Meanwhile, when Michael realized that Grape had gone missing, it was already too late. She was nowhere to be seen. The group exchanged glances, their expressions filled with terror. “We’re doomed!” they thought.
Michael was the first to calm down. “Let’s start by searching around. I’ll go find the person in charge of the hotel to report the situation.”
Since the child was barely over a year old, she couldn’t have gone far. However, to their surprise, she was nowhere to be found.
Helena left the courtyard house with Larry to find someone. During this time, Helena felt uneasy. Seeing that the man seemed approachable, she couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Peeple, about the man in the courtyard earlier… Is he a good person?”
Larry chuckled in response. “I suppose so.”
“What do you mean? If he’s a good person, then he’s a good person, right?” Helena became instantly worried. “Grape is with him. If anything goes wrong, I can’t bear the responsibility.”
Larry shook his head helplessly. “He’s just not feeling well. He wouldn’t harm the child.”
Feeling unwell? Helena realized that the man earlier exuded an aura of authority, yet there was a hint of vulnerability in his demeanor. It was a deep-seated melancholy that had been building up for years, unable to dissipate.
“So, he’s your boss, right?”
“Indeed.”
Helena was somewhat taken aback. She had heard from Mallory before that Larry controlled the capital, which was greater than the combined investments of all the teams. He was the leading figure in Wavery.
The reason why Stardust was able to establish itself in Wavery was due to his assistance.
Yet, she had just learned that Larry had a superior. “That man indeed exuded an immense aura of authority that deterred most people from approaching him.”
Seeing Helena lost in thought, Larry patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. There’s no place safer than the courtyard house we were just in. Let’s quickly find the child’s mother.”
Helena nodded in agreement.
After attending the opening ceremony, Josie briefly met with the various competitors and finally found the opportunity to leave.
However, as soon as she stepped out of the door, she saw the teenagers from the team rushing over in a hurry. Her beautiful eyes flickered, and she stood firm, raising her voice. “What’s the rush?”
The teenagers were startled by Josie’s voice and had no choice but to walk over, stammering, “I-H… W-We…”
They struggled to find the right words.
“Ms. Jo, have you finished your work?”
Josie waved the staff ID in her hand. “Almost done. How about you guys? Where’s Grape?”
Everyone was present and accounted for, but Grape was nowhere to be seen. This left her visibly puzzled.
The boy at the forefront swallowed, exchanging glances with his companions for a while, unsure whether to tell the truth. Just as he was mentally preparing himself to speak, Michael felt his phone vibrate, and he took it out to check.
“Ms. Jo, we have an issue. About Grape, she-”
Before he could finish speaking, Michael abruptly interrupted, “Grape is playing outside.”
The others abruptly fell silent.
Josie squinted, scrutinizing them. “So what’s all this fuss about?”
“W-We need to use the restroom.” Michael gestured as he spoke, a half-hearted smile on his face.
As he spoke, he led the others outside, “Ms. Jo, I’m going to fetch Grape for you. Please wait here.”
With that, they ran off.
Josie was utterly confused, standing in place, somewhat unable to comprehend.
However, rather than saying she trusted these few individuals, it would be more accurate to say she trusted Grape. After all, she was a smart but mischievous child.
Just at that moment, Lachlan descended the stairs, and upon seeing her, he called out, “Alice!”
“Hmm?” Josie turned her head. “Mr. Busyman, have you finished handling your matters?”
Lachlan casually shoved his hands into his pockets, his voice laced with helpless sarcasm. “There are plenty of people in this world who are busier than me.”
