On the way to the apartment, Silas Cheney kept calling Ian Preston, but couldn't get through at all.
"Damn, what's up with these two, both disappearing at the same time."
Silas put away his phone and jogged into the elevator.
Thea Lynch was not home.
There was no choice, Silas rushed back to the estate. Only Grandpa Lynch and an aunt were there.
Aunt: "Miss Lynch? I haven't seen her come over today. Wasn't she supposed to work today?"
"Did she come back yesterday or the day before?"
"She came once yesterday afternoon, but left without having dinner."
"Did she say anything when she came?"
"I wouldn't know, Miss Lynch was talking with the old officer the whole time, while I was cooking."
Grandpa Lynch was getting on in years, occasionally not very clear-headed. Silas couldn't ask him much.
Leaving the Lynch estate, Silas dialed again, "Are you busy? Help me find someone, she was still in Coronet yesterday, I need to know where she is now."
The other end was a friend familiar with him. "Do I know her?"
"You've heard of her, but haven't met her."
"Silas, someone around you, in Coronet, that I haven't met yet?" The other didn't believe him. "Who is it?"
Silas: "The little darling of the Lynch Family."
"..."
Half an hour later, Silas had a piece of surveillance footage.
In the morning, after leaving the company, Thea Lynch returned to the apartment, but went out not long after.
Of course, that wasn't the main point.
The main point was, the suitcase she was holding!
"Silas, I suspect Miss Lynch is planning to leave Coronet. Following up on this, I discovered she actually bought a plane ticket. She's flying to New York at three this afternoon, then transferring flights, with the final destination being Wexhaven International Airport."
"..." Upon hearing this address, Silas felt a chill down his spine, he raised his watch to check the time.
It was almost one o'clock.
Silas was planning to get someone to stop her when he ran into Ian Preston head-on.
"Third Brother, why didn't you answer my calls!" Seeing him, Silas covered his chest, finally able to catch a breath.
Ian had just returned to the estate, originally intending to call Silas back, but didn't expect to run into him here.
"Looking for me about something?"
"Thea Lynch! She's resigned."
His body stiffened slightly, his brow furrowing, "Today?"
"Yes." Silas nodded, "She didn't go through me, when I found out I went to look for her, later discovered she bought a ticket to New York, she's already at the airport now."
"Why is she so hot-tempered, didn't you explain everything? Quit if she wants, but why run off again."
"Do you think... she really doesn't want to come back this time?"
After speaking, Silas looked up. There was no one across from him anymore. He caught up just in time to see Ian getting into a car.
——
Coronet International Airport, VIP lounge.
Thea Lynch was leaning on a chair, still on the phone with her uncle.
"Brought everything with you?"
"Yes, yes, everything you asked for is prepared, not a single thing missing. Don't you trust me?"
Uncle: "Trust you, you're the most meticulous when it comes to doing things in our family."
At this, Thea couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Her seat was quite secluded, in a corner, completely alone, quite suitable for resting. Just as she was about to hang up with her uncle, through the screen, she noticed a large group coming in outside, seemingly looking for something.
She couldn't see clearly from her position, only assumed it was airport staff checking something. Before she could look away, some "staff" came in to inspect around her.
After scanning the area, they finally locked their gaze on her.
Thea originally paid no mind, but the person suddenly bowed slightly towards her, then turned to leave.
That one gesture left her in shock, instinctively lifting her head to follow the figure's movement beyond the screen.
Not long after, a tall figure suddenly entered her view from outside the screen, Ian Preston abruptly stepped into her line of sight.
"..." What a coincidence? He on a business trip?
They locked eyes awkwardly for a few seconds, Thea inexplicably felt this man didn't seem to be in a good mood.
"Thea? Did the line drop?" On the phone, her uncle thought there was a signal problem.
"Oh no. Uncle, I have something to take care of, I'll hang up now, send you my flight details later."
She neatly put away her phone, looking up again, Ian had already walked up to her.
Since they were already face-to-face, a greeting was still necessary.
Thinking, she leaned forward slightly, attempting to stand.
The next moment, the man's hand with a bracelet pressed down on her shoulder, forcibly pushing her back to her seat.
The push wasn't quite heavy, but certainly had some force behind it, allowing her to clearly sense his surging emotions.
Startled by his sudden push, Thea sat blankly staring at him, the greeting she had been about to say turned into a question: "Third Brother?"
In front of her, Ian's eyes half-lidded, looking down at her with a hint of scrutiny, his aura oppressive as it poured down onto her.
She didn't quite understand, trying to rise again. She didn't know what Ian was going through, but she certainly disliked being stared at like that, akin to a lone wolf targeting prey.
Just as she slightly rose, her shoulder felt another weight. Thea was furious, swatted his hand away forcefully, "Ian! Are you crazy?"
Typically, she rarely reacted this way, for she had been taught by elders since childhood not to get angry over trivial matters, not to speak harshly, it wasn't worth it.
So when she faced unpleasant things at work, she just laughed them off. But she found herself truly unable to control her emotions in front of Ian.
This feeling of loss of control repeatedly left her feeling uneasy.
The man's hand remained firm on her shoulder, unmoving, as she finished shouting, he leaned down closer, his familiar presence enveloping her entirely, inescapable.
"..."
She was rendered speechless by his behavior.
"Where are you heading?" Ian lowered his head, the two close together. His heated breath fell against her cheek, burning Thea's face slightly red with warmth. "Leaving again without even a word?"
"Are you interrogating me?" Whatever patience she had dissipated completely, having no concern for the space between them, Thea's eyes narrowed with exasperation, amused by anger: "Third Brother, who says my schedule must be reported to you?"
"To be honest, I've been wondering lately. Did Third Brother's company go bankrupt? Truly nothing else to do?"
She wasn't surprised that he could find out where she was heading.
Just didn't understand his motive.
Knowing she had resigned? But it shouldn't warrant such a fuss.
Thinking thoroughly, Thea felt he was just out of his mind.
Her face showed all her displeasure, Ian saw his reflection in her eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down a few times before he hoarsely murmured, "You don't need to report any schedule to me."
"Then why are you..."
Ian: "I'm asking you to tell me."
"!" Thea's pupils trembled fiercely.
At this moment, the light in the man's eyes dimmed.
His gaze seemed filled with a plea, his thin lips shifted slightly, quivering with inquiry: "Why go back? Thea, I'm begging you for an answer."