Chapter 1045:

As tension filled the air, Hyde recognized Theo but couldn't recall where he'd seen him. He inquired, "Who are you?"

Theo responded, "I'm Mabel's friend. She's been feeling low recently and came to my place to unwind." His words ignited a spark of anger in Hyde. How dare Mabel seek solace with another man?

Noticing Hyde's irritation, Theo smiled and suggested, "Why don't we go inside? It's not appropriate to stand at the door."

Hyde, with a grim expression, agreed. Once inside, Hyde spotted a blue and black plaid scarf on the sofa. He recalled Kaelyn owned a similar one. One scarf didn't prove anything, but Hyde's instincts suggested it was indeed Kaelyn's.

Hyde pointed at the scarf, smiling as he asked Mabel, "Did you buy this scarf? It's quite pretty." Mabel hadn't anticipated Hyde's inquiry.

She glanced at it casually and replied, "It's not mine." Hyde chuckled and refrained from asking further. If it wasn't Mabel's, could it possibly belong to Kaelyn? He considered this, even estimating the chances of Kaelyn having been in the house.

Theo could read Hyde's mind. He had intentionally placed the scarf there to stir Hyde's suspicion. After pondering for a while, Hyde still struggled to accept that the scarf might be Kaelyn's.

How could such a coincidence happen? Theo facilitated a conversation between Hyde and Mabel in the living room. Following this, Hyde concocted a rationale to quell Mabel's doubts. It was quite weak, and Mabel appeared unconvinced.

"Sorry, I need to use the restroom. Please excuse me." Hyde aimed to create space to think about how to restore Mabel's trust and alleviate her suspicions. He began to secretly examine the house, discovering a diamond earring in the bathroom.

He remembered this diamond earring very clearly; it was Kaelyn's. Could Kaelyn have been here? Or worse, could something have happened to her here? Hyde recalled he hadn't been able to reach Kaelyn since yesterday, and his suspicions intensified.

He believed Kaelyn might be somewhere in the house and intended to find an excuse to thoroughly search the villa for any sign of her.

When he exited the bathroom, he noticed Theo was not in sight and casually inquired, "Where's your friend, Mabel? Where did he go?"

"He's in the kitchen. He mentioned we are his guests today, and he's preparing dinner. He's invited you to join," Mabel replied, following Theo's plan.

. . .