Chapter 494 Martin Goes Missing
Jade was taken aback by Patricia's sudden outburst. Before she could inquire about the issue, Patricia leapt off the sofa, leaving Jade utterly confused.
Patricia quickly grabbed her phone and attempted to call Martin, but to no avail; she was met with an automated female voice. "Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."
Why couldn't she reach Martin?
Martin was known for his constant availability due to his work, ensuring his phone was always on. Patricia, feeling a surge of anxiety, tried calling again only to be faced with the same disappointing message. Not ready to give up, she tried his office number, but once again, only heard the automated response.
A wave of panic and fear overwhelmed Patricia. Her calm demeanor quickly faded as she struggled to contain her tears, thinking about Martin's unusual silence.
"Martin was out on a business trip yesterday. He's always online – always. But now, I can't seem to reach him. What if something's happened?"
Of course, something had to have gone wrong. Otherwise, why this sudden and inexplicable sense of panic? She had never felt this way before. Even Maria had been crying inconsolably just a short while ago. Maria usually was such a well-behaved and obedient child. Bursting into tears like that was unprecedented. And of course, Ryan felt it, too.
It must mean Martin was in danger; something had happened.
Jade rose to her feet and took Patricia's hand firmly, trying to console her. "Patricia, don't spook yourself. What could happen on a business trip? He's probably in a no-service area, or his phone died, that's all."
Ryan tried to offer some comfort, "Right! The boss is smart and capable. I'm sure he's fine." Then, a thought seemed to strike him. He pulled out his phone and said, "Carter went with the boss. Don't panic just yet. I'll give Carter a call."
"They went together?" Patricia said, surprised.
Everything was fine until he mentioned Carter. Now, she felt even more anxious. The Moore Group and Langley Group operated in entirely different sectors. What kind of business would require the two of them to go together? The last time Carter and Martin teamed up, they went to another country to save her. It wasn't for something trivial if they were on the move together again.
Sure enough. After Ryan made the call, his face turned pale as the color drained from his cheeks. He dialed Martin's and Carter's cell phones in disbelief, listening to the robotic voice on the other end, his gaze becoming vacant.
"Something's happened," he stated.
The men had known each other for over two decades; they knew each other too well. The boss and Carter shouldn't both simultaneously be unreachable, especially since they had left together.
Patricia's heart raced with panic. Though terrified and deeply concerned, she had no idea what to do. She picked up a mug from the coffee table, hoping a sip of coffee might calm her nerves, but drinking did nothing to ease her anxiety. It only grew stronger.
Ryan pocketed his phone and asked Patricia, "Do you know where they went?"
Patricia shook her head. "Martin only mentioned it was overseas. He didn't give specifics."
She never pried into the affairs of Martin's studio. Even if she did, she wouldn't understand.
"Overseas?" Ryan frowned, taking out his phone to call his assistant. "Check if Carter and Martin have any travel records. If they do, find out where they went."
After hanging up, he immediately called Alan, as he would most likely know Martin's whereabouts.
Upon learning of Martin and Carter's disappearance, Alan blurted out, "Mr. Langley and Carter went to Country M. We found the doctor who delivered Patricia's baby yesterday. Sir was so eager to find the child that he went there personally with Carter."
Ryan had turned on the phone speaker, so every word Alan said reached Patricia's ears without missing a beat.
"Are you talking about Dr. Isabella from Our Lady of Mercy Hospital?"
"That's right! She's hiding out in a remote village in Country M!"
"Are you sure about the information?" Ryan asked.
Alan replied with conviction, "We checked so many times. I'm positive."
Under her breath, Patricia murmured, "Country M is Hunter's turf."
She had an inkling that Hunter was somehow related to this matter, but she lacked evidence. Hunter had been too quiet recently. An eerie kind of quiet.
Filled with self-reproach, Alan said, "Mrs. Watson, I'm sorry, I should have gone with the boss! I should have anticipated every potential danger."
Patricia's mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Martin, so she didn't catch what he was saying. Ryan, too, was worried about Carter and Martin and had no bandwidth to engage with anyone.
Only Jade offered comfort, saying, "It's good you stayed. Your boss left you here because he trusts you to protect the company in his absence."
Alan was silent for a long time before acknowledging with a low "Hmm."
After the call ended, a deathly silence engulfed the room. The atmosphere was suffocating.
Maria, sleeping, seemed to sense the unusual tension and made a few uncomfortable sounds. Worrying she might wake up, Jade quickly went over and gently rocked her.
After pacing restlessly around the house, Patricia said, "I'm going to find him."
Ryan had the same thought and stood up, saying, "I'll go with you."
"But you..." Patricia started to object. Carter was missing because of them; she didn't want Ryan to meet the same fate.
Ryan interjected, "I'm not letting you go there alone. I promised Martin I'd look after you."
Patricia's eyes brimmed with emotion as she nodded and texted Alan for Isabella's address. "Should we... also tell Lassie about this?"
Lassie was Carter's newly wedded wife. Patricia thought she had the right to know.
Ryan nodded and said, "We should inform her. If anything happens to Carter, she needs to be prepared."
Once they agreed, Ryan made the call to Lassie, who decided to join them on their journey to Country M.
Patricia asked the Langley grandparents to look after the four children and brought in the seasoned butler from the Ellenstein Villa District for extra help. With the house in order, Patricia packed a few essentials and drove to the airport with Ryan, where they met up with Lassie at the entrance.
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