?Chapter 1076:


    They made their way to the curb, eyes scanning for an avable taxi.


    Margie noticed the way Yvonne pressed her hand to her abdomen and frowned with concern. “Yvonne, are you okay? Do you feel sick or just starving? Should we stop for food first?”


    Yvonne waved down a cab and shook her head. “Let’s find Frank. The sooner we do, the better. We can eat afterward.”


    They slid into the taxi and gave the driver the address for Frank’s studio.


    The car moved at a sluggish pace, which gave Yvonne time to study the scenery rolling past.


    She’d already looked into Frank’s work—his gritty, often harrowing career as a war correspondent—though his base of operations remained here in Smouburg.


    Known for its neutrality, the country thrived on industry andmerce, untouched by the global conflicts it observed from a distance.


    As she watched the rhythm of city life out the window, her mind drifted to Frank’s haunting photographs. A quiet sadness crept in. How must it feel, shifting from war-torn regions to the serene pulse of a ce like this?


    But the thought evaporated as the car slowed—Frank’s studio was just ahead.


    They were greeted by his assistant, a poised woman with sharp eyes and an air of efficiency.


    When Yvonne and Margie stepped inside, the woman spotted them and weed them with a burst of warmth that filled the room. The intensity of her greeting left both women momentarily stunned, caught off guard by such open enthusiasm.


    Tilting her head, the woman asked, “You’re here for the meeting with Frank, right? I’m Erin. Frank’s tied up at the moment.”


    While speaking, Erin Schmidt turned on her heel and led them down a quiet hallway toward the reception room. “He won’t be able to meet you just yet. We’ll let you know when he’s free.”


    With no alternative, Yvonne and Margie settled into the reception room, resigned to wait as time ticked by.


    Erin soon excused herself and returned to her tasks, leaving the two alone.


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    Yvonne rubbed her temple, trying to shake off the haze settling behind her eyes. Hunger gnawed at her so fiercely it made her head spin. Minutes dragged into hours, and still, no one came. Outside, the sky dimmed from afternoon light to a soft, mncholic dusk.


    Office staff asionally walked past the ss walls, a few stealing nces their way, but not a single person paused to speak.


    “This is absurd,” Margie muttered, her tone sharp. “We had a scheduled appointment—why hasn’t Frank Lee shown up?”


    Yvonne’s voice was barely audible. “Let’s give it a little more time.” She didn’t offer more. Fatigue and hunger had dulled even the effort it took tofort Margie.


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