He Cheated I Rose Making Him Regret Everything (Chloe and Arthur) novel Chapter 646

"Come out! I saw you."

There was no response. Oralia's nerves grew tighter by the second. Ever since she'd realized she couldn't retrace her steps, she knew she'd strayed into one of those service corridors behind the main halls—the kind meant for discreet guest movement between sections. Only venue staff familiar with the layout could navigate them smoothly.

Hidden doors lined the passages, connecting different wings of the building. Without someone who knew the way, you could wander around lost all night.

Oralia was already kicking herself for not keeping closer to Chloe. Now she was stuck here, wasting precious time. If something went wrong and she missed part of the awards ceremony, it would be a disaster.

Everyone had seen her arrive. Winning was one thing, but if they announced Best Actress and she wasn't there to be caught on camera, the media would have a field day.

"Is someone there? Can you say something?" Oralia kept her voice low but tense. "I'm Oralia. Who is it?"

"Heh."

A soft chuckle drifted from the shadows, and Oralia froze. That voice—it sounded way too familiar.

Footsteps approached, and Robert stepped into view just ahead of her.

The moment she recognized him, Oralia's eyes widened in surprise. "Robert? What are you doing back here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing. You're the star tonight—the ceremony's in full swing. Why are you roaming around service hallways?"

Oralia fumbled for an explanation.

Robert studied her—her knuckles were white where she gripped her gown, wrinkling the delicate fabric. He raised an eyebrow. "Look at you, all jumpy. If your fans saw you like this, they'd probably ask for a refund."

"Well, they're not seeing me," Oralia replied with an uneasy laugh, then grew serious again. "Seriously, kid, what's going on? Why are you here?"

She'd originally come looking for Chloe, but after losing track of her, she'd somehow ended up in this maze of back corridors. Running into Robert was the last thing she'd expected.

"I was—" Robert began, thinking of Vincent—he'd actually been trying to track down Eugene earlier. He'd spotted him not long ago, but then the guy had just... vanished.

It was strange.

He shouldn't have disappeared so completely. Maybe he'd slipped into another section?

"Let's get out of here first. How long have you been lost? Do you remember which way you came?" Robert glanced down the dimly lit hall behind Oralia. The passage behind him seemed even longer. Maybe her side offered a quicker way out.

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