Chapter 517
I exchanged a nce with Hannah, muttering under my breath, "Could she really have left the house?
But where could she go?"
Hannah looked at me and suggested, "Maybe we should check the backyard again. Do you think she
might have gone to the gazebo?"
"At this hour? By herself? That seems unlikely," I replied skeptically.
"We''ve been hanging out in the gazebo these past few days. Maybe she got used to it?" Hannah
spected.
I nodded, conceding the point. Indeed, we had spent a lot of time there recently, sending a clear
message to any potential trespassers that it was upied. She might have headed in that direction.
I took Cami''s hand and we turned to head back towards the backyard, though a part of my mind
wondered about Fidelia''s courage. It was pitch dark, and yet she had the guts to venture out alone.
Monique would never have even entertained such an idea.
Our back-and-forthmotion eventually roused Galen. He came out of his room, wrapped in a robe,
and asked, "What''s going on?"
Cami immediately flushed with embarrassment and apologized profusely to my father, "Mr. Wilburn,
we think Fidelia has run off."
Galen, puzzled, looked at me for an exnation. I gave him a brief rundown and reassured him, "You
go back to bed. We''ll handle this. It’s dark, and she couldn''t have gone far."
I didn''t want Cami to feel more anxious with Galen around.
He nodded, trying to ease Cami''s worry, "Don''t fret. She knows this ce like the back of her hand.
She''ll be fine."
"I''m so sorry for disturbing your rest," she said, bowing her head repeatedly in a humble attempt to
smooth things over.
Hannah, getting impatient, urged, "Enough apologies, and let''s hurry to the backyard."
Galen waved us off, "Go on then and remember, don’t scold her when you find her. Speak gently."
I pulled Cami along, hastening our pace towards the backyard.
The backyard was quite expansive, with a bamboo grove, a well, and a row of servant quarters that
had long been converted into storage spaces, usually kept locked.
Opposite the bamboo stood a sizable pond, covered in water lilies, with an octagonal pavilion adjoining
the veranda for a better view of the lilies. In the dead of night, only the leaves rustled, creating
unsettling shadows.
Despite our calls, there was no response.
Hannah, with swift feet, raced to the back gate. It was unlocked. She pushed it open and stepped out. I
quickly followed, with Cami trailing behind, unfamiliar with the terrain.
The gazebo''s door was also unlocked. We had been bringing the kids over daily to y untilte, and
there had been no signs of intrusion over the past couple of days.
Hannah pushed open the door and called out, "Fidelia."
Silence met us.
Then we went in, flicking on the lights. I scanned the area, the rocking chair under the wisteria was
empty.
I hurried into the small building with Cami right behind me. The silence inside was broken only by our
footsteps on the wooden floor, echoing emptily.
Hannah was the first to dash upstairs. As she stepped, a crisp snap sounded underfoot. She looked
down, then bent to pick up a small object.
"What is it?" I moved closer, peering curiously over her shoulder, with Cami also leaning in.
Suddenly, Cami gasped as she replied, "That''s Fidelia''s hair clip."
I looked at Cami, "Are you sure it''s Fidelia''s?"
"Yes, she was wearing it when she went to bed." Cami''s lips quivered, her eyes filled with disbelief.
A chill ran through me as I exchanged a nce with Hannah.
"Don''t move," Hannah said firmly, "I''ll check upstairs." Content of Draм??ovels
She bounded up to the third floor and returned momentster, shaking her head, "She''s not there."
A wave of panic surged through me, but I tried to deny the obvious conclusion, "It means Fidelia was
here recently."
Hannah and I shared a look of rm. Both of us knew what this implied.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.