted she stay to practice some lines with her.
Acting, somewhat similar to voice acting, required delving into emotions. With her voiceover work experience, Isabella had no trouble helping Amber with the rehearsal and agreed.
After they rehearsed two parts, dusk had already settled in, so it was time for Isabella to head home.
"Sister-in-law, you're just so nice, and absolutely amazing. I’ll visit you at Willowbrook Estate often," Amber said as they walked down the stairs into the lobby, wrapping her arms around Isabella's arm in a yearning manner.
Her coy behavior was soft and sweet, not sickening in any way. Moreover, her eyes seemed like they could talk and capture.
Even Isabella was charmed as a woman, affectionately tapping on Amber’s forehead, "Your future boyfriend might get jealous if he hears you being so affectionate with me."
Speaking of boyfriends, Isabella blinked and asked with a smile, "Do you have one? Tell me a secret."
"Not yet," Amber blushed and stuck her tongue out, "Doe to my family's background, everyone outside thinks my brother and I... Well, we do have a close relationship, so nobody dares ask me out on a date."
Amber snorted in annoyance, grumbling about Jarod being too scary.
Isabella nodded knowingly. Was Sebastian scary? Absolutely; no one dared to mess with him.
She had done that once, and it didn’t end well.
"Sister-in-law, why don't you just stay over tonight? Let brother head straight to the family estate for dinner," Amber joyfully pleaded. She was the only girl at home, and she really didn't want her to leave. Without Isabella, things would get boring after dinner.
"That’s right! Why leave when you can stay?" Elder Lawrence hobbled down the stairs with his cane and instructed the butler, "Call Sebastian; have him come over and spend the night here."
The butler promptly agreed.
Isabella felt a bit awkward. Unless it was absolutely necessary, she didn't want to act with Sebastian in front of Elder Lawrence. Deceiving the latter just didn’t feel right to her.
"There's no need, Grandpa," she interjected. "Sebastian definitely has to work late tonight, so let's not bother him with running back and forth. Instead, we’ll both come visit you another day."
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