On the other side, Joyce took a brief rest in the hotel where she was staying, waiting for news from Luther. She couldn't sleep soundly, as pregnancy had left her unusually exhausted. After dozing off for a while, she woke up to find that the sky had darkened. As she sat up, she felt sweat all over her back, her forehead covered in perspiration, and her throat parched with thirst.
Upon hearing Joyce's movements, Darrin, who was in the adjacent room of the suite, immediately walked over and knocked on the door. "Miss, are you awake?"
He opened the door and entered, seeing Joyce wanting to pour herself some water. He quickly stepped forward and poured her a glass. "Thank you."
Joyce took the glass and drank it all in one go, but the discomfort in her chest didn't alleviate. She glanced at her phone and saw that Luther hadn't called or messaged her. So, she asked Darrin, "Has he contacted you? Any news?"
Darrin shook his head. "No, Miss. It has been four years since the incident. Investigating this won't be a quick task. As long as it's a human act, there will always be traces left behind."
"Okay," Joyce nodded. She was internally anxious, wanting to hold onto hope but afraid to hope too much. This conflicting feeling tore at her repeatedly, making it impossible for her to find peace.
"You must be hungry. I'll order some food for you," Darrin stood up, turned, and walked toward the living room of the suite to make the call.
Joyce walked around the room and finally stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. She looked outside as the night gradually replaced the day, leaving only darkness, which made her feel empty inside.
After struggling for a moment, unable to wait patiently any longer, she decided to urge Luther. She picked up her phone and dialed his number.
As soon as the call connected, she heard the ringing sound not far away. She quickly turned around and coincidentally, Luther opened the door and walked in, holding the still ringing phone in his hand.
Upon seeing her, Luther shook the phone in front of her. "I'm back."
Joyce quickly hung up the phone and rushed towards him. "How is it going? Any new discoveries?"
Luther, carrying her in his arms, walked towards the sofa and sat down with her on it. "Impatient, aren't we?" He kissed her cheek and got straight to the point, "I made some progress. Someone bribed the vice director of the hospital back then and publicly claimed that Iris was dead. They even used fake ashes. But the truth is, Iris was secretly taken away and hidden."
Joyce held her breath, waiting for him to continue. Hope surged within her once again.
"But for now, we don't know who did it. We need to further investigate. What we can be certain of is that when they privately took Iris away and hid her, Iris was still alive," Luther continued.
"And now? Does anyone know Iris's current situation?" Joyce asked eagerly.
Luther shook his head. "Not clear. Even the vice director doesn't know how Iris is currently doing. After all, he hasn't seen her since then."
"Why did they take Iris away? What is their purpose? I can't figure out who I offended and why they would do this," Joyce covered her mouth, her face turning pale.
"Do you have any clue about who the other party might be?" She looked up into his eyes, filled with anticipation.
Luther's eyes darkened, and he looked away. Suddenly, he embraced her.
"No clues for now. Don't worry, give me some more time, and I will definitely find out," he said, resting his chin on her trembling shoulder. He couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes that were filled with hope.
He kept the truth from her. He already knew who was behind all this. But for now, he didn't want to tell her.
Joyce's voice trembled with sadness. "Why did all of this happen to me? Why would someone target a child? Poor Iris, she had to rely on various instruments and tubes to survive from the moment she was born, and now she has to endure this..."
Luther gently patted her back. "Don't worry. The chances of Iris being alive are high. It's already a blessing from above. Whatever conditions the other party may propose, we can meet them. We will definitely save Iris. Trust me."
"But... we don't know what they really want..." Joyce's voice choked up. At this point, she was willing to give up everything in exchange for Iris's return.
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No updates for more than 3 days hope this isn't stopping here???...