Ignoring her, Timothy answered the call with trembling hands.
“Found her? Where is she?”
An unfamiliar voice came through.
“Hello, this is bank customer service. Your card just had suspicious activity…”
Timothy’s knuckles turned white gripping the phone while Patricia stared in disbelief.
“So you almost got us killed just to answer that call?”
“I’m waiting for a very important call.” Timothy restarted the car, his voice icy.
Patricia’s eyes instantly reddened as she bit her lip and fell silent.
Night wind rushed through the half–open window, bringing a chill that made the car’s atmosphere heavier than ever.
Timothy stared at the blurry traffic light ahead, consumed by one thought: finding Shirley immediately.
Passing a crossroads, Patricia suddenly unbuckled her seatbelt.
“Timothy! What’s wrong with you? You’ve been distracted all day!”
The man in the driver’s seat abruptly tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
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The Patricia in his memory always spoke softly with a gentle lilt, but today felt different.
He turned and met her gaze directly.
“Patricia?” Timothy sounded bewildered.
Patricia quickly composed herself, flustered as she adjusted her expression.
“Sorry, I got startled earlier. I’m not quite myself.”
She lowered her head, long lashes casting shadows beneath her eyes.
“Please don’t take it to heart.
Timothy studied her downcast profile, struck by an unfamiliarity he couldn’t place.
But the unread detective message on his phone yanked his attention back. He restarted the engine,
“My mistake. Let’s get you home to rest.”
Patricia’s knuckles whitened where she gripped her skirt.
Only when the car stopped at the Campbell manor gates did she muster a weak smile.
“I’ll head upstairs now. Drive safe.”
The moment the car door shut, her smile instantly collapsed, the sparkle in her eyes vanishing completely.
Pushing open the manor door, the living room air hung thick and stifling.
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Her adoptive parents sat rigidly on the sofa. Several crumpled sheets lay on the coffee table–the very papers Shirley left behind severing family ties.
Mrs. Campbell looked up, eyes red–rimmed.
“Patricia, your sister’s vanished. Her phone’s dead, no one can find her…”
“It’s been days now.”
Patricia’s heart skipped a beat. She dug her nails into her palms to suppress the smile threatening her lips.
She rushed over, clutching her hands.
“How could this happen? Could she be in danger?” Her voice held perfectly measured panic.
The Campbells shook their heads helplessly.
After all, if Timothy couldn’t find her, what could the Campbell family do?
Back in her room, Patricia bolted the door and immediately dialed Timothy’s number.
He answered after the first ring, her voice trembling.
“Timothy, I heard Shirley’s missing. What do we do? I’m terrified. Did mentioning divorce upset her? Is that why she stormed off?”
“Stay calm.”
Static crackled through Timothy’s voice, a faint engine humming in the background.
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“I’m investigating. Stay put at home.”
“But I can’t sleep at all…”
Patricia bit her lower lip. In the mirror, her red–rimmed eyes couldn’t conceal the excitement flickering within.
Shirley couldn’t wait for Shirley to disappear, preferably forever. Only then could Timothy and the Campbell family remain firmly within her
grasp.
Downstairs, her adoptive parents‘ anxious voices drifted up. Patricia pretended to hurry down, feigning concern.
“Any news about Shirley yet?”
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