“Shea’s missing again!” cried Mrs. Scarlet. “The bodyguard and I have been looking for her for over an hour. We’ve searched through the entire Starry River neighborhood and we still can ‘t find her!”
“Why did you go to Starry River?!” Elyette exclaimed as he picked up his keys and walked toward the front door.
“Shea’s been begging to see Hayden since she got to school this morning… She threw a tantrum when I told her she couldn’t. She refused to eat or drink anything. She never used to be like this. I had no other choice but to take her to see Hayden,” Mrs. Scarlet said as she sobbed pitifully.
Ever since she had regained her self-perception after the surgery, Shea had become a pain to look after!
“So you took her to see Hayden Tate?” Merely hearing the name felt like a stab to Elyette’s heart. “Did he hide her away again?” “He didn’t! When I took Shea to see Hayden and Layla at school, they went back into the classroom after only exchanging a few words,” Mrs. Scarlet said truthfully. “Shea insisted on going to the neighborhood after we left the school, so I took her there… She just disappeared in the blink of an eye!”
Mrs. Scarlet was out of breath from all her sobbing.
Elyette frowned, then said, “Don’t cry. I’m on my way! She should still be in the neighborhood.”
Mrs. Scarlet sniffled and said, “Shea’s a good girl. She’s only hiding because she’s afraid of getting surgery.”
“I know,” Elyette said.
It took him a long time to coax Shea into going to bed last night.
He did not want her to suffer, but the surgery had to be done for the sake of her health.
He did not want her to be called an idiot ever again.
That evening, when Averie drove her car into the neighborhood, she noticed a group of police officers at the gates.
There was a long line of police tape around the area, and a mob of nosy onlookers had gathered.
Averie furrowed her brows tightly.
Had something bad happened?
She quickly parked the car, then hurried towards the house.
Please let the children be safe!
Averie opened the front door and saw her children playing in the living room.
The atmosphere inside the house was in stark contrast with the tense air outside.
“Well done, my babies! I’m glad you listened to me and didn’t join the crowd outside,” Averie said, as she gave the children a peck on the cheek each.
“There’s nothing to see, anyway,” Layla said with a calm expression. “Shea’s hiding. They’re looking for her.”
Averie’s mind was blown.
“Shea’s hiding in our neighborhood?!”
“Probably! I told her to hide, but I didn’t tell her to hide in our neighborhood…” Layla grumbled, pulling a long face. “What are we going to do if Dirtbag Dad shows up looking for her? I don’t want to see him.”
Averie’s face flushed.
“Did you hide her in the house again?!”
Hayden and Layla shook their heads.
“We didn’t. She went to hide. We don’t know where she is.”
Averie let out a heavy sigh and quickly composed herself.
“It’s fine as long as she’s not in our house. I’m going to make dinner now. Don’t go outside. If someone rings the doorbell—” Before Averie could finish her sentence, the doorbell rang.
Layla and Hayden rushed to the front door and clearly saw the face of the man standing outside through the screen on the door security system.
“Mommy! Dirtbag Dad is here!” Layla cried in a panicked yet excited voice as she ran towards her mother.
Averie put down her apron, then picked up her daughter.
“Don’t be scared, sweetie. Follow your brother to your room for now,” she said as she glanced at Hayden.
Hayden reluctantly walked over, then stayed in the bedroom with Layla.
Averie exited the children’s room, then strode past the living to the front door and opened it up.
Elyette was standing right outside the door.
The glow from the sunset shone from behind him, enhancing his chiseled features.
“Shea’s missing. Her nanny said she lost her in your neighborhood,” Elyette said, explaining his intentions. “I’ve looked through all the houses around here and still can’t find her.”
“Are you saying you want to search my house?” Averie asked as she gazed at him coldly.
Elyette met her icy eyes, then said calmly, “I’m here to find someone, not to raid your home.”
“What happens if you don’t find her here?” Averie asked as she opened the front door fully.
“What do you want?” Elyette said as he took a forceful step towards her.
The tense aura came at her like a scorching heatwave!
Averie took an abrupt step back, then quickly said, “If shes isn’t here, then you have to swear to never step foot in my house ever again!”
Elyette frowned slightly, as if in deep thought.
When his lips parted a moment later, it was not to answer her question.
“Shea! Come out! Big Brother is here to take you home!” Elyette called out towards the empty living room behind Averie.
If Shea were here, she would certainly come out one she heard his voice.
“Shea! Can you hear me? Big Brother is here to pick you up!” he called out once more when there was no response.
Averie heard the intimate way Elyette referred to himself as “Big Brother”.
It was as if he really was Shea’s brother!
Even if he was, he could not be her biological brother.
After all, there was no information about Shea in the Foster family records.
Besides, would a normal man treat someone who was not his biological sister better than he treated his wife?
“Stop shouting, Elyette. Shea isn’t here. Go ahead and search the rooms if you don’t believe me, “Averie said, then began to open up every room door in the house.
Elyette followed closely behind her.
Shea was not in the first or second rooms.
When they arrived at the third room, his eyes landed on the two children inside!
Hayden was holding Layla in his arms and glaring at him with eyes filled with resentment.
“Why do your children hate me so much, Averie?” Elyette asked Averie, confused. “Do you really not badmouth me in front of them?”
“They hate you because you have an aura about you that children dislike. You’re not worth the effort of discussing in front of my children,” Averie responded.
Elyette was angered by her eloquent reply, but he held back when he thought of how he had forced her to get an abortion before.
“You were losing your mind when Shea went missing last time! Why do you have the time to pick a fight with me this time?” Averie said mockingly. “Did you think some good samaritan will take her to the hospital again?”
Elyette accepted her ridicule, then explained patiently, “Her intellect was lower the last time she went missing. She’s much better now.”
“I see… What if she gets even better?” Averie asked nonchalantly. “Will you care about her more or less?”
“There’s no need to be spiteful, Averie,” Elyette said as he suppressed the emotions in his dark eyes. “She’s nothing but an idiot to you!”
It was as if Averie had struck a nerve in Elyette.
The expression on his face turned ominous and terrifying.
He did not continue his search, but walked away with clenched fists.
Once he was gone, Averie let out a heavy sigh and composed her emotions. He could not find Shea, but why did he bring up the past?
Was Elyette going to hold the things Averie said in a fit of rage against her for the rest of their lives?
After dinner, Averie dialed Mike’s number, then put her phone on speaker and began to clean the kitchen.
“I’ll be home late today, Averie!” Mike said in a stern and serious voice. “I’m not going to the bar tonight. It’s for work… It’s about the company! I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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