Karl scowled. "Well, I don't care whatever you say your name is, what I know is that your name is Christian and when I call you Christian you're gonna answer to that. You get it? And discard that devilish expression. I don't need it in my presence."
Deth's expression immediately shifted, and he smiled with all pleasure.
"Yes, can I go now?" Deth asked.
"No, you're not going anywhere," Karl insisted. "You'll continue to stay here."
Deth stood up. "I've been here for a while now, I have a house of my own, Grandfather and that's where I'll be staying."
Karl's insisted. "You're not going anywhere!"
Grey intervened, placing a calming hand on Karl's shoulder. "Let him be, Father. Let him go."
Deth smiled, relieved. "Thanks, Dad. Bye, old man Karl. Bye, Dad but I wish I don't see you guys anytime soon."
As he left, Karl shouted, "You ungrateful child!"
Grey smiled and faced Karl. "I'll accompany you dad. Want to play chess?"
"Hmph! Stay away from me, where's Kaida?" He stood up.
Poor Kaida, it's your turn now, Grey shook his head at his father, seriously, this man!
*
*
*
Alexandra's brow furrowed in worry as she paced back and forth in her office. "Nora, keep calling! It's been a week since Remy and I agreed to meet at East Cafe, but she's not answering her phone."
Nora, Alexandra's assistant, nodded and continued dialing Remy's number. "I've been trying, ma'am, but her number isn't connecting. It just goes straight to voicemail."
Alexandra's worry deepened. "That's not like Remy. She's always prompt and reliable. When she left Vaughn Glory, she said she would go home to look for her mother's original will. I don't trust her father, though. Could they have done something to her?"
Nora became alarmed. "Do you think that's possible, ma'am?"
Alexandra's expression turned grim. "I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this. Remy would have at least tried to answer my calls or messages. Something's not right."
Nora nodded in agreement. "I'll keep trying to reach her, ma'am. Maybe we can also try contacting her family or friends to see if they've heard from her?"
Alexandra nodded. "Yes, do that, but Remy has no friends. We have to find out what's going on with Remy and make sure she's safe."
Nora decided to call Mr. Harrison, Remy's father. When he picked up, she said, "Hello, sir." But before she could continue, Alexandra asked her to hand over the phone.
Alexandra took the phone and asked Mr. Harrison about Remy's sudden silence, going straight to the point.
"Mr. Harrison, I'm worried about Remy. She said she was going back home, but her phone's not connecting, and she's not responding to messages. Why would she suddenly go silent after going home?"
Mr. Harrison's response was curt. "Young lady, I suggest you be careful with your words." He hung up the call.
Alexandra looked at the phone screen in exasperation.
"Any positive information?" Nora asked.
"He didn't even–"
Just then, Sophia walked in, pushing the door open a little forcefully without knocking.
She was dressed extravagantlyvas usual, looked innocent and delicate. Her eyes skimmed through the office, and she spotted Alexandra's nameplate on the table.
After being appointed as the president she had demoted Alexandra to her original position as vice president.
Alexandra was the president of Vaughn Glory, but she wasn't the official one. She was kind of a caretaker, holding the position until Remy, the rightful owner, was ready, and marriage was part of the readiness.
Remy had also by the vice president until her accident five years ago and had to leave her position. Since then, the vice president spot was empty.
Alexandra's assistant, Nora, usually filled the spot at times.
"Alexandra Klein, you're fired!" Sophia said, her voice firm.
Alexandra scoffed, folding her arms. "You can't fire me, Sophia. You can only demote me from president, but I'm still the vice president. This is my original office, and you can't just fire me for no reason, unless you prove to be more competent than I am. Or find someone who is."
Sofia's expression turned cold, her delicate mask almost melting, but Alexandra continued.
"Since taking over, you've been making decisions that are detrimental to the company's well-being. You're rejecting models with great potential and unilaterally renegotiating contracts with existing models to their disadvantage. Not only is this harming our relationships with top talents, but it could lead us to significant legal risk. These models have binding contracts with us, and by breaching those agreements, we're vulnerable to costly lawsuits. Are you prepared to personally absorb the financial penalties that may arise from these actions? Our top models are the backbone of our success, driving sales and revenue for our designs. Reconsider these decisions and prioritize the company's long-term interests."
Alexandra confidently pointed out facts to Sophia, highlighting the responsibilities that came with being the president of a high-end fashion company. But Sophia sneered, "I don't care. I can do whatever I want with this company. It's mine now, and you don't get to tell me what to do."
Alexandra's expression turned stern. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, Sophia. Unless you're intentionally trying to bring down this company, which seems to be your plan. You're not acting in the best interest of Vaughn Glory. This company isn't yours, it was Remy's. You're probably just trying to drain the company's resources and get us in trouble."
Sophia smirked. "You're not as dumb as I thought. At least you're smart enough to know I'm not here to keep this company afloat. I'm here to sink it, and I mean it. I want it to go down the drain and rot."
Alexandra's patience had worn thin. "You know what? I don't have time for your banter and I hope you're not involved in Remy's disappearance. Please, just get out of my way." She walked past Sophia and left the office.
Nora looked around awkwardly, unsure of what to do. She slightly bowed to Sophia and followed Alexandra out of the office.
As they left, Sophia was angered, her face fuming. Her delicate mask of composure melted away, revealing a malicious glint in her eyes. She seethed with resentment, wondering how everyone around Remy dared to speak to her with such audacity.
"Who do they think they are?" Sophia fumed, her mind racing with indignation. "Even someone as insignificant as Alexandra can speak to me however she wants. It's infuriating. Everyone associated with Remy seems to have an endless supply of audacity."
Sophia's thoughts shifted to what Alexandra said about Remy. 'What could have happened to her?' she wondered, though she didn't really care. 'Has mom locked her up again? That's usually how it goes. Mom probably has her confined to that creepy room again.'
Sophia's expression remained indifferent, but a hint of satisfaction crept into her voice. "Well, whatever the reason, it's music to my ears. Good riddance." She walked away.
*
*
*
Remy had arrived home to an empty mansion. She had asked one of the remaining servants, an elderly woman who had been loyal to her mother, to help her up to her father's room.
However, Remy had changed her mind and decided to visit her mother's room first. It had been years since she'd last been there, and the painful memories had kept her away.
As she sat on the bed, Remy began to search through the old drawers. She had found nothing but clothes, random papers, and untouched belongings. Her father, Grant Harrison, suddenly appeared, asking what she was doing. Helena followed, demanding to know what Remy was searching for.
"You're not going to find what you're looking for," Helena sneered. "I wouldn't make it that easy for you." Grant dragged Remy away while she struggled futilely, and Helena suggested locking her up to prevent her from going back and getting involved with the Kaidën family's affairs. They couldn't afford risks.
Remy ended up locked up by Helena in a dark room, without her phone, and wasn't fed.
Meanwhile, Deth had returned to his house, only to find Remy missing. For the first few days, he thought maybe Remy had just gone out or decided to go back home without bothering to inform him.
But as the days passed, he tried to reach her, only for her line to not even connect. A slight sense of unease settled in, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss.
He ordered his men to search for her immediately. The driver who had taken Remy home reported that he had waited outside for her to return, but she never came out. When he inquired, her parents told him she wouldn't be leaving, and he was dismissed.
Deth immediately headed to the Harrison family mansion with some of his men, to find Remy.