Chapter 235

Eloise waved us in, making us feel welcome.

"So, who hired you guys?"

I pulled up a photo of Karen on my phone and handed it to Eloise.

"This is the person who hired us. It's from her Facebook."

Eloise's eyes lit up. "Isn't that the landlord? She used to come around a lot earlier this year, maybe once a month. Every time she came, she'd yell at this woman, really nasty stuff."

"And the woman never fought back, just took it quietly."

"We tried to comfort her, but the old lady told us to mind our own business."

"Looks like the landlord hired us. Thanks, Eloise."

"No problem. Just finish up quick and get out of here."

"By the way, be careful working for that old lady. She's got a really sharp tongue."

I nodded, remembering Karen's sharp tongue all too well.

Eloise started to leave but turned back. "Oh, and I saw some men knocking on her door once. They looked pretty rough. I asked them a couple of questions in the elevator, and they just glared at me."

"Men?"

"Yeah, like debt collectors. Maybe that woman owes money."

Royce and I exchanged glances, realizing it was probably another group trying to take the child. Maybe that's why the woman moved out early with the kid.

"Alright, we're done here. Thanks, Eloise."

"No problem. Hurry up and leave; it's already noon."

Royce and I left the complex, and he immediately sent the photo to Simon. "Check out who this woman is and where she lives. She might be the one who took the kid."

Simon replied quickly, saying he was on it.

At least we got the woman's photo today. It wasn't a wasted trip.

Now we just had to wait and see if Simon could find out where she lived. With the photo, everything would be easier.

Finding someone isn't easy, like looking for a needle in a haystack.

So when we didn't hear back by evening, I sat alone on the couch, looking at photos and videos in a folder.

They were memories of my child, and I didn't want to miss a single moment.

His first steps, his first words, his first smile, his heart-wrenching cries in front of the camera-every frame I wanted to etch into my memory.

Royce seemed to understand and didn't disturb me.

I sat there, looking at the photos, laughing and crying. Anyone who saw me would think I was crazy.

Around dinner time, Royce knocked and came in. "Dinner's ready. What are you doing?"

I quickly wiped my tears. "Nothing. Come in, let's eat together."

Royce nodded and walked in. His dress shoes made a satisfying sound on the hotel's wooden floor.

It was only after dinner that I noticed Royce was wearing a suit, looking very formal, as if he was going to an event.

"Where are you going?"

"No, I just had a dinner meeting. I rushed back because I didn't want you to go hungry."

"By the way, I have some news about Irene. Not sure if you want to hear it."

"Her? What about her?"

"Irene's been caught for accounting fraud. She's likely going to be sentenced."

"She deserves it. I'll make sure the entire Jordan family ends up in jail."

Royce nodded. "Take it slow. One step at a time."

"Right now, our priority is to find the child and get back to Suncrest City."

"The bidding process is about to start. If you don't show up, Alfonso might get suspicious."

I nodded. I was well aware of this, which made me even more anxious.

But there was nothing I could do except be anxious.

Just then, as if on cue, Alfonso called me.

His voice sounded normal, as if he didn't know I had left Suncrest City.

"Ms. Sharp? Have you made a decision? I'd like to take you out for dinner."

I frowned. "Dinner isn't necessary. I know you're eager for an answer, but shouldn't I take some time to consider such a big decision?"

"And if you have photos of the child, send them to me. Otherwise, how can I trust you're telling the truth? What if you use fake information to steal the project from me?"

"A little caution is good, Ms. Sharp. Since you want to see, I'll send you the child's photo."

My phone buzzed, and a photo came through.

I opened it. It was a picture taken from his perspective, showing only the child, whose face matched the one in my phone exactly.

It seemed Alfonso really knew the child's whereabouts. I had to act quickly, or there might be complications when the bidding started.

Soon, we got some information about the woman. Her name was Adelaide, 45 years old.

She came from a fishing village and hadn't had much schooling. She married a man after starting work at a factory but ended up frequently at the police station due to domestic violence. Eventually, she divorced him.

She had been working at the factory ever since. Though she had a few relationships, none lasted long.

"Adelaide?"

"Can you find out where she lives now?"

"The only lead we have is that Adelaide's ancestral home is in Meadowbrook Village."

I was stunned. I had a gut feeling that Meadowbrook Village might be the final step.

I quickly grabbed Royce. "I have to go there. I feel like something's up."

Royce nodded. "Don't worry, I'll go with you."

We took a cab to Meadowbrook Village that night.

The night air in Meadowbrook Village had a salty tang, with a few scattered lights in the distance and the sound of waves in the background.

The dark sea was especially terrifying, reminding me of Jason.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the bad feeling.

Maybe I was just scaring myself. Maybe the child was being well cared for by Adelaide.

We slept in the car overnight, and by morning, the villagers were starting their day.

Royce and I took the opportunity to drive into the village.

He had switched to a regular car beforehand, so we didn't attract much attention.

We stopped at the village entrance, where a few elderly folks were chatting.

We knew this was our chance to gather information.

We got out of the car and asked, "Excuse me, do you know where Adelaide lives?"

The elderly folks all turned to look at us. "What do you want with Adelaide?"