With a loud bang. Abel slammed his fist on the table, his handsome face contorted with anger.
âWhatâs happening?â Mia asked softly, referring to the phone call they had just received.
âAdam is on a mission to find Emma, his voice rumbled. Weâve set up call forwarding on Emmaâs phone, otherwiseâ¦
âOtherwise, Emmeline would have been overwhelmed with calls and messages, she understood.
âYes,â he agreed with a nod. âThatâs what worries me. Iâm concerned that the news will reach Emma.â
As they discussed this, a knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Abel promptly called out, âCome in!â
The door swung open, and Benjamin entered with confidence. His imposing presence left Mia astonished. âBenjamin York?â
Benjamin furrowed his brows as he looked at her. âWho are you?â
âIâm Mia!â She jumped to her feet, her cheeks turning red. âHave you forgotten me? The girl who fell into the artificial lake at Coastal University, and you performed⦠CPRâ¦
Recognition suddenly dawned on the man, and he offered a smile. I thought you looked familiar! Itâs you!â
âIt seems like you didnât remember me,â her cheeks flushed slightly. âI still have the photo of you leading our military training!
âIâve been an instructor for several batches, Benjamin explained. âThere were so many people, itâs hard to remember.â
âBut the girl you saved at the artificial lake, it was me, right?â Mia pouted.
âThatâs right!â He chuckled awkwardly. âI didnât recognize you. By the way, whatâs your name?â
âMia Reyes!â She promptly poured tea for him. âIf it werenât for you saving me that time, 1 might have gone to heaven long ago.â
âThatâs in the past, why bring it up?â He smiled.
âBut Mr. York is still as handsome as ever!â She beamed. âYouâre still the idol of the female students at Coastal University!â
âHahaha, you really know how to flatter, Benjamin said, removing his wideâbrimmed hat and placing it on the corner of the table. âIn front of Abel, no man dares to claim to be handsome!â
âHey, hey, hey!â Abel chimed in. âDonât involve me in your banter when you two meet again after such a long time.â
Benjamin became more serious and turned to Abel. âHow is Emma doing?â
âSheâs still in the process of recovery,â Abel reported. âAnd her progress is quite promising.â
Thatâs good, Benjamin replied with a more relaxed expression.
âDo you have any news about Zahn?â Abel inquired.
âNot yet, Benjamin responded. âHeâs in hiding, and when heâs captured, heâll face more than three years of imprisonment.â
âLet the authorities handle it,â Abel stated. âI couldnât convince his parents. I came here just to find out if thereâs anything else that could affect Emma, and Iâve already taken care of everything in advance.
âThe compensation for the injured party,â Benjamin mentioned. âYour financial deputy CEO has already handled the necessary procedures. Thereâs only one thing left.â
âMoney isnât an issue, Abel assured. âWhatâs left?â
âProving that Emina didnât lend the car to the perpetrator, Benjamin explained, taking a sip of tea.
âIt was Zahn who secretly took the keys and drove away, Abel said. âHe can be considered at thief.
âThatâs the only way to handle it, Benjamin agreed. âItâs also the reality.â
After discussing the matter, the three of them went to another location for lunch.
Meanwhile, on Emmelineâs end, her phone displayed a missed message. She opened it, and it was from an unknown number.
The message read, âEmmeline, if you have the guts, answer the phone yourself!â
She was puzzled by the message, her brow furrowing. What does this mean? What kind of joke is this?
Seeing her staring at her phone in bewilderment, Brandon approached. âWhatâs wrong, Emma?â
She raised her phone and handed it to him.
Taking the phone and reading the message, his heart raced. He put on a fake smile and said, âWhoâs playing a prank on you!â
Emmeline shrugged, not thinking much of it.
Brandon added, âYour phone is out of battery; Iâll charge it for you!â Taking the phone, he went to the bathroom and immediately messaged Abel. âItâs me, Brandon. Someone sent at message to Emma.
Abel replied. It must be Adam!TM âWhat should we do now? Emma saw it.
âGet rid of the phone.
How can we do that? You two exchange hundreds of messages every day!
âBuy a new one and change the number.â
Brandon answered, âUnderstood.
More than half an hour later, he left.
Emmeline got up and went to the bathroom, only to discover her phone connected to the data cable, submerged in the sink. She was frantic, and she stomped her foot in frustration. She swung open the hospital roomâs door and pulled Luca, who was dozing in a chair outside, inside.
Luca, startled by her sudden tug, asked, âEmma, whatâs wrong?â