Chapter 478

The phone screen flickered before going dark. Evelyn Laurent stared at the words "Power Off," her fingertips trembling.

"How could this..."

She threw off the covers and stepped barefoot onto the cold floor.

Her nightgown fluttered as she rushed down the stairs in urgent strides.

In the living room, Julian Langley was whispering with Victoria Langley.

"Julian!"

Evelyn's voice sliced through the air like a blade.

Julian turned to see his younger sister standing at the stairway, her disheveled hair framing her face, her ankles pale under the light.

"Where's Ethan Sullivan?"

Julian swallowed hard. "Probably at home..."

"His phone is off." Evelyn held up her device, the call log burning her eyes. "What's really going on?"

The air grew heavy with silence.

"Harrison said..." Julian spoke with difficulty, "Ethan went missing after leaving the office this afternoon."

Evelyn's pupils contracted sharply.

"His phone was found in the east suburbs." Julian's voice dropped lower. "But he..."

Her nails dug deep into her palms.

"When did this happen?"

"Three this afternoon..."

A sudden realization flashed in her sharp gaze. "You were at Symphony Heights?"

Julian's expression changed.

So that was it.

The proposal venue.

The carefully planned surprise.

That's why everyone kept it from her.

Evelyn's chest heaved violently as she spun around and dashed upstairs.

"Evelyn!" Julian called after her. "We've already sent people to search!"

His only answer was the deafening slam of a door.

In her bedroom, Evelyn grabbed a jacket and pulled it on.

Her fingers brushed against the photo frame on the nightstand—a picture of her and Ethan at an amusement park, him offering her cotton candy.

The glass suddenly blurred.

She wiped her eyes fiercely and retrieved a car key from the depths of a drawer.

Outside, the night stretched like spilled ink.