Chapter 160

I stayed at the hotel until dawn. Being far away in Suncrest City, things weren't as convenient as they were in Skyview City.

We only managed to find surveillance footage from a few hours before Kathy went missing.

The footage showed her going to her studio early in the morning, and then she never came out again. She had completely vanished.

No matter how we tried to contact her, we couldn't reach her. It seemed she had disappeared from her studio.

Simon contacted the local police, and now the entire city was searching for Kathy.

I stood up and said, "I have to go back. I can't stay here and do nothing. This place is too far from Skyview City. I'm flying back now. At the very least, I need to be there with Kathy."

Royce tried to persuade me otherwise, but I just nodded. "Alright, but you have to be careful. Make sure Savannah stays close to you. I'll come back as soon as I handle things here."

I watched him nod before heading home with Savannah.

Once home, I told Kelly about the situation. She immediately looked worried. "What should we do? Have you called the police?"

I nodded. "Don't worry, I've already contacted them. They're searching the entire city. We'll have clues soon, but I need to go back. I have to be there. I'll leave the kids with you for now."

Kelly understood the seriousness of the situation and just reminded me, "Be safe."

Savannah and I packed our bags and were about to leave when Simon pulled up in front of our house. "I've handed things over to my colleagues here. I'm coming with you."

I quickly nodded. With Simon, things might be more flexible over there. I felt a bit relieved.

The three of us boarded a plane and landed in Skyview City that night.

The city was shrouded in a damp, cold mist, and I felt a growing unease.

Despite the feeling, I couldn't dwell on it. Simon arranged for Savannah and me to get into a police car.

He briefly introduced us to the officer. "This is Chief Roy Murphy, who's been leading the search for Kathy."

Roy spoke up, "Ms. Sharp, please tell me everything you know. It might help us find some clues."

I recounted the timeline of Kathy's disappearance in detail.

But it didn't add much to what the police already knew. They were aware of the timeline, so it wasn't very helpful.

I racked my brain and suddenly remembered, "Right, Kathy mentioned she was going to keep an eye on Brandon for me before she left."

Savannah nodded. "Yes, she told me at the airport. I told Ms. Sharp, and she tried to dissuade her, thinking it was too dangerous."

Could her disappearance be related to Brandon or the Jordan family?

Simon and Roy exchanged serious looks. "It's possible. We'll check the surveillance around Brandon's place and see if anything unusual pops up."

"We'll need your help identifying anything suspicious since you know Brandon best," Simon added.

"And Renee and Earl, I have a feeling they're back in town and might be involved in Kathy's disappearance," I said.

"Karen is in the hospital, critically ill. I can't believe they wouldn't show up," I continued.

They nodded in agreement. "You're right. We'll keep a close watch on them. We've been monitoring them, but nothing unusual has come up. We'll focus more on them now," Roy assured me.

I returned to Skyview City quietly, not even letting Brandon know. Savannah and I stayed at Simon's place, which was under tight police surveillance.

They had deployed many officers to find Kathy, but it was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Meanwhile, the police reported that Brandon had been with Maeve constantly over the past few days.

I sneered, "Spread the word. Let everyone in Skyview City know what Brandon's been up to while his mom is on her deathbed."

Simon caught on immediately. He released the news about Karen's critical condition and followed it with photos of Brandon and Maeve at a hotel.

The internet exploded with outrage. People were furious that Brandon was with another woman while his mother was dying.

The fact that Maeve was his mistress only fueled the fire. The backlash was intense, even affecting the company's stock prices.

Reporters swarmed Karen's hospital, demanding answers.

They knew Brandon was there, waiting for him to come out.

But he never did. He slipped out the back door.

We let the online outrage grow while focusing on finding Kathy. Despite our efforts, it was like she had vanished into thin air.

She had been missing for over ten hours. Anything could have happened in that time, and I dreaded to think what she might be going through. All I could do was pray for her safety.

When human efforts fall short, we turn to higher powers.

I prayed fervently for Kathy's safe return.

We searched Kathy's studio thoroughly.

I went to her studio, finding it empty. Then I noticed the window at the back.

"Do you think Kathy might have sensed something was wrong and escaped through the window? It's big enough for a person to fit through," I suggested.

Behind the studio was a long, narrow alley.

Simon listened carefully and nodded. "You might be right. I'll get a police dog to check for her scent back there."

Soon, a police officer brought a dog. I let it sniff Kathy's clothes, and it started sniffing around the alley. It barked furiously at a spot near the entrance, indicating Kathy had been there and stayed for a while.