Chapter 432 Mediating Disputes
Another officer frowned, his tone a bit impatient. "Ms. Lewis, we're just doing our job. We'll give those folks a warning, but you need to look at your own issues too."
Phoenix clenched her jaw, her eyes blazing with humiliation and anger. "You're totally taking their side! You're not even trying to take this seriously!"
The officer shrugged, his tone indifferent. "Ms. Lewis, we're following the law. If you're not happy, you can take it to court."
With that, the officer turned and walked away, leaving Phoenix standing there, shaking with rage.
When Emma and George got home, Emma glanced around the living room, noticing the unusual silence. She frowned and turned to George. "George, isn't Mom home?"
George took off his coat and casually hung it on the rack, his tone calm. "Dad went to the jewelry competition to network. Mom probably went with him."
Emma nodded thoughtfully, but something felt off.
Given Scarlett's personality, she wouldn't miss such an event, but Emma hadn't seen her at the venue. Moreover, if Scarlett had gone to the competition, she would have informed the family or at least left a note.
"But I didn't see Mom at the venue," Emma said quietly, her brow furrowing. "That's not like her."
George's eyes darkened slightly at her words, but he quickly regained his composure. "Maybe something came up, or she went somewhere else. This is Lakeside Haven; what could possibly happen to her?"
Emma nodded, but her doubts remained.
She excused herself to the kitchen to get some water and secretly took out her phone, sending a message to Michael: [Michael, can you help me find out where Scarlett is? I suspect she's up to something.]
Michael replied quickly: [Sure, I'll look into it right away.]
Michael's efficiency was always impressive. He immediately tapped into his network to track Scarlett's whereabouts. First, he reviewed the surveillance footage from the jewelry competition and confirmed that Scarlett hadn't been at the venue. Then, he checked Scarlett's phone location records and found that her phone signal had disappeared near the competition's parking lot.
"Interesting," Michael muttered, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "The signal's gone. Either the phone was turned off, or it was deliberately blocked."
He dug deeper and discovered that Scarlett's car had stayed in the parking lot for less than ten minutes before leaving. However, the car's trail abruptly ended on a secluded street, as if it had vanished into thin air.
"This street?" Michael stared at the map, frowning. "Isn't this where Phoenix was attacked today?"
He immediately pulled up the street's surveillance footage and indeed saw Scarlett's car. It stopped in front of a café, and Scarlett got out and walked inside.
There were no cameras inside the café.
Michael could only see that half an hour later, Phoenix emerged from the same café.
"Phoenix?" Michael's frown deepened. "What's she doing with Scarlett?"
He continued reviewing the footage and saw that Scarlett didn't reappear, while Phoenix went alone to the jewelry competition.
"It seems Scarlett's disappearance is linked to Phoenix," Michael murmured, a cold glint in his eyes.
He quickly sent a message to Emma: [Emma, I found some clues. Scarlett was last seen on the street where Phoenix was attacked today. They were both at a café, and then Scarlett disappeared. I suspect Phoenix knows where Scarlett is.]
Emma's heart sank as she read the message.
Her concern wasn't for Scarlett's safety, but rather for whatever scheme Scarlett might be plotting. She knew Scarlett had always disliked her.
If murder were legal, Scarlett would have killed her countless times by now.
Scarlett's sudden disappearance was likely part of a plan against her.
"Phoenix," Emma whispered, a cold glint in her eyes. "You're not as simple as you seem."
She picked up her phone and replied to Michael: [Michael, thank you. Keep an eye on Seraphine. I'll be back soon.]
Michael: [Okay, I'll wait for you. Stay safe.]
Meanwhile, George stood in the study, his gaze cold as he stared at the computer screen.
He was also secretly investigating Scarlett's whereabouts but had found nothing. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk, a cold glint in his eyes. "Where did Mom go? Why can't I find her?"
After a moment of silence, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Keep looking. We must find her."
After hanging up, George walked to the window, his gaze deep as he looked outside.
Lately, Jack and Scarlett's relationship had been unusually close.
Jack came home every day and slept with Scarlett. But today, Scarlett was missing, and Jack wasn't worried or looking for her. He hadn't even come home.
Therefore, George suspect that Jack knew where Scarlett was.
Scarlett's disappearance was likely connected to Jack. But he didn't plan to tell Emma yet, to avoid worrying her.
Emma came out of the kitchen and saw George standing by the window, looking serious. She walked over and asked softly, "George, what are you thinking about?"
George turned around, smiling slightly, his tone gentle. "Nothing, just thinking about work. Emma, you've had a long day. Get some rest."
Emma nodded, but her doubts remained. She watched George's back, thinking, 'George, what are you hiding?'
Both had their own concerns but didn't voice them. The night grew deeper, but Scarlett's whereabouts remained a mystery. Emma lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She felt that something big was about to happen, and Scarlett's disappearance was just the beginning of the storm.
It was gonna be a long, sleepless night.
Later that night, after cleaning herself up, Phoenix, seeing no one around, sneaked into Jack's room. She thought she was being discreet, unaware that a hidden paparazzo was capturing everything. The camera recorded Phoenix quietly opening the door and disappearing inside, the entire process clearly documented.
Phoenix stayed in Jack's room for a whole hour.
No one knew what happened inside.
An hour later, Phoenix stumbled out of Jack's room. She returned to her own room, and as soon as she closed the door, her phone rang. She picked it up, seeing an unknown number, feeling a bit uneasy.
"Who is this?" she answered, her tone cautious.
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