Chapter 354: Philip's Disappearance

Arabella said with deliberate pride, "I guess it's okay."

Alexander didn't hesitate, "Then twenty meals."

Arabella couldn't help but laugh and teased, "By the time you finish those twenty meals, winter will be over."

"Then you can make this whole thing end early." Alexander's voice suddenly softened as he said gently, "Arabella, I miss you."

On the other end of the phone, Arabella blushed, trying to stay calm as she responded, "We'll see each other tonight."

On the other end, Alexander was flipping through his calendar and schedule. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Do you want to go to Finland?"

Arabella didn't understand what he meant at first, "What?"

Alexander said, "Didn't you want to tell Philip about our marriage? Instead of calling, why don't I have Roy book afternoon flights and we'll go there directly, tell him in person, and tour around Finland while we're at it."

The more he talked, the more feasible it seemed. He suggested, "We can also see the Northern Lights. There's really thick snow there, and there's a Santa Claus Village where we can stay in glass igloo domes."

Arabella was stunned for a moment before saying, "But I haven't finished my work yet. I've already been taking time off frequently lately. If we go to Finland, I'll need to take more time off. I don't think that's a good idea."

Even though the whole company belonged to Alexander, she still didn't want to be so casual about it.

Deep down, she really valued her work, especially after her first marriage.

She didn't want her job to become like playing house - what would be the difference from before?

Alexander paused, then smiled and said, "Then let's go during the holidays. By then the wedding will be over, and with wedding leave plus vacation time, we'll have plenty of time to really enjoy ourselves."

Arabella also breathed a sigh of relief. She was really afraid Alexander would say something like "what's so important about that job of yours," because he really had the right to say that.

Fortunately, Alexander respected her little job that didn't require much technical skill.

Originally, that would have been the end of it. Arabella thought she'd just call Philip that evening, tell him about the marriage, chat and joke around for a bit, and that would be that.

But unexpectedly, near the end of the workday, she suddenly received a call from Alexander. His voice sounded somewhat serious, "Arabella, something happened to Philip."

Arabella's heart sank as she quickly asked, "What happened? Isn't he in Finland? What happened?"

Alexander said, "We just got word that a bus in Finland had an accident while trying to avoid the snow and fell into a ravine over three meters deep. Currently three dead and sixteen injured, and Philip... was on that bus."

Arabella shot up from her seat, "How... how is that possible?"

She tried to calm herself down and asked, "What about Philip? How is he?"

Alexander said, "The casualty list isn't out yet. We're in the country, so there's not much we can do from here. If you're worried, we can go there."

This time Arabella couldn't care less about work. She quickly said, "Yes, let's go now. He's all alone in Finland with no one to turn to. Someone needs to be there."

Alexander said, "I'll come pick you up now. There's a flight in an hour."

Arabella hung up the phone, feeling unsettled. She had this same feeling at noon when she couldn't reach Philip, but now she felt even more worried.

Alexander arrived quickly, picked up Arabella, and they rushed to the airport. On the way, Arabella called Chloe.

Since Becky hadn't gotten out of school yet, and in the past when she and Alexander were suddenly away, Moris would take care of Becky. But now that Chloe was staying at the house, Arabella felt she should let Chloe know and ask her to look after Becky.

Chloe naturally told them not to worry.

They soon arrived at the airport. The timing of the tickets Roy booked was perfect - they just made it for boarding.

Shortly after getting on the plane, it took off.

The flight attendant brought luxurious dinners, but Arabella had no appetite. However, for the sake of the baby in her belly, she forced herself to eat a few more bites.

Alexander could see she was restless, so he didn't urge her to eat more. Instead, he adjusted her seat, dimmed the lights, and unfolded a blanket to cover her.

"Put on your headphones and sleep for a while," he said softly. "It's over ten hours of flying, and you'll need to take care of Philip when we get there. You need to save your energy."

Arabella didn't want him to worry about her, so she nodded and closed her eyes.

She thought she wouldn't be able to sleep, but she underestimated her pregnant body's condition - she didn't even know when she fell asleep.

She slept until dawn.

When Arabella opened her eyes again, the plane was already taxiing. Alexander asked her, "Did you sleep well?"

Arabella nodded and sat up.

Alexander thoughtfully helped her put on her coat. The down jacket, scarf, and hat were things he had Roy buy that afternoon, bundling Arabella up like a bear.

Of course, he was also dressed warmly in professional cold-weather gear that looked sharp and streamlined on him, with a uniquely masculine sense of strength.

But Arabella had no time to appreciate it now - her mind was full of Philip's situation.

After getting off the plane, it was indeed very cold. The driver who came to pick them up drove the car right to the airport entrance. Arabella and Alexander quickly got in, shutting out the cold wind.

The driver was a local staff member. Alexander unbuttoned his down jacket before asking, "Has the casualty list come out?"

The driver said, "Yes, Philip's name isn't on it."

Arabella thought Philip was fine and had just breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the driver say, "Mr. FitzRoy, Philip... he's missing."

Arabella thought she had heard wrong, "How could he be missing? Didn't the bus fall into a ravine? Even if Philip was thrown from the vehicle, they should be able to find him, right?"

The driver said, "Yes, although the ravine is deep, it's all thick snow. If someone fell into the snow, there would be traces. But the police searched all the areas with human traces around there. There were thirty people on the bus total, and Philip is the only one they can't find."

Arabella felt everything go dark before her eyes.

"How... how is that possible?"

Alexander was starting to regret bringing Arabella along.

Before coming, he only knew that Philip wasn't among the three dead, and thought at worst he'd just be injured. He had selfish motives - he wanted to use this opportunity to tour Finland with her. He really missed traveling with her, when it was just the two of them with nothing else to worry about.

But he never expected that the first news upon landing would be that Philip had disappeared.

Alexander knew that with Arabella's personality, forget about touring with him - she probably wouldn't even be able to relax.

If he had known coming here would just make her worry, he might as well not have brought her.