Chapter 226
TIMOTHY POV
*
097% 11:2
+5
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow in Aria’s cozy living room.
Timothy sat on the edge of the couch, frustration etched on his face as he ran a hand through his
hair. The hunt for Bruce felt like trying to catch smoke with bare hands- elusive and impossible.
“Any ideas?” Timothy asked, his voice taut with urgency.
Aria, perched on the arm of an adjacent chair, chewed her lip in thought. “Evie was pretty vague
about where she lived, right? She only mentioned the town.”
Lucas, reclined on the floor, frowned as he considered. “Yeah, she was pretty cryptic about it. Didn’t
give specifics.”
Timothy’s mind raced. The mention of the town triggered a distant memory, a fleeting recollection
from the past. He paused, eyes widening as realization dawned on him. “Wait… that town. I’ve been
there before.”
Aria and Lucas exchanged nces, curiosity evident in their expressions. “You have?” Aria leaned
forward, her eyes locking onto Timothy’s.
He nodded, a surge of determination rising within him. “Evie’s old home. I visited it once, a long time
ago. That might be where Bruce is hiding.”
Without wasting another moment, Timothy rushed back to his car and sped off. The drive was
tense, silence hanging heavy in the air as he navigated the winding roads toward the town etched in
his memory.
Arriving in the quaint town, memories flooded back to Timothy. The streets seemed frozen in time,
unchanged from hisst visit. He directed the car through the familiarnes, the anticipation building
with each passing moment.
Eventually, he came upon that familiar little home. It didn’t have the same foreboding aura that it
once carried. There were delicate little decorations in the yard, the grass was cut, and the walls
were painted a delicate blue.
As he stepped out of the car, the weight of uncertainty bore down on him. He approached the door
and rang the doorbell. A few moments passed before the door creaked open, revealing a middle–
aged woman peering at him curiously.
1/4
Joyread
Emergency calls only
V
* 097%
11:25
“Can I help you?” Her voice carried a cautious tone, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied
Timothy.
“Hello, I’m sorry to bother you. I was wondering if a man named Bruce lives here?” Timothy asked,
trying to hide the urgency in his voice.
The woman furrowed her brows, shaking her head in response. “I’m afraid not. No one by that
name lives here.”
A wave of despair washed over Timothy. His shoulders slumped as he searched for words,
desperation wing at his chest. “Did… by any chance, do you know someone named Evie? She
might have lived here before.”
The woman’s expression softened slightly, as if trying to recall. “Evie? No, I moved into this house
years ago, and it was never owned by an Evie. They found the cepletely abandoned before
I remodeled it. I’m sorry.”
Timothy’s heart sank deeper, the sense of hopelessness engulfing him. He managed a weak smile,
trying to mask his disappointment. “Thank you for your time.”
Turning away from the door, Timothy felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He had been so certain,
grasping at straws in his search for Evie. The realization that he had hit yet another dead end
weighed heavily on him, a deep sense of failure gnawing at his resolve.
Back in his car, he sat in silence, grappling with a flood of emotions. The frustration of chasing
shadows mixed with the overwhelming concern for Evie. The sun had just begun dipping over the
horizon. It was gettingte.
With a heavy heart, he started the car and drove back home. Pulling up in front of his apartment
building, Timothy parked the car and let out a deep sigh.
After a long moment, Timothy pulled out his phone and dialed the emergency line. The call
connected, and he jumped right into his exnation, detailing Evie’s sudden disappearance.
“I need to file a missing person report,” Timothy said..
The operator assured him that an officer would be dispatched to take the report. Moments stretched
into an agonizing wait, each second ticking by like an eternity. Finally, the arrival of a police car
disrupted the quiet of the neighborhood.
An officer stepped out, introducing herself as Officer Reynolds. Timothy quickly ryed the details,
the sense of urgency palpable in his words. He recounted everything he knew, from Evie’s
unexined absence to the elusive connection with Bruce.
2/4
Emergency calls only
X=097%
11:2
Officer Reynolds listened attentively, her expression reflecting a mix of concern and determination.
“We’ll do everything we can to locate Evie, Mr. Timothy. Our team will start an investigation based
on the information you’ve provided.”
Relief washed over Timothy, albeit tinged with uncertainty. He thanked Officer Reynolds, a glimmer
of hope flickering within him despite the overwhelming sense of defeat. As the officer returned to
her car to initiate the investigation, Timothy was left alone with his thoughts, the weight of the
situation pressing down on him.
As he ascended the elevator to his apartment, a sense of unease settled within him. He needed
rity, needed to act. Bruce could’ve been doing anything to Evie, and Timothy felt useless just
sitting there.
“Aria?” Timothy’s voice carried surprise as he noticed her walking toward her own apartment.
She turned, her eyes frantic. “Hey, Timothy. Did you find anything out?”
Timothy’s expression fell, a sense of defeat shadowing his features. “No, nothing. The current
owner of Evie’s old home doesn’t know anything about her or Bruce.”
Aria’s brows furrowed, mirroring Timothy’s frustration. “Oh. I thought we were onto something
there.”
He let out a sigh. “Yeah, me too. Anyway, I wound up calling the police and filing a report.”
“A report?” Aria blinked, but her head quickly fell. “I was hoping it wouldn’t have toe to that.”
“It was for the best. We don’t have any other leads outside of Bruce being the likely cause,” said
Timothy. “As much as I want to handle him personally, we have no choice but to get the authorities
involved again.”
At the mention of Bruce’s name, Aria bristled and frowned. “That didn’t go too wellst time. What if
he knows we’re getting the police involved and does something to Evie?”
“As long as we keep it a surprise, it shouldn’t be a problem for now,” he assured her. “Either way,
we’ll just have to wait it out for any updates from the police.”
Aria nodded sympathetically. “I understand. Well, I’ll be up for a while too, just in case you hear
back. Let me know if anythinges up.”
“Will do,” Timothy replied, managing a faint smile before bidding her goodnight.
As he entered his apartment, a sense of restlessness settled within him. He nced at the clock; it
was already
N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.
3/4
Jovread
Emergency calls only
past midnight.
*全国97%
11:2
He settled on his couch, the silence of the night amplifying the turbulence in his mind. Evie’s
absence weighed heavily on his thoughts, the frustration simmering beneath the surface. He
checked his phone repeatedly, hoping for a message or call from Evie or the authorities.
The faint glow of his phone screen illuminated the otherwise dim room. Timothy’s heart skipped a
beat as the device vibrated with a notification. He scrambled to grab it, hope surging within him. But
it was just a message from a friend, unrted to the investigation.
“Evie…” The name escaped from his lips and he slumped back onto the couch. Duke nuzzled into
his fingers, but even the cold touch of his wet nose hardly pulled Timothy away from his spiraling
thoughts.
4/4
色
SEND GIFT