"No. I don't think your dad is still in Ylore,” Chad said. "If your dad is alive, we will definitely find him,”
"But what if he's dead? Will we not find him if he's dead?" Layla asked.
"Layla, if your dad is gone for good, you will need to stay strong because your mom is going to take it harder than anyone of you. Apart from your mom, you need to be there for your little brother as well." Chad did not want to say this, but words simply came flying out.
Just as Layla had suggested, if they could not find Elliot after such a long search, it was possible that he was dead. They simply did not want to accept that.
"I say this, but I still believe with all my heart that your dad is still alive. He is a brilliant and sharp man and can always overcome any situation no matter how hard they are. I've worked alongside him for years, and I've seen him encountering troubles all the time, but he has always been able to resolve them easily."
Chad meant to comfort Layla, but those words were said to himself as well.
Once Avery landed in Bridgedale, she immediately turned on her phone to call Layla.
"Layla, I've traveled to Bridgedale. I didn’t have enough time to tell you before I left."
"Uncle George told me," Layla said. "Mom, I miss you already." "I know, but I'm here because there's something I need to deal with. I will come home as soon as I'm done, okay?" Avery comforted her with a soft voice. "Layla, why don't I ask Uncle Mike to go and keep you guys company, hm?"
"It's fine! You all have your own things to do and I have school every day, too."
Though she was upset, Layla was never an unreasonable child. "Mommy, Natalie is a bad person. She said Daddy is dead so certainly that it sounded like she has seen his body with her own eyes! I think she got Daddy killed."
"Mike, do you think that there's a possibility that Natalie Jennings is behind what happened to Elliot?" Layla's words lingered in Avery's mind.
"That's possible. Don't underestimate Natalie," Mike said. "She has no family to support her and got to where she is with her own effort. Without a brilliant mind and willpower, she would not have become this successful."
"She said Elliot is dead. If she doesn't know what happened, what would prompt her to say such a thing? She is being suspicious."
"Natalie isn't going anywhere. Let's just handle the current situation first and circle back to investigating Natalie after this. You told me to look into MediLove
Pharmaceutical and I've printed out all the information I found so that you can read through them as soon as we get home. But I would suggest that you prepare it after you get some rest. After all, the drama of that family is just... well, a lot to catch up with!”
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