Alex still came to pick up Candice as usual, but the weather wasn't great today. It was gloomy and looked like it was about to rain.
For some reason, Alex felt uneasy.
When Lauren came out of the office and saw him at the entrance, she approached and greeted, "Alex? Why are you still here? Didn't Candice already go back?"
"She went back?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, she went to meet a client in the afternoon and never came back to the office. I guess she went straight home from there," Lauren explained.
With furrowed brows, Alex left.
On the way back, he tried calling Candice to ask if she had gone home, but no one answered.
Alex couldn't help but feel his heart sink. While Candice wouldn't initiate calls, she usually answered his. Especially lately, when she was at work, Alex would stay with Ellis, and Candice would answer the phone out of concern for Ellis.
Just as Alex reached Candice's home, it started raining heavily.
The nanny wouldn't stay overnight and would leave every evening. When Alex returned, she was already a bit annoyed. "I've already stayed half an hour late. I think I should get overtime pay."
Alex asked in a grave tone, "Where's Candice? Has she come back?"
"No. If she had come back, I wouldn't have stayed overtime," the nanny replied.
Alex's heart sank even more.
He looked outside. It was pouring outside, and the sky was terrifyingly dark.
Suppressing his impatience, he contacted Lauren to ask if the client Candice was supposed to meet was still with her.
Soon, Lauren called him back. “I asked Edmund, and he said Candice didn't show up. He's pretty upset about being stood up.”
Lauren also sensed something was wrong. Candice was usually very diligent at work, and it was unlike her to be so irresponsible.
Just as she was about to ask Alex more, he ended the call.
With his phone in hand, Alex's sense of unease grew stronger, but he forced himself to stay calm and organized.
Ellis was on the couch as the rain continued. She seemed to have sensed Alex's unease and was fidgety and whimpering.
Only then did Alex notice Ellis's distress. He looked at the sky outside and had to suppress his anxiety and tension while comforting Ellis.
When Sieg arrived, the rain had intensified. Upon entering, he shouted, "Have you told Candice I was coming?"
He was aware that Candice didn't like him.
However, upon entering, he noticed something was wrong; Alex's face was unusually serious.
"What's wrong?" Sieg asked.
"Candice is missing," Alex replied.
"Do you suspect Oscar did something to her?" Sieg inquired.
Alex hugged Ellis, took a deep breath, and replied with a heavy tone, "I don't know."
He had sent people to look for her. He would have gone himself, but Ellis was still at home.
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