With that, Jessica turned and walked away.
Before she left, she cast a quick nce at Lilian, and the two exchanged a silent, knowing look.
Stanley and Samuel stood together, and Samuel nced at his watch. "Mr. Hawk, Dr. Cen will be making her appearance soon."
Stanley turned to Samuel. "How do you know Dr. Cen?"
Samuel didn''t answer directly. Instead, he said, "You know her too."
Stanley''s brow furrowed. Wendy had said the same thing to him before-that he knew Dr. Cen. Now, Samuel was saying the same thing. What was going on here?
What did Samuel and Wendy mean by this?
Could it be that Dr. Cen was someone Stanley knew after all? Had Dr. Cen always been right under his nose?
Just then, the host spoke up. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us tonight. The moment we''ve all been waiting for is finally here. Let''s wee Dr. Cen!"
Everyone''s attention shifted upstairs, their breaths held in anticipation for Dr. Cen''s arrival.
Stanley looked up.
Edith, Trish, and Lilian had moved to the front. Edith was practically vibrating with excitement. "Here ites! Dr. Cen is finally here!"
Everyone waited eagerly.
But after a moment, nothing happened. The silence upstairs lingered.
Whispers began to spread. "What''s going on? Why hasn''t Dr. Cen arrived yet?"
"Has Dr. Cen actuallye?"
The host began to look concerned. Dr. Cen was supposed to make an entrance right about now, but where was the doctor?
Quickly, the host announced, "Please be patient, everyone. I''ll go check upstairs. Dr. Cen will be here soon."
The host hurried upstairs.
Trish frowned. “Could Dr. Cen be backing out again tonight? We all came here for the doctor."
Stanley''s brow furrowed as he looked at Samuel. “Mr. Samuel, this Dr. Cen sure likes to keep people guessing. The doctor''s making us all wait."
Samuel, too, was puzzled. Wendy had already arrived, so why didn''t she show up? Had something happened?
Without wasting a moment, Samuel rushed upstairs.
Stanley, too, felt a growing curiosity. He had missed Dr. Cen on several asions now, and after all this time, he was eager to find out who this mysterious person really was.
Just then, his phone rang with a clear, melodic tone. It was an iing call.
Stanley quickly answered, and Jessica''s frantic voice filled the line. "Stanley, please, you have to help me!"
+25 BOREYS
Stanley''s fingers clenched around the phone. "What happened? Calm down. Tell me what''s happening. I need to know everything."
"Stanley, I-ah!"
A piercing scream echoed through the phone, followed by a sharp beep as the call abruptly ended.
Lilian rushed forward, her face full of concern. "Jessica called you?"
Stanley''s expression darkened as he pressed his lips together. "Something''s happened to her."
"How could this be? She just went to the bathroom earlier," Lilian said. "We need to go check on her right away!" They rushed to thedies'' restroom. Inside, the scene was chaotic, evidence of a struggle all around. Jessica''s phoney on the floor, shattered into two pieces.
Lilian picked up the broken phone and handed it to Stanley, her voice trembling. "Look, it''s Jessica''s phone! Do you think she''s been kidnapped?"
Edith and Trish had arrived by now, both clearly shaken.
"Who would have taken Jessica? She has a weak heart-she can''t handle this kind of stress!" Edith said worriedly.
Trish added urgently, "Mr. Hawk, please, you have to think of a way to save her!"
Stanley stared at the broken phone in his hands, his face tuming colder with each passing second.
Just then, his phone rang again, its melodious tone breaking the tense silence.