Rina had already taken care of everything in advance.
Since Kaia hadn’t gotten her driver’s license yet, Rina had hired a private chauffeur beforehand. For the duration of Elise’s stay in Rivergate, the driver would be entirely at their disposal.
Upon leaving the airport, Kaia first took Elise to the hotel to check in. Rina had booked a presidential suite with two bedrooms, which worked out perfectly—one for Kaia and one for Elise.
Once they were settled, Kaia rolled Elise’s luggage into the master bedroom.
"Elise, you take the master bedroom! Miss Rina told me you’re pregnant, and this room has a little balcony, so it gets much better light and ventilation!"
Not only did Kaia look sweet and adorable, but her voice also carried a soft, almost childlike cadence.
Looking at her, Elise couldn’t help but smile, her eyes softening.
"Thank you." Her voice was gentle as she lightly pressed her hand against her lower back. "My back is aching a bit, so I think I’ll stay in today."
Seeing Elise support her lower back, Kaia—though entirely inexperienced herself—knew that pregnancy was exhausting work.
"Are you tired from the flight?"
"Probably."
"Then you should lie down and rest right away! If you need anything at all, just let me know. Please don’t be polite with me!"
"Thank you, but I’m fine for now. I’ll just go lie down. If you have other things to attend to, go ahead and take care of them. Don’t worry about me."
"Oh, I’ve cleared my schedule for the next few days," Kaia replied earnestly. "Miss Rina told me to take good care of you. That is my most important mission right now!"
Elise offered a helpless smile. "You’re a college student. I can’t let you neglect your studies for my sake."
"It’s really fine! I’m in the acting department, so our class schedules are pretty flexible. A few days off won’t hurt."
The acting department?
Elise was a bit surprised. "You’re studying acting?"
Kaia scratched her head sheepishly. "Well, I actually started out as a child actress. But my old agency was incredibly predatory. Luckily, Miss Rina rescued me. She says I still need time to mature and hone my craft, though, so she doesn’t want me taking on acting gigs just yet. She wants me to keep my head down and finish university first."
"My sister made the right call," Elise said. "It’s always good for a young woman to get an education. The entertainment industry is too hyper-focused on fame and fortune. You’re still young; getting dragged into that vanity fair too early isn’t necessarily a good thing."
Kaia nodded vigorously. "I know Miss Rina has my best interests at heart. Don’t worry, Elise, I definitely won’t let her down after all the guidance and expectations she’s given me!"
"It’s good that you understand." Elise gave her a warm smile. "I’m going to head to my room now."
"All right!"
Back in her room, Elise unpacked a set of comfortable pajamas and headed into the bathroom for a quick, warm shower. Afterward, much of her exhaustion had melted away. She lay down on the bed and turned on her phone.
There were a few messages waiting for her from Rina and Miss Shaw. Elise replied to them, let out a yawn, set her phone down, and quickly drifted off into a hazy sleep.
By the time she woke up again, the sky outside was pitch black. The ache in her lower back had eased significantly, her energy was restored, and her stomach was beginning to rumble.
She checked the time—it was already past seven in the evening.
Remembering Kaia, she threw off the covers and got out of bed. Opening the bedroom door, Elise stepped out into the living room.
Where did she go?
She had explicitly told Elise to wait for her at the entrance just a moment ago. How could she have vanished in the blink of an eye?
In a panic, Kaia grabbed a passerby. "Excuse me, sir, did you see my friend? She was just standing by the door—tall, slender, very fair skin, beautiful eyes, wearing a beige trench coat..."
She asked several people in a row, but everyone claimed they hadn’t noticed.
Kaia completely panicked.
She rushed out of the shop, spinning around in every direction, but there was absolutely no sign of Elise. The pedestrian street was growing more crowded by the minute; trying to find someone with the naked eye was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Pulling out her phone, Kaia dialed Elise’s number.
The call went through, ringing and ringing, but nobody answered.
What should I do?
With her calls going unanswered, a terrifying thought crossed her mind—could something have happened to her? But that shouldn’t be possible; Rivergate’s public safety and policing had been incredibly strict in recent years. You never heard of anyone getting abducted in broad daylight...
Her mind racing with worst-case scenarios, Kaia blindly dialed Rina’s number in the chaos.
Fortunately, Rina picked up almost instantly.
The moment the call connected, Kaia’s mouth puckered, and her sweet voice immediately dissolved into a tearful sob: "Miss Rina... I lost Elise on the pedestrian street..."

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