Day Seventy-Four…
~~*****~~
[ At Sparks Mansion… ]
The sun had just begun to cast its gentle rays across the mansion. With a cheerful smile, Butler Li approached Ethan's door, holding a tray using his right hand. Using his free hand, he knocked on Ethan's door. The knocking sound echoed in the hallway.
"Young Master Ethan, it's breakfast ti," Butler Li called out in his composed, yet gentle voice, expecting to hear the familiar rustle of a child stirring from sleep or the lively response of a young boy eager for the day's adventures. However, there was no response from within.
Frowning slightly, Butler Li knocked again, a touch more firmly this ti, his concern growing as the seconds ticked by in silence. The absence of any reply or movent from inside the room raised a flicker of unease within the butler's composed deanor.
"Young Master Ethan?" Butler Li called out as he turned the doorknob, finding it unlocked.
With a gentle push, he opened the door to Ethan's room, the morning light filtering in, illuminating the space where the young master usually spent his mornings. As Butler Li stepped into the room, carrying the tray of breakfast, he was greeted by an unexpected sight.
Ethan's room was eerily empty, devoid of any sign of the young master's presence. The bed, neatly made, showed no signs of having been slept in. Butler Li's heart skipped a beat as he observed the pristine state of the room.
Confusion etched deeply onto his features, Butler Li set down the breakfast tray on a nearby table and headed to the bathroom, hoping that Ethan was just taking a bath. But he couldn't hear any sound from the shower. "Eh? Where is my young master?"
With a growing sense of alarm, Butler Li swiftly exited the room, alerting the household staff imdiately to organize a thorough search of the mansion, hoping to see Ethan's presence. After giving his order, he quickly headed to Nathan's room to report Ethan's disappearance.
"Master! Master!" Butler Li's urgent voice echoed outside Nathan's bedroom. It did not take long before Nathan opened the door. He was already wearing his black suit, getting ready to go to work.
"What's wrong?" Nathan asked the Butler in puzzlent. He could see his troubled expression.
"Is young master Ethan with you?" Butler Li couldn't hide his anxiousness.
"No. Why?" Nathan's brows furrowed in concern at the ntion of his son. "Did you check his room?"
"Yes, Master. I went there to deliver his breakfast only to find out that he was gone. There is no sign of the young master in his bedroom. It looks like he didn't spend the night here. I already mobilized everyone to search for him around the mansion." Butler Li spoke spontaneously, without taking a breath.
"Calm down. Talk slowly," Nathan ordered him sternly. He was annoyed to see Butler Li panicking.
Butler Li heaved a deep sigh before repeating his words. Nathan's expression turned cold. Ethan had no reason to disappear. He was so happy last night after spending so quality ti with Jane.
With his composed self, Nathan decided to check the CCTV footage and find out Ethan's whereabouts. Butler Li finally realized what was running in Nathan's mind. He imdiately followed him behind. He forgot to check the CCTV control room. It slipped his mind.
Upon entering the CCTV control room, Nathan proceeded to review the footage. To his surprise, the caras were switched off. A sense of unease crept over him. He suspected that his son had deliberately disabled the CCTV caras around the mansion. The caras had been turned off since 10:00 pm the previous night.
"Did he leave the mansion on his own?" Nathan pondered to himself. "But why? For what reason?"
An uneasy feeling settled within Nathan as he attempted to dissect the potential reasons behind Ethan's disappearance.
"Why don't you call Miss Jane, master? Who knows the young boy went to see her?" Butler Li suggested, attempting to reassure himself that Ethan might have gone to see Jane or accompanied her the previous night.
As Nathan continued to scrutinize the footage from the previous night, he reached for his phone and dialed Jane's number. The phone rang several tis, but there was no answer. He tried again, his eyes fixed on the monitor screen, waiting for Jane to pick up.
After a few minutes, Nathan found sothing in the CCTV footage. His expression turned grim when he spotted his son, hiding behind them in the garden area. He recalled that this scene was the mont wherein Nathan confided his feelings with Jane. He told her about what he discovered regarding Ethan's father.
"Damn it!" Nathan slamd the table with his clenched fists. Butler Li jolted in surprise because of Nathan's violent reaction.
"Master? Is everything okay?" Butler Li asked him worriedly.
Nathan didn't respond. He just rubbed the space between his brows while gritting his teeth. 'Ethan… might have heard our conversation.' Nathan could imagine the negative effect of his words on Ethan. He could see on the screen the sad look in Ethan's eyes. Nathan started blaming himself. He didn't an to hurt Ethan's feelings by doubting their connection.
'Is that the reason why my son chose to leave?'
*****
[ At Hiroshi's Villa… ]
Jane had been waiting for her sister to co ho. She wanted to see the DNA result. When she called Cherry last night, she learned that Cherry already handed the result to Abigail. However, Abigail was not around as she and her fiancé, Dave went on a trip.
She just ca out of the bathroom when she noticed that her phone was ringing. She imdiately pressed the answer button upon seeing Nathan's caller ID.
"Hello, Nate?" Jane wondered why Nathan called her early this morning. Was sothing bothering him again?
"Jane, did my son co to see you?" Nathan directly asked Jane, his eagerness to know Ethan's whereabouts evident in his tone. He held onto the hope that Ethan might have sought refuge with Jane after running away ho.
"No. Why? Did sothing happen to Ethan?" Jane asked in confusion.
There was a mont of silence from the other line. Nathan hesitated to deliver such distressing news to Jane. However, he recognized that she deserved to know, considering her deep concern for Ethan's well-being.
"I believe... my son may have left ho after overhearing our conversation last night. He's gone missing," Nathan reluctantly confessed, his voice filled with a mix of regret and worry. He understood the gravity of the situation and felt a pang of guilt for inadvertently causing Ethan to flee.
Upon hearing the distressing news about Ethan running away and being missing, Jane's emotions surged within her. At first, a sharp pang of shock and disbelief pierced her heart. Her mind raced to comprehend the gravity of the situation as her breath caught in her throat.
An overwhelming wave of concern washed over Jane as her maternal instinct kicked in once again. Anxiety clenched at her chest, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and empathy for the child who had beco dear to her like her own son.
With a trembling voice, Jane tried to mask her distress as she responded to Nathan. "We... we must find him. Where are you? I'm going there," she managed to articulate, her voice laced with concern and determination.
Beneath her composed exterior, a storm of emotions raged—a fierce determination to help find Ethan and an overwhelming desire to comfort and protect the young boy in distress. Imdiately, Jane's mind whirred into action, thoughts racing as she considered what steps to take next, bringing the young boy back to his ho.
Ending the call, she grabbed her car keys and stord out of her room. In no ti, she reached the front door of Hiroshi's mansion. However, she stopped after bumping into Abigail and Dave.
"Sis, where are you going?" Abigail asked her sister, upon observing her relentless expression. She was in a hurry.
Jane's eyes glead upon seeing Abigail. She needed to get the DNA test results from her. If this DNA test result proved that Vincent was not Ethan's biological son, she should bring it with her while searching for Ethan. This was one way of clearing the misunderstanding and convincing Ethan to return ho.
"Sis, where is the DNA test result handed over to you by Cherry? I need it." Jane asked Abigail urgently.
Blinking her eyes in puzzlent, Abigail nodded her head. "Yes, Sis. I have it. But I don't rember who owned those DNA samples."
"Did you check the content?" Jane asked her again. She held her sister's shoulders in anticipation.
"Yes, Sis. I did. The results match," Abigail responded.
Jane felt like a bomb exploded in front of her after hearing Abigail's last remarks. She refused to believe it. 'No way! This can't be!'
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