ire said, “Please don’t hang up just yet. After the beep, kindly rate my service: press one for very satisfied, press two for satisfied, and press three for not satisfied.”


    Charlie eximed, “One! Very satisfied!”


    ire beamed and replied, “Thank you so much for your rating, dear. This concludes our conversation. Until next time!”


    ***


    That night, Charlie found himself restless, unable to drift off to sleep.<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    Even though he had only moved up a level, this was the first night he was sharing a bed with ire since their wedding.


    However, they maintained their own space, each using their own pillows and nkets.


    Charlie was particrly cautious not to cross the 38th parallel north that divided them; the thought of being demoted a level was too daunting for him!


    On the flip side, ire was also struggling to fall asleep, feeling quite anxious and jittery.


    Her heart raced so intensely it felt like it might leap from her chest, even though she and Charlie were separated by their nkets and not touching at all.


    After all, this was her first time sharing a bed with a man since she had moved out of her childhood home, which naturally contributed to her nervousness.


    They bothy awake for a long time, minds filled with unease and uncertainty, until they eventually fell asleep one after another.


    The following morning, when Charlie opened his eyes, he noticed that ire was missing.


    He then heard the sounds of running water from the bathroom, indicating that ire was taking a shower.


    ire was very particr about her hygiene, always bathing in the morning and evening, which Charlie foundpletely normal.


    He got out of bed and stretched, but just as he was about to step down, his phone buzzed under his pillow.


    He grabbed the phone and saw that it was a call from Lisa. As soon as he answered, her panicked voice filled his ear, “Charlie, something’s happened at the orphanage!”


    Charlie quickly sat up and asked, “What’s going on?! Calm down and tell me slowly.”


    Lisa broke down in tears, “Ten children are missing! We think they’ve been kidnapped!”


    “What?!” Charlie felt a rush of anxiety and anger. “Lisa, what exactly happened? Please, give me the details!”


    “This morning, when the day-shift matron arrived to take over from the night-shift matron, she found the night-shift matron unconscious and all ten children in the nursery missing! The matron is currently in the hospital, and the doctor believes she was given a strong anesthetic!”


    Charlie’s face burned with rage and frustration as he eximed, “Who would do something so audacious? How dare they kidnap orphans?!”


    Lisa replied through her sobs, “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, but we managed to thwart their previous attempts. Human traffickers are rampant these days—not just at the orphanage, but also targeting children in hospitals, homes, and even on the streets during the day!”


    With a choked voice, Lisa continued, “The main reason for this is the immense profit involved in trafficking. They can easily sell each child for up to one hundred thousand. Wealthy individuals who cannot have children are willing to pay top dor for attractive ones…”


    Charlie pressed on, “What’s the current situation? Have you called the police?”<fn5f3a> Latest content published on findnovel</fn5f3a>


    Lisa answered, “Yes, Mrs. Lewis and the director contacted the police this morning, and they’ve opened an investigation. However, the police believe that the night-shift matron was drugged around 3 am, meaning the children were taken four hours ago. They could have already left Aurous Hill or even the province by now!”