Chapter 310
Yvette exchanged glances with Sasha, who also shook her head. Carly, Sasha was just as clueless.
Cassandra was still trying to defend her son. “Don’t blame my son. The company’s a mess right now. He had to go handle it. Before he left, he called me and asked me to come watch Rachel, but something came up at home, and by the time I got here, she was already gone.”
“And besides, you don’t need to assume the worst. Maybe Rachel just woke up and went out on her own. She could be back any minute.”
Jim couldn’t hold back his sarcasm at that ridiculous suggestion. “You really think my daughter is the kind of person who’d just walk off like that without a word? She knows we’re all worried sick, and her phone’s been turned off.”
Seeing the tide turning now that Rachel was gone, Sasha no longer bothered playing nice with the Lewis family. With Rachel vanished, it was the perfect time to shift all the blame.
Her expression changed entirely. She crossed her arms and lifted her chin, speaking with a sharp, cold edge to her voice.
“Come on now, in-laws, let’s not twist the story. When we left, Rachel was lying here safe and sound. We handed her over to your care. Now she’s gone, and instead of taking responsibility, you throw out excuses like this?”
“Or do you want me to call in the media? Let the public see how the Lewis family treats the daughter-in-law they always flaunted in front of everyone?”
Cassandra immediately panicked at the mention of the media. “No, no, no! Come on, this is a family matter. There’s no need to blow this up in the press. It’d be embarrassing for everyone involved.”
Jim made his decision on the spot. “Then we’re calling the police. Someone’s missing. Reporting it is the only responsible thing to do.”
“You can’t call the police!” Cassandra and Sasha blurted the same sentence out simultaneously.
Jim’s brows furrowed deeply. “At a time like this, you still don’t want to call the police? What the hell are you both thinking?”
Sasha quickly pulled Jim aside and whispered, “We don’t even know what’s going on yet. We don’t know if Rachel left on her own or if she was kidnapped. She vanished without a trace in broad daylight. How do we explain that?”
Her words made Jim waver again.
Yvette chimed in as well. “She’s right, Dad. You can’t just rush into calling the police. What if Rachel was kidnapped? If we wait, they might contact us for ransom. If you alert the police and it leaks, what if they panic and kill her?”
Their arguments swayed him into giving up on the idea of calling the police. He found himself unsure of what to do at all.
William seized the moment and stepped forward. “Dad, I swear to you, I’ll make up for my mistake. I’ve already sent people out to look for Rachel. The second I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
Jim gave William a sidelong glance. “That’s the same thing you said before Rachel disappeared. Why should I believe you now?”
William narrowed his eyes slightly. “Then what do you suggest?”
Jim’s expression darkened. “On my way here, I already contacted Tyler. If anything, Rachel grew up around him, and he was close to her mother. I think he has every right to help investigate.”
The moment Jim said that, the entire atmosphere in the room shifted. The tension suddenly thickened.
William’s expression changed drastically. If Tyler got involved, this wouldn’t be something he could control or smooth over easily.
Tyler was relentless and too difficult to deal with.