Stuart tried calling Josephine first, but no luck. So, he dialed Liam next.
Despite their mutual hatred, they still had each other's numbers. Liam hadn't blocked him, so the call went through.
Liam answered but stayed silent.
"Where's Josephine?" Stuart asked bluntly.
After a pause, Liam replied, "You're asking me?"
"Yeah, because you know," Stuart said, his tone icy.
Liam's voice turned colder. "Hate to break it to you, but I haven't seen her. My legs aren't exactly mobile."
"Really?" Stuart frowned. He knew Liam wouldn't lie about this; it would be too easy to catch.
"You don't trust me but still call," Liam said. "Don't think money puts you above the law. Josephine might let it slide this time, but next time, I'll make sure you pay, even if it kills me!"
"Take care," Stuart said and hung up.
The night breeze was cool, matching his mood.
He made more calls—to Josephine's parents, friends, colleagues.
Finally, he called his team. "Find Josephine. Search everywhere! I want her location in 24 hours!"
As time passed, Stuart's panic grew.
During his time imprisoned by Andrew, he seemed calm, but he couldn't sleep at night, staring at the ceiling.
He didn't know why he had insomnia, or maybe he did but didn't want to admit it.
At that time, all he could think was that since things had spiraled out of control, he could go see Josephine without any reservations.
He was determined to bring her back, no matter what.
But even with this resolve, he couldn't sleep.
Now, he tossed and turned, wide awake.
His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep.
Stuart had never experienced such bad insomnia.
Only those who had been through it knew the agony.
He finally dozed off after 3 AM, only to wake up before 5 AM.
It had only been seven or eight hours since he ordered his team to find Josephine.
He called them, asking coldly, "Any news?"
His exhausted team, who had just fallen asleep, were speechless but didn't dare complain.
After a few questions, Stuart threw the phone aside.
He thought, 'Useless! They need 24 hours to find one person?'
But it seemed Josephine hadn't left Auroravale City.
There was no record of her leaving.
Nowadays, even short trips required real-name registration, not to mention planes and trains.
No info meant she hadn't used regular transportation.
Stuart's team was on high alert, doing everything they could to find Josephine. They were confident at first, thinking they could track her through her contacts, communication records, and any recent yacht trips or private plane applications by the Clement family.
As the deadline approached, there was still no sign of Josephine. It was like she had vanished from Auroravale City. She could be hiding somewhere in the city or have gone elsewhere, blending in like a drop of water in the ocean.
At the office, everyone could tell Stuart was in a foul mood, and they treaded carefully around him. He hadn't been in a good mood for months, so his team was used to it.
During a shareholders' meeting, Stuart was distracted. When someone called his name, he realized everyone was staring at him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Let's take a ten-minute break."
Back in his office, Stuart knew he couldn't keep going like this. He liked Josephine and had only recently realized his feelings. But he believed love shouldn't consume his life. It was a supplement, not a necessity.
He told himself that no one was indispensable, not even Josephine. She was overestimating her importance if she thought he couldn't live without her.
Stuart called his team. "Any news on her?"
His subordinates were nervous, given the lack of progress. Then Stuart said, "If there's no news, forget it. We're done."
His team was shocked. They had worked for Stuart for years and had never been told to give up halfway.
After hanging up, Stuart threw his phone aside in frustration. A few minutes later, it rang again. He answered.
"Any news on Josephine?" Robin asked. "If you find her, I'll apologize first."
Stuart snapped, "Mind your own business and stop being so idle!" Then he directly hung up.
Robin, holding the phone, turned to someone in his office. "Keep looking! I don't believe she can just disappear."
Stuart's phone rang again. He answered irritably, "What now?"
"It's me, Jair. What's wrong with you? Who pissed you off?"
"Nothing. Why are you calling?" Stuart replied, still annoyed.
"Have you started looking for Josephine? Any news? I'd remind you of a few things," Jair said.
"You all have too much free time," Stuart gritted his teeth. "I'm not looking anymore! I don't care her! Who does she think she is? Without her, I can't live?"
Jair paused, then asked, "Really? You won't regret it?"