Chapter 678
The sun had already risen.
The forest echoed with the crisp calls of birds, their sounds repeating in the still morning air. Yet there was no response from Richard.
Where could he have gone?‘ Tiffany frowned.
She considered using her power to fly and search for him, but it was daylight already. Smoke was rising from nearby village chimneys, and diligent farmers were already working in the fields. If she took off, someone might see her.
With no other options, Tiffany tried to call Richard, only to remember he hadn’t brought his phone when they left the previous night.
Where could he be?‘ Tiffany frowned.
She knew Richard was highly skilled and could handle himself in any situation. If he had disappeared without a word, it had to be due to something serious. It might be something that left him no choice but to leave her behind.
After scanning her surroundings one last time, Tiffany decided to suppress her concerns for now. She descended the mountain and went to the nearest town, where she rented a car and headed straight back to Lovell City.
The first place she checked was Royal Bay. The bedroom was exactly as they had left it. Richard hadn’t been back.
Unwilling to sit idle, Tiffany pulled out the Treasure Box. Activating it, she asked directly, “Where is he?”
The Treasure Box’s sentient consciousness replied in its usual calm tone, “Master, I cannot search for him.”
Tiffany’s expression darkened. “Explain. What does that mean?”
It wasn’t that it couldn’t find him. It was that it wasn’t allowed to.
The consciousness hesitated for a moment before explaining, “This is beyond my abilities. Some things cannot be known.
It seemed the laws of existence barred her from prying into certain mysteries.
Tiffany scoffed with disdain. “You’re completely useless when it matters.”
The Treasure Box appeared to sulk, its ethereal blue glow dimmed noticeably. Its voice even held a hint of a whine, as if it were pouting.
Tiffany didn’t bother arguing further. She tucked the Treasure Box away. With no other options, she would have to wait.
At the hospital, Sidney finally woke after two days of deep sleep.
The injury to his head was not too severe. But before the fall, he had worked tirelessly on multiple surgeries for several days without rest, leaving him mentally drained.
Even with the help of the spirit herbs, he had needed two full days to recover.
The moment his eyes opened, his mother, Donna, who had been watching over him, grew emotional. She immediately called for the doctor to check on him, but Sidney raised a hand to stop her. “No need, Mom. I’m perfectly fine.”
After a long, restful sleep, Sidney felt refreshed and clear–headed.
08:56 Wed, Dec
Chapter 678-
Thanks to the potent healing power of the spirit herbs, the wound on his head was nearly 80% healed.
Sidney swung his legs off the bed, preparing to discharge himself. Donna tried to stop him, stomping her foot in frustration “You’ve just woken up! You need to rest. Why are you rushing out so soon?”
He said, “Mom, I have something important to take care of.”
“What could be so important? Are you planning to confront that woman who caused your injury?” Donna hit the nail on the head.
“How do you know that?” Sidney looked at his assertive mother, a suspicion forming in his mind. His expression turned sour. “Did you cause trouble for her?”
“So what if I did? She almost got you killed. Am I not allowed to give her a piece of my mind?” Donna admitted bluntly, her tone firm. “Without my permission, you’re not going to see her!
Sidney laughed bitterly. He was baffled that his mother was still trying to control every aspect of his life.
Dodging her attempts to stop him, Sidney strode out of the hospital room.
It was the weekend, so Sidney assumed Zoe wouldn’t be at school.
He caught a taxi directly to the apartment building where she lived.
At that moment, Zoe was packing her luggage. In a couple of days, her foundation would be delivering winter supplies to an impoverished area, and she had decided to join them.
Her phone suddenly rang. Seeing it was an unfamiliar number, her first instinct was to ignore it. But after a moment’s hesitation, she swiped to answer.
She asked, “Hello, who’s this?”
Sidney replied, “It’s me, Sidney.”
“Oh, Mr. Pauley. What can I do for you?” Her tone was distant, polite, and detached.
Sidney frowned slightly and said, “I’m downstairs at your building.”
Zoe responded, “Then please leave. Goodbye.”
The call ended abruptly.
Zoe resumed folding her clothes, but her mind wandered.
Her phone rang again. Assuming Sidney was still unwilling to give up, she prepared to give him a sharp retort, but the voice on the other end sounded subdued. “I… I don’t have money for the cab fare.”
Sidney had rushed out of the hospital right after waking, forgetting to bring anything with him. He even borrowed the cab driver’s phone to call her.
Zoe was speechless.
With a resigned sigh, she grabbed her wallet and headed downstairs.
From a distance, she spotted Sidney leaning against the taxi. He was still wearing a hospital gown. He looked pale from blood loss, yet this only made his refined and gentle features appear more striking.
Her heart skipped a beat.
08:56 Wed, Dec 11 W
Chapter 678
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Suppressing the sudden flutter in her chest, Zoe paid the cab fare and said curtly, “You’re all set. You can leave now.”
But Sidney, shameless as ever, added, “I’m hungry…”
Zoe was a bit annoyed.
Zoe rolled her eyes. “Didn’t the hospital feed you? Or are you telling me they mistreated you? And since you’re well enough to leave, why not enjoy a gourmet meal at home instead of coming to bother me?”
She wanted to keep as much distance as possible from him.
Donna wasn’t wrong. They came from completely different worlds. The Pauley family was one of Lovell City’s most prominent households. A man like Sidney could only be paired with a woman of equal status, like a wealthy heiress.
Zoe felt she should forget the naive words of affection from a few days ago.
After finishing her retort, Zoe turned to leave, but a soft murmur from behind stopped her. “I’m sorry.”
Sidney continued, “I’m sorry for causing you trouble because of me. I’ll talk to my mother about it, but could you… could you take just one step toward me too?”
Sidney’s voice was very soft, carrying a certain sigh and pleading
Zoe’s heart quivered, her blood felt like it was boiling and surging through her veins. Her pulse stuttered out of rhythm.
But after a long silence, she said, “Let’s end here.”
It had been a mistake from the beginning. Better to end it while there was still time.
With that, she ran back upstairs.
Sidney watched her figure vanish from sight in just a few steps. The light in his eyes dimmed little by little.
If only that night hadn’t ended with him hitting his head. Maybe Zoe would have said yes then.
But fate had its way of interfering.
Taking a deep breath, Sidney flagged down another taxi and left
Back at the Pauley family’s residence, Sidney was barely through the door when Donna approached, full of earnest advice. “Sidney, what about Mr. Swift’s daughter? She’s such a good match. What don’t you like about her?”
Sidney froze. He suddenly recalled that this woman had pretended to be his fiancée to cause trouble for Zoe.
SEND GIFT
