Kane had figured this out and brought everyone there, but the voices were too faint. He looked disappointed.
However, Philip still stuck his ear against the elevator wall, trying to capture the conversation. "Kane, did you hear anything? Tell me!"
"Why are you rushing me, Uncle Philip? I haven’t even gotten anything yet!" Kane groaned. He felt like his ears were blocked. He couldn’t hear a thing.
"Don’t we have surveillance cameras in the house, Uncle Philip?" Rai asked. He hadn’t cared much about listening in at first. But when he realized they couldn’t hear anything, he started tweaking the smart chair instead.
After a few minutes, he was rolling around comfortably.
When he returned, Kane and Philip still hadn’t figured anything out. So, Rai gave them a little reminder.
"Huh? You’re right. How could I forget it?" Philip finally realized.
He quickly turned on the large screen on the wall to check the surveillance footage. Everything looked normal.
Daniel was cooking omelets, and Chantelle was sitting on the couch, enjoying snacks while watching TV.
Philip stared at the screen in disbelief.
Was he just a babysitter for the two of them upstairs?
Hmph, I better get an omelet too!
Philip grumbled under his breath. He decided he would go upstairs even though he will become a third-wheel the moment those omelets were ready.
But before he could calm down, something in the footage caught his eye.
The dish in Daniel’s hand was a celadon plate.
Wait a minute. That’s mine!
It cost me eight million to restore that!
Philip screamed inside his head as he rushed out, the two kids running right behind him. The three of them jumped into the elevator together without missing a beat.
Meanwhile, in a spacious terrace house outside the Fifth Ring Road, things were heating up fast.
James was completely lost in the moment. He was soaked in sweat, moving with intensity. Ruby lay beneath him, lost in pleasure.
Just as James was about to switch things up, her phone started ringing from the bedside.
Ruby, who was drunk just moments ago, quickly sobered up and reached for her phone.
James leaned in and kissed her neck, annoyed by the distraction. "Answer it later, okay? We’re not done yet."
She gave him a sly smile and rolled over, flipping their positions to keep things going.
Then, she answered the call.
"Mom? Save me. Please save me!"
"Kate? Kate, where are you? I’ve been looking everywhere for you. They said you fell off a cliff..." Ruby’s heart leaped when she heard Kate’s voice. She quickly got up and moved to a quiet place to take the call.
"I don’t know. It’s really dark here. I’m scared, Mom. Save me. Save me! Argh!"
Kate sounded terrified. The call seemed rushed like it had to be made in secret. It ended before she could finish.
A scream rang out just before the line went dead.
Ruby felt a mix of joy and pain.
But it was still good news—her daughter was still alive.
The bad news—Kate was in danger.
Ruby’s hand trembled, clutching her phone tightly as she screamed her daughter’s name. No one answered.
James noticed the sudden change in her mood. He walked over and gently draped a blanket over her shoulders.
That snapped her out of it. "James, Kate is still alive. She just called me!"
"Are you sure you’re not hallucinating again?" James asked in a calm voice. "The police said she fell off a cliff. You saw the video too, remember?"
James looked at her with worried eyes and tried to pull her into a hug, but she pushed him away.
"Please, James, believe me. It was really Kate who called me just now. She’s alive. I need to save her. She didn’t sound okay!" she cried desperately and clutched his arm tightly.
Since Kate went missing, Ruby had lost her spark. She had been going with the flow each day, but her heart was filled with pain.
Her world still revolved around Kate. Without her daughter, there was no reason to smile, no reason to live.
She drowned herself in alcohol and escaped into a fantasy with James just to numb the pain.
She thought this was how her life would stay forever.
But Kate’s call brought her hope again.
"Ruby, are you sure you didn’t imagine it? We already tried before..." James said gently. They had found nothing, no matter how much they spent. He didn’t want to say more.
"I didn’t imagine it. This is the number. You’ll find something if you check," Ruby said in a trembling voice. "Please, I’m begging you. She’s my only daughter..."
She rushed to the nearby bedside table, grabbed a pen and paper, wrote down the number from the call, and shoved it into James’ hand.
"Okay, I’ll check it out. Don’t worry," James said as he looked at the number and led her to the bath.
"I know I’ve been a burden to you, James... but you’ll find her for me, won’t you?"
"I will. Trust me," he said as he quietly filled the tub.
"I believe you." Her eyes held doubt, but she gave a firm nod.
After calming her down, James walked outside to the small courtyard and lit a cigarette. He pulled out his phone and started dialing.
His finger hovered over the call button. He hesitated.
If Kate came back... all she’d bring her mother was more pain.
That woman only used people to get what she wanted. It would’ve been better if she disappeared forever. Why did she have to show up again?
If Ruby really wanted a child, they could have one together. She was only forty five and still healthy. Having a baby wouldn’t be a problem.
Wouldn’t it be better to start fresh? Just the two of them—and maybe a child—living a quiet, happy life?
James made his decision. He deleted the number.
Then he took out the paper, lit it with his lighter, and watched it burn to ashes.
It felt like Kate’s shadow danced in the fading flames. James stared at it, then stomped on the ashes until he felt relieved.
The air outside was cold.
Ruby should be done with her bath by now. Just thinking about her coming out of the bathroom, with a warm and glowing feature, urged him to head back inside.
He heard the water still running.
With a spark of excitement, he walked in...