Chapter 208 Let Him Help
In the monitoring room, there was dead silence.
The director personally operated the system and pulled up the surveillance footage from the hallway outside Bronte's room.
On the screen, the time was frozen at 6:30 in the evening.
A caregiver left carrying a meal tray, and the hallway returned to quiet. Five minutes later, the door to the room was pushed open a crack from the inside.
Cecilia's heart immediately jumped into her throat.
A thin figure in a hospital gown poked her head out through the crack, cautiously looking left and right.
It was Bronte.
Her hair was neatly groomed, and her complexion was much cleaner and rosier than when she was on the street, but those eyes still carried a kind of fear and nervousness that didn't fit with her surroundings.
After confirming the hallway was empty, she quickly slipped out, gently closing the door behind her with smooth movements that made no sound at all.
After that, she didn't take the elevator but headed straight for the stairwell.
"We checked the stairwell surveillance. She went all the way from the fifth floor down to the storage room on the basement level," the director said, pointing at another split-screen display, his voice full of regret.
"That's a surveillance blind spot, filled with lots of discarded sheets and bedding. She must have hidden in there and avoided our first round of hospital-wide search."
"And then?" Cecilia's voice was terribly hoarse.
"At 7:15, a garbage truck collecting medical waste left through the basement exit."
Beads of sweat appeared on the director's forehead as he struggled to voice the worst possibility: "We suspect that Ms. Thorne may have hidden in that truck and escaped from Evergreen Mental Rehabilitation Hospital."
Cecilia's fingertips dug deep into her palms, but the pain couldn't bring a moment's peace to her chaotic mind.
Bronte hid in a garbage truck?
To escape from here, she actually used this method.
Was her mind really confused, or was she using madness to disguise everything?
"Did you call the police?" Cecilia asked.
"Yes, we did! The nearby police station has also sent people out. They're searching along the route," the director quickly replied.
"Give me the garbage truck's route map and the address of the final processing station right now," Cecilia said. Under extreme anxiety, her thinking became unusually clear instead.
"Okay, okay, I'll have someone print it out right away."
Taking the thin route map, Cecilia didn't want to stay a moment longer.
She turned and rushed out, pulling out her phone as she walked, her brain racing, screening through everyone who could help.
She had to be fast!
Even faster!
Because she was so focused and panicked, she completely failed to notice that she was heading straight toward the busy main road.
A piercing horn suddenly cut through the night sky, and a beam of bright headlights instantly engulfed her.
Cecilia suddenly looked up. A speeding car rapidly enlarged in her pupils. Her brain went blank, her body froze in place, and she even forgot to dodge.
The tires made a sharp, ear-piercing screech against the ground.
A silver-gray sports car came to an abrupt stop with an extremely aggressive drift, its front end stopping just a few feet from Cecilia's knees.
The strong wind from the momentum blew her hair and dress hem into disarray.
Cecilia steadied herself, still shaken, and looked at the car blocking her way so dominantly.
The driver's door was forcefully pushed open.
A tall, upright figure stepped out against the light.
The person wore a well-tailored black suit, had an upright posture, and radiated an unapproachable, sharp aura. The evening wind blew open the hair on his forehead, revealing a face so handsome it was almost aggressive.
The moment she saw who it was, Cecilia's blood froze instantly.
Rufus.
Why was he here?
Rufus slammed the car door hard and strode up to her in a few steps. Those unfathomably deep eyes were sharp and pressing as they scanned her from head to toe.
When he saw the slightly wrinkled evening gown she hadn't had time to change out of, her bloodless face, and her bloodshot eyes, his brow furrowed tightly.
"What happened?"
Cecilia instinctively took a step back, trying to create distance between them, her eyes showing undisguised wariness and disgust.
"None of your business."
That phrase again.
Rufus's expression instantly darkened, the patience in his eyes completely exhausted.
He suddenly stepped forward, his tall figure's oppressive presence instantly enveloping Cecilia.
"Amelia, I don't have time to waste with you."
His voice was cold without a trace of warmth.
"Looking like you've lost your soul—did a relative die, or is someone chasing you to kill you?"
Harsh and vicious words.
Cecilia's expression grew even darker. She bit her lower lip hard, not wanting to say another word to Rufus.
"Not talking?" Rufus laughed coldly.
His voice was very low, each sentence carrying heavy threats.
"Don't force me to use my own methods to investigate."
"You know, what I find out might be much more than what you're willing to tell me."
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, instantly extinguishing all of Cecilia's struggle and anger.
She calmed down in an instant.
Yes, Rufus had that ability.
If she let him investigate, he could easily find out about Bronte's existence, find out about what happened between her "Amelia" and Bronte.
With his suspicious and obsessive nature, he would follow that lead and dig deeper.
When that happened, things would only become more complicated and impossible to handle.
Bronte absolutely could not be exposed to Rufus's view!
Weighing the pros and cons took only an instant.
Cecilia stopped struggling.
She took a deep breath and said in an almost numb tone, speaking quickly: "An elder of mine has gone missing. She has mental problems."
Rufus's brow relaxed slightly.
"When did this happen? Where did she go missing from?" he immediately pressed, keenly grasping the key points.
"An hour ago, from here." Cecilia raised her chin, indicating the Evergreen Mental Rehabilitation Hospital behind her.
"She might have hidden in a garbage truck. Her whereabouts are unknown now."
Rufus's gaze fell on the route map in Cecilia's hand. Without a word, he snatched it away.
He only glanced at it once before taking out his phone and dialing a number.
"Louis."
"Use everyone available and find me a woman around fifty years old with mental problems along this route."
"Also check the locations and real-time surveillance of all garbage processing stations in Harmony City."
"Within ten minutes, I want to see all the results."
Rufus's instructions were brief, clear, and full of the authority and decisiveness of someone in power.
After hanging up, he looked at Cecilia again.
The night wind grew cooler, making her thin evening gown flutter.
She hugged her arms, her slender body appearing particularly fragile in the night, as if she could be blown over by the wind at any moment.
Rufus's gaze darkened.
He took off his suit jacket and stepped forward, forcefully draping it over Cecilia's shoulders.
The jacket, carrying his body heat and scent, made Cecilia's body suddenly stiffen.
Out of instinctive disgust, she immediately tried to pull the jacket off.