At work, even when Stuart was dead tired, he could still manage three or four hours of sleep.
But now, his mind was blank, his body exhausted, and he couldn't sleep at all.
Lately, Stuart forced himself to focus only on work.
After all, he was at the office, in that environment.
But now, at home, in their bedroom, on the bed they once shared.
Stuart couldn't stop thinking about Josephine. The longing he'd suppressed for days came flooding back.
It hit him hard. It overwhelmed him.
He crushed his cigarette pack, threw himself on the bed, and stared at the ceiling until dawn.
Finally, he gave up struggling; the longing surged over him, leaving him breathless.
At dawn, he grabbed his phone.
His voice was stiff as he said, "No matter what, find Josephine!"
The person on the other end was confused.
Josephine had just left Hustalia, or rather, disappeared, making her hard to find. But if Stuart insisted, they might track her down.
But now, it had been a month since Josephine left.
This included the days Stuart was imprisoned by Andrew, the days he pretended everything was fine, and the days he tried to suppress his longing.
Finding someone who had disappeared was now much harder.
His team even wondered if Stuart had just realized Josephine had taken something priceless.
Regardless, they had to follow orders.
Whether they could find her was uncertain.
Stuart finally gave the order.
His exhausted body and mind seemed temporarily revived.
He jumped out of bed, took a shower, and went for a morning run.
Five days, no, three days, at most, and he would find Josephine. He'd bring her back himself.
As Andrew said, his eyes were bloodshot, and his dark circles were huge, though that was an exaggeration. He didn't look good.
He needed to be his best self in front of Josephine.
When Andrew got up, he found Stuart already at the dining table.
Stuart said, "Morning."
He didn't look well, but he seemed energetic.
Andrew thought Stuart's body had been exhausted for days, and one night's rest wasn't enough to fully recover.
Being in good spirits was already an improvement.
Seeing him eat breakfast normally, Andrew was relieved. "Nothing matters more than your health. Don't you get that?"
"Got it." Stuart nodded. "Grandpa, don't worry. I'll take care of myself."
After breakfast, Stuart didn't mention going to the office but went upstairs to sleep.
Since he had decided he couldn't live without Josephine, he didn't need to lie to himself anymore.
Andrew was right; whatever he did, he needed to be healthy first.
Stuart thought with this mindset, he'd fall asleep immediately.
After all, he knew his body; he was severely sleep-deprived and on the verge of collapse.
But to his surprise, he couldn't sleep. He closed his eyes, but his mind was a mess. He opened them, feeling sore, swollen, and itchy, like he had a severe eye problem.
News of Stuart going to the hospital spread quickly.
Robin called him. "What's up? You went to the hospital?"
Stuart, lying on the hospital bed with something cool on his eyes, replied, "Overused my eyes. They were uncomfortable, so I came to get them checked."
"Glad you're okay," Robin said. "I was going to ask you out for a drink, but I heard you've been busy."
After all, the Haustia Group had completed several major projects, making other families envious.
Stuart said, "I can't drink right now."
Robin said, "Maybe in a few days then."
As he was about to hang up, Stuart asked, "Any news about Josephine?"
Robin was stunned. He felt guilty. Every time Stuart mentioned Josephine, even though Robin knew he probably wouldn't get caught, he couldn't help but feel scared.
After all, Stuart wasn't someone to mess with.
Robin was also surprised Stuart brought up Josephine. Hadn't he said he gave up looking for her?
He chuckled. "Josephine? Why did you suddenly think of her? You know I don't get along with her; how would I know where she is?"
Stuart's voice stayed cold. "I've got people looking for her. You have resources too, right? Help me find her."
"My people aren't as good as yours," Robin said. "But since you asked, I'll do my best. Why are you looking for her again?"
"Don't ask," Stuart said. "Just find her."
After hanging up, Robin paced irritably. He made a call. "Any news on her yet?"
The person on the other end replied respectfully, "No, Mr. Bailey. It's been hard to find her, especially since you didn't want us to make a big deal out of it. Sneaking around makes it tough."
"Forget sneaking around," Robin said. "Find her! Search all of Hustalia, or wherever she might be. Just find her!"
Meanwhile, in the hospital, Stuart called Jair.
Jair answered, "Stuart, what's up? I have a meeting soon."
"I'll be quick," Stuart said. "I've got people looking for Josephine, but some places might be tricky. Can you help?"
Jair frowned. "You want to find her again? Didn't you say you wouldn't?"
"Forget what I said before," Stuart gritted his teeth. "Will you help me?"
Jair sighed. "You're a grown man, still so childish, wavering in your feelings. You're not like this in business."
"It won't happen again," Stuart said. "This time, I've made up my mind. I must find her and apologize."
"That's more like it." Jair laughed. "Don't worry. I'll keep this in mind. Talk to you later."
After hanging up, Stuart felt confident.
The Haustia family's power was enough for Stuart to find Josephine.
But this time, he didn't want any mistakes. Or rather, he wanted to find Josephine as soon as possible.
Three days was too long.
He hoped someone would call him this afternoon, no, this morning, to say she had been found. But that call never came.