Chapter 477

Julian Langley took a deep breath, forcing himself to shift his focus away from Ethan Sullivan's situation.

The steering wheel grew warm beneath his palms.

"Third brother?" Evelyn Laurent's voice suddenly broke the silence in the car.

Julian's fingers twitched imperceptibly. He turned his head slightly, feigning mild confusion. "Hmm?"

"Are you hiding something from me?" Evelyn's gaze pierced through him.

The Oscar-winning actor's skills were in full play. Julian chuckled lightly and shook his head. "What could I possibly be hiding?"

A brief silence settled between them.

Evelyn studied him for a long moment before finally leaning back into her seat and closing her eyes.

Julian's back was drenched in sweat.

The lights of Beverly Hills glowed warmly against the dark sky.

"Evelyn?" Victoria Langley immediately noticed her daughter's unusual demeanor and stepped forward. "You look pale. What's wrong?"

She shot Julian a sharp glare. "Did you upset your sister again?"

"Mom!" Julian protested with exaggerated innocence. "I wouldn't dare!"

Evelyn forced a weak smile. "Just tired from the outing. I'm going upstairs to rest."

Victoria's eyes followed her daughter until the bedroom door clicked shut. Then she turned back to her son. "What's really going on?"

Julian swallowed hard, lowering his voice. "Mom, something's happened."

"Ethan is missing."

Victoria clapped a hand over her mouth, her pupils dilating in shock.

"Evelyn doesn't know about the proposal," Julian added quickly. "We lost contact with him during the preparations. His phone was found in the east suburbs."

"Both our teams are reviewing surveillance footage now."

Victoria's hands trembled slightly. "How could this—"

"That guy's sharper than a fox," Julian said with forced lightness. "He'll be fine."

Upstairs, in her bedroom, Evelyn stood by the window, her fingers absently tapping against the frame.

Her phone screen flickered on and off.

She opened her chat with Ethan and sent a question mark.

No reply.

"Is your meeting still going?" she typed another message.

Only the ticking of the clock answered her in the silent room.

The sound of running water filled the bathroom.

Hot water cascaded over her skin but couldn't wash away the inexplicable unease in her chest.

Amid the roar of the hairdryer, Evelyn checked her phone for the third time.

Still nothing.