"But we are very worried about her. What if something happens to her?" Edward insisted. He had never had Leena out of his sight before. He was okay with leaving her alone and not seeing her in the flesh, but he must at least know where she was and that she was safe.
"No, I'm not for you guys looking for her. After all, she is a grown up woman and knows what she is doing. For God's sakes, she has lived in Paris alone and you did not bat an eyelash! You can't always treat her as a little girl. Moreover, she has done a great deal to make sure that you couldn't find her. So why do you have to go against her will? You all have to take a hint. She does not want to be found yet," Jonathan pointed out, gazing at his son. He had always treated Leena as his own daughter. Although he was also worried about her, he had decided to respect her personal decision.
"Your words make perfect sense, but I still worry about her. What if something bad happens to her? What if someone hurts her?" Edward asked with a frown. Jonathan had him almost 100% convinced, except for the question of her safety. It was hard for him to ignore that part. He had regarded Leena more as his daughter instead of his sworn sister, and he couldn't bear losing her.
"How about this? I can send my men to look for her. But I will only tell you that she's good. If and when I do find her, I won't tell you where she is. I want her to enjoy a relaxing journey. I prefer her peace of mind over yours," Jonathan offered. Apparently he knew something, but he just didn't want to tell Edward.
"Yes, thank you father. As long as I know she's safe and sound, I, together with everyone else, can rest assured." As a clever man, Edward realized something was wrong when his father, who disliked poking his nose into others' business, refused to tell him Leena's whereabouts. But he had to agree with his father's offer.
Seeing Edward coming out of the study, Daisy walked up to him and asked, "What did father say?"
"My gut is telling me that he knows something. As a matter of fact, I am starting to believe that the reason, Leena is able to hide from us has something to do with him. Otherwise, it is impossible for us to not have any clue. I think she has found someone who is able to keep her from us, and that person must be someone she is familiar with. Also, father said that he wanted her to 'enjoy a relaxing journey'." The more Edward heard what he himself said, the more he became suspicious of his father.
"Well, your words do make sense. Even Hawkeye is unable to find any tiny clue about Leena." Daisy stroked her chin, thinking carefully about Edward's words. Because of Leena's disappearance, Kevin had been in extremely low spirits, and Daisy had to take over most of his affairs in the army base.
By now, many people had known about Leena suddenly going away and were naturally worried about her. Tom especially blamed himself for not having noticed the early clues and signs that she was about to give up and disappear. He had sensed something had been wrong with her, but he didn't pay enough attention to it. He thought it was just some petty domestic quarrels with her husband. Now, Tom couldn't forgive himself for failing to prevent it.
"Have you found Leena?" Patricia asked, leaning against the window to support herself. She had just finished practicing walking, and she was really tired.
"Not yet. But Edward said she's safe and sound, and asked us not to worry about her." Remorse filled his voice. He shouldn't have listened to Leena. If he had told Kevin the truth the last time he came to visit him, then maybe Kevin would have detected her unusual behavior and nipped it in the bud. Leena wouldn't have gone missing now.
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