Andrew's figure disappeared into the dim lighting of the underground parking lot. The sound of his leather shoes hitting the ground echoed through the quiet space.
The moment he looked up, his gaze darkened. He didn't expect to run into the one person he least wanted to see.
Joshua appeared right in front of him, suddenly and without warning.
A flood of thoughts surged through Andrew's mind. Why was Joshua here? Was he here to see Katherine?
At almost the same moment, Joshua also spotted Andrew.
Joshua's eyes showed a flicker of surprise. Andrew? What was he doing here?
Before he could think more about it, Andrew had already walked over with steady, cold steps. His face was emotionless, but the words he spoke were laced with ice.
"Here to see Katherine?"
Joshua froze slightly, frowning, confusion flashing through his mind. Andrew knows Katherine?
Before he could answer, Andrew seemed to have figured everything out on his own. He tossed out a single sentence.
"Looks like you're not that close with her after all."
Then he walked straight toward his car.
Andrew tried hard to keep his face blank, but inside, he wasn't calm at all.
The moment he saw Joshua, he actually felt a bit relieved. At least from what he could tell, Katherine and Joshua didn't seem to be that close. That gave him an odd sense of comfort.
Joshua stared in the direction Andrew had driven away, full of questions.
What did he mean by that?
Katherine moved?
Where was she now?
And what was Andrew's relationship with her?
He got back into his car and dialed Katherine's number again. But all he heard was the constant busy tone.
He didn't give up. He sent another message on WeChat, but the red exclamation mark appeared again like a knife stabbing straight into his chest.
Back home, Joshua walked straight to his liquor cabinet. He grabbed two bottles of strong liquor and headed upstairs to his bedroom.
He ripped off his jacket and yanked off his tie, tossing them on the sofa. Then he opened a bottle and started drinking heavily.
The burning liquid slid down his throat, but the sting was nothing compared to the pain inside his heart.
Joshua had never been a good drinker. But now, with his mind filled with regret and sorrow, he drank bottle after bottle. One was already empty in just a few gulps.
He collapsed onto the floor, eyes turning red as he stared at the photos of Katherine on his phone. Each picture felt like a thorn stabbing into his eyes.
"Katherine, I'm sorry… I'm really sorry…"
His choked whisper faded into the empty room, yet somehow it lingered in the air.
I was the one who hurt you.
I wanted to protect you. I wanted to fix everything for you.
But I overestimated myself.
Right after that, he twisted open the second bottle of liquor like he had gone mad. The liquid splashed out, mixing with the tears falling from the corners of his eyes, all blending into this desperate outburst.
Not long after, his consciousness faded into complete darkness, and he collapsed to the ground.
Secretary Jin had an urgent document that required Joshua to review and handle personally. But after calling him several times with no response, the calls just vanished like stones into the sea.
Having worked with Joshua for many years, he understood his boss's temperament. Without wasting another second, he drove straight to Joshua's home.
He unlocked the door with the code as if it were second nature. The house was silent, not a sound on the first floor. His heart tightened immediately, and he rushed up the stairs to the bedroom.
As he opened the door, a strong, choking smell of alcohol hit him in the face. When he saw Joshua lying on the floor, Secretary Jin's face changed instantly. He ran over in a panic. "Boss, boss, wake up!"
No matter how loudly he shouted, Joshua didn't respond at all.
His eyes landed on the liquor bottles knocked over on the coffee table. He picked one up and checked it. It was high-proof alcohol. He thought to himself in alarm, Did boss drink both bottles?
This could kill him!
He called out a few more times, but Joshua still didn't move. Not daring to delay any longer, his hands shaking, he dialed the emergency number.
At the hospital corridor, under the harsh white lights, Secretary Jin paced back and forth, filled with anxiety.
The doctor came out and informed him that Joshua had severe alcohol poisoning and needed an immediate gastric lavage. He also told him to quickly notify the patient's family.
With no other option, Secretary Jin called Joshua's mother. His voice was full of guilt and panic. "Mrs. Jiang, the boss... he has severe alcohol poisoning. He's at the hospital now. Please come quickly."
Mrs. Jiang's expression instantly darkened when she heard this.
On her way to the hospital, her anger hadn't faded at all. So now, Joshua, you're using your health to threaten people, huh?
Meanwhile, Andrew returned home, unable to calm down. His mind was restless as he anxiously waited for news from Assistant Ryan.
Time passed minute by minute, but the call he was expecting never came. He finally lost his patience and called Ryan. His voice was filled with irritation. "What's going on? You still haven't found Katherine?"
Ryan was just as frustrated on the other end and replied apologetically, "Boss, the guys have checked every possible place. We really haven't found where Dr. Katherine went. We're still searching hard. Please give us a bit more time."
Andrew ended the call with a slam and punched the table, fuming with anger.
He couldn't understand it. It was just finding a person. Why was it so difficult?
Katherine seemed to have vanished into thin air, hiding somewhere deep in this enormous city without leaving a single trace.
To quickly raise the three million she owed to the Jiang Corporation, Katherine had found a cheap little inn to stay in to save money.
That place was filled with all sorts of people. It was hidden and off the grid, with barely any surveillance nearby. That made investigating incredibly difficult, which explained why Andrew's men had found nothing despite all their efforts.
Andrew sat in his study, watching the sky gradually turn pale. The soft light slowly tore open the curtain of night.
An entire night had passed, and Assistant Ryan still hadn't reported any news about Katherine.
Where could she be?
Could she have left the city?
No, impossible. She worked so hard for the truth. Now that everything's clear, there's no way she would leave the city now.