Chapter 1003:

“Ahh! Why aren’t you answering? Are you going to abandon me too? What are you doing?” she cried, overwhelmed with frustration. Kicking her legs in her car, she wiped away her tears and drove off in search of Hyde.

The drive would take an hour. It would be nearly dawn by the time she arrived at Hyde’s house, which she found dark and silent. “Might he be asleep?” she murmured.

Needing certainty, she retrieved a key from her purse. Carefully, she unlocked the door. She hadn’t received the key from Hyde; she’d taken it herself. She felt justified, considering they were a couple and she considered it her home.

As darkness enveloped Mabel in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, she dismissed it and swiftly searched the rooms. She looked everywhere, checking under the bed and inside the closets, but Hyde was absent. The house was empty.

Where could he be? Might he be at the studio?

With that thought, Mabel hurried outside, jumped in her car, and drove toward Hyde’s studio.

Another hour passed before she arrived, only to discover the studio was also deserted. A sinking feeling took hold, and the idea of Hyde’s betrayal became intolerable.

Feeling numb, Mabel drove back to the concert hall’s parking lot as dawn broke, having spent the entire night awake.

In the early morning, Elyse and Edward arrived at the concert hall. Mabel approached Elyse in the restroom. Elyse saw Mabel and noticed her staff badge. “What are you doing here? Do you need something from me?” Elyse inquired.

“You’re my sister, aren’t you? Can you explain what it means if a man doesn’t answer my calls all night and isn’t home when I visit?” Mabel asked with a piercing gaze.

Elyse raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Do you need to ask such an obvious question? Are you sure you don’t already know the answer?”

“I’m not sure. Please, Elyse, tell me,” Mabel replied, trying to hide her desperation.

Elyse’s tone softened. “He might be preoccupied, or perhaps he’s with someone else. I’m not familiar with your boyfriend. Surely you know him better than I do?”

Mabel shook her head. “I don’t really know him. We’ve only been together for a week.”

Elyse smirked slightly. “Only a week, and he’s already tired of you? It seems the man you’ve chosen isn’t reliable.”

. . .