Chapter 55

Elsie sat in the chair, her mind in chaos.

Aline's departure was akin to a pebble cast into her serene heart, causing ripples to spread in countless waves.

She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, feeling a wave of helplessness wash over her.

At that moment, she thought of Bruce.

Maybe he could help her make sense of the situation.

Taking a deep breath, Elsie dialed Bruce's number.

"Hey, Elsie?" Bruce's gentle voice came through the phone.

Elsie quickly typed out a brief summary of what had just happened.

"Elsie, don't worry. Where are you right now? I'll come to you."

"I'm at home."

"Okay, stay put. I'll be there soon."

Hanging up, Elsie clutched her phone tightly, her palms slightly sweaty.

At the sanitorium, Bruce had been helping the kids prepare for a Halloween party.

But now that Elsie needed him, he had to go see what was going on.

He grabbed his coat and headed out, his expression anxious.

"Bruce, what's up?" Albert, sensing something was off, stopped him to ask.

Bruce hesitated for a second but then briefly explained what Elsie had told him.

Albert's face grew serious as he listened. "I'll go with you."

Half an hour later, Bruce and Albert arrived at Elsie's apartment.

"Elsie, are you okay?" Bruce noticed Elsie looked a bit pale.

Elsie shook her head and typed on her phone: "I'm fine, just worried about Aline."

Bruce hesitated, as if there was something he couldn't say.

"What's wrong?" Elsie asked in sign language, picking up on his hesitation.

Bruce struggled to find the right words.

"Actually, I ran into Aline in the elevator last night." He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"She had bruises on her face, like someone had hit her."

Elsie looked up sharply, signing."Was it serious? What happened?"

"Her left cheek was swollen, and she had a cut on her lip." Bruce recalled the scene, feeling uneasy.

Aline's defiant eyes and hoarse voice had left a strong impression on him.

Albert, who had been silent, listened intently.

His deep eyes showed a flicker of surprise before returning to calm.

So, Aline was indeed in trouble.

Elsie's heart sank, a bad feeling creeping in.

Aline's sudden departure and the bruises on her face were too suspicious.

Could Aline really be caught up in something dangerous?

"She said nothing at the time, only hastily departing. I handed her my business card, yet she... She didn't seem to want my help."

Elsie turned to Albert, signing. "Can you help me find out where Aline is? I'm really worried about her."

Albert nodded slightly.

He pulled out his phone, his fingers flying over the screen.

"Give me her phone number," he said succinctly.

Elsie was about to send it to Albert when Bruce stopped her.

"Elsie, I know this might not be what you want to hear. However, could you possibly refrain from involving yourself in Aline's affairs any further?"

"She's too complicated, and now there are anonymous videos targeting you. I'm afraid you'll get dragged into something dangerous."

Elsie looked at Bruce, signing.

"I know you're worried, but Aline is my friend," Elsie signed firmly. "I can't just stand by when she's in trouble. Besides, I believe she's not a bad person."

Bruce looked like he wanted to argue, but Albert cut him off. "Bruce, once Elsie resolves on something, it's impossible to alter her decision. Instead of wasting time, let's figure out how to help her."

Elsie smiled gratefully at Albert and then sent Aline's number to him.

Albert took the phone, and lines of code streamed down the screen like a waterfall. The room was silent except for the sound of typing. 

In less than five minutes, Albert stopped and looked up. "Got it. She's at the airport."

Bruce asked, surprised. "What's she doing at the airport? Is she planning to leave?"

Albert nodded, explaining, "According to the location data, she's in the international terminal. I hacked into the airport's surveillance system and found her. She looks anxious."

"Did you find her flight information?" Elsie signed urgently.

Albert continued working on his laptop, then frowned. "No, there's no record of her booking a flight. Her name isn't on any passenger lists."

"No booking information?" Bruce was puzzled. "Then why is she at the airport?"

Albert's expression grew serious. "There is only one possibility: she is evading someone. She had no intention of boarding the plane at all."

Bruce looked at Elsie's worried face and sighed, trying to keep his voice calm. "Elsie, listen to me. You should stay out of Aline's business. Think about it, a girl with bruises on her face running to the airport in the middle of the night—she's clearly in trouble. We're not the police; we don't need to get involved."

"But what if she really needs help?" Elsie signed, her eyes full of concern.

"Elsie, you're too kind-hearted. That's why people take advantage of you," Albert finally spoke up. "Think about it. If she really considered you a friend, would she run off without a word? She didn't even send you a message. She's obviously done something wrong."

Bruce chimed in. "Yeah, Elsie, Albert's right. You've been so good to her, and this is how she repays you. Why worry about her?"

Elsie lowered her head, mulling over Bruce and Albert's words. Her heart felt like a mix of emotions, all jumbled together. 

She admitted Aline's actions were suspicious, but she couldn't shake her concern.

"Maybe she has her reasons," Elsie thought, picturing Aline's heavily made-up face and her spiky punk hair. 

She recalled Aline mentioning her regular volunteer work at an orphanage. Aline's own life was far from easy. How could she possibly possess any malicious intentions when she so often dedicated herself to such benevolent deeds?

"Elsie, you're too soft-hearted and easy to deceive," Albert saw Elsie still hesitating and couldn't help but add. "Even if you find her, she won't tell you the truth."

"Enough." Elsie took a deep breath, as if making a significant decision, and signed. "Maybe she has her reasons. As long as she's safe, that's all that matters."

She turned to Albert. "Thank you, Albert. You don't need to search any further."