Chapter 479

Julian Langley and Victoria Langley paced restlessly across the living room, their footsteps chaotic and uneven.

Richard Langley emerged from his study, drawn by the commotion. His sharp gaze lingered on Victoria's worried face before shifting to Julian. "What's going on?"

Under his father's piercing stare, Julian quickly recounted the situation.

Richard's frown deepened with every word. When Julian finished, he simply said, "I see."

He took Victoria's hand, his voice gentle. "Don't worry. Leave it to us."

Victoria's eyes brimmed with anxiety. "But Evelyn—"

"Do you really think Evelyn needs our concern?"

Richard's pointed question made Victoria pause.

She scratched her head. "Well... I suppose not."

Their daughter had always been one to settle scores.

Over the past four years, Evelyn Laurent's extraordinary intellect and sharp instincts had become the norm in their household.

She was brilliant, never one to act on emotion.

A sudden realization struck Victoria.

If someone dared to kidnap Ethan Sullivan, the real victims would be the kidnappers themselves...

Victoria bit her lip.

She abruptly stood. "No, I need to remind Evelyn."

At her daughter's door, she knocked lightly. "Evelyn, remember—show mercy!"

"We live in a society with laws..."

Inside, Evelyn rolled her eyes at her mother's words.

She raised her voice in response. "Mom, I know my limits!"

Only then did Victoria relax.

Perhaps she was overthinking it. Neither Evelyn nor Ethan were pushovers.

Worry had clouded her judgment.

With that realization, Victoria finally retreated to her room.

Meanwhile, inside her bedroom—

Evelyn's icy gaze remained fixed on her laptop screen.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she coordinated with Harrison Whitmore and other contacts, scouring every lead for Ethan's whereabouts.

This disappearance was unlike any other.

Ethan had vanished without a trace.

All night, Evelyn had combed through surveillance footage, only finding images of him leaving Sullivan Corporation before the trail went cold.

She rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.

Despite the sleepless night, exhaustion never touched her.

She dialed Harrison again, pressing for details about Ethan's behavior before the disappearance and any unusual activity at Sullivan Corporation.

The answer remained the same—nothing out of the ordinary.

The only notable detail was that Ethan had been preparing a proposal.

But Evelyn knew better. He would never disappear for that reason.

Not when he'd been anticipating this moment for so long.

Ethan's sudden absence hung over them all like a storm cloud.