Chapter 493
The moment Ian appeared in his line of sight, Desmond jolted to life. Finally, after hours of waiting, it paid off. He’d caught him.
The assistant was heading out with a file in hand, planning to visit Aurora at the hospital, when Desmond suddenly stepped out in front of him. Startled, Ian jumped back, clutching his chest. “Good grief! Where did you come from?” He looked around in shock. He hadn’t seen a soul nearby moments ago, and now Desmond was standing right in front of him like he’d materialized out of thin air. Desmond scratched the back of his neck, sheepish. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’ve just been waiting…”
“Waiting? For me?” Ian pointed to himself, completely baffled. Desmond nodded. “That’s right. You’re exactly who I was looking for.” Ian still couldn’t quite believe it, but he didn’t want to waste time arguing. He needed to get to Aurora. That was his priority now. She hadn’t messaged him once since last night, and the longer the silence dragged on, the more worried he became. Desmond could see the urgency in Ian’s steps and assumed it was something serious. He quickly added, “Don’t worry, I’m not here to bother you. I just need one thing. Do you know where your GM went?”
Ian stopped cold. He turned, staring at Desmond like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. “Are you serious?” Caught off guard by the reaction, Desmond frowned. “Of course I’m serious. I’ve been trying to find Miss Walton since last night. I barely slept—I mean, look at me, these dark circles could hit the floor.” Ian glanced at him, and despite himself, nearly laughed. He’d thought he had it bad. Clearly, he wasn’t the only one losing sleep over this.
“So if you know where she is,” Desmond pleaded. “Please, tell me. Our boss is about to lose it.” Desmond could feel that if he didn’t find Aurora soon, his days at Vanguard Group were numbered. “I get it, I get it. Don’t worry,” Ian said quickly. Knowing Desmond was working for Aurora’s husband, he figured it was safe to share the truth. “Yesterday, our GM had a sudden bout of gastroenteritis. She’s been hospitalized. She’s at the hospital right now.” “What? Gastroenteritis?” Desmond stood frozen, the news hitting him like a brick. He had assumed she’d just gone off the grid for some personal reason. Just yesterday, he’d joked to himself that the two of them were acting like a pair of lunatics.
Now it turned out she hadn’t been unreachable by choice–she’d been sick. The realization left a bitter taste in his mouth. Seeing his stunned expression, Ian chuckled, “Why are you in such shock? Go report to your boss already.” “I’ve got to run and bring her some food anyway. She’s in there all alone. I don’t even know if she’s eaten yet.” Snapping out of it, Desmond immediately pulled out his phone and called Lucas. In just a few sentences, he relayed everything he’d learned. Lucas, who’d been sitting there with a storm brewing in his eyes and tension radiating off him, suddenly froze. The moment he heard there was finally news of Aurora, something shifted–his entire expression changed. A spark returned to his gaze, sharp and burning with purpose.