Chapter 339: Ms. White Went Missing Ten Years Ago

Once I got home, a sense of unease lingered. I couldn't understand how deeply Whitney cared for that person; I only saw anxiety and fear in her eyes. It was as if he weren't someone she loved, but a dangerous creature. Something felt wrong.

“Still thinking about Whitney?” Carter asked, waving his hand in front of my face. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at him.

“Yeah,” I replied.

“Whitney has nothing to do with you. It’s common for wealthy people to have mistresses. If you try to take care of every situation like that, it’ll be too much for you to handle.”

“Carter, I know you’re trying to protect me, but every time I see Whitney, I feel sorry for her. I sense she wants to get away from that person.”

Carter gave me a long, serious look. “So, do you still want to help her?”

“I’ll start by looking into Yael.”

Then, an idea struck me. “By the way, Whitney seems to have had heart surgery. I’m not sure, but maybe this is a clue.”

“Understood. I’ll look into surgery records locally and internationally. If you’re genuinely concerned about her, I’ll dig into her background.”

“Alright.”

It’s strange how intuition works. When I first saw her in the car, I felt an overwhelming urge to save her. Perhaps it’s because I’ve faced my own struggles. I couldn’t save Esmee; I had to watch her die in that so-called “car accident.” But now, with the power I have, I want to do everything I can to save Whitney. She reminded me of a stray cat I once rescued—cautious, unwilling to get too close. If only I had more chances to connect with her.

“Stop thinking about it, get some rest.”

I lay in bed, my thoughts swirling around the layout of the villa I’d seen the night before, with a small building behind it where the servants stayed. There’s something odd about the Carlyn Residence!

I headed to school early the next morning. I guessed that since I’d arrived at the Carlyn residence in a luxury car, many classmates would come over to say hello.

“Zoey, you actually made it to school,” Yael said with a soft smile, his expression bright as the sun.

“Yael, you’re so nice to Zoey. Could it be that you like her?” Since no one knew about my marriage, they were still teasing us.

Yael responded without hesitation, “Don’t joke around, Zory already has a partner.”

“Yes, I’m married,” I confirmed.

This left several people stunned. “What? You’re so young and already married?”

“When you’re in love, marriage just feels right,” I said casually. I didn’t try to hide it; Zoey’s looks were striking. In a place like school, it’s no surprise that boys would confess. Thinking about the jealous person waiting for me at home, I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

“Alright, now that everyone’s here, let’s get started with the rehearsal.”

Yael turned to me, asking, “Zoey, are you better at singing or playing an instrument?”

Sadie couldn’t resist teasing, “She’s pretty useless and can’t do anything; maybe she should join the choir. With so many people, no one will notice if she’s off-key.”

I was sure she’d pick the violin, so I smiled and said, “I’ll go with the violin.”

“Zoey, are you picking the same as Sadie?”

“Why not?”

“It’s not that you can’t; it’s just that Sadie’s really good. She’s our lead violinist.”

I shrugged, knowing I wasn’t anything special at playing the violin. But Zoey, during her time off, had found comfort in it when she felt low. Over time, it became second nature to her. To others, she might seem insignificant, but today, I was determined to show that Zoey was much more than that. She deserved to shine! His smile sent a cold shiver down my spine.

“Deal.”

“Zoey, here’s the sheet music. Take a look.”

This event was a charity concert organized by the music department. Each class had to put on a performance to draw attention from influential people who would donate, with funds going towards scoring. Our class was preparing a classical music performance, with some students singing and others acting. I, of course, opted for the violin since it seemed the simplest choice. I was about to go head-to-head with Sadie in front of everyone.

As she walked past me, she whispered with a sneer, “Zoey, competing with me on the violin? You’re really overestimating yourself.”

“Is that so?”

“I’m well aware of your abilities.”

“Things have changed, Sadie. I’m taking back everything that belongs to Zoey.”

“Alright, pick your piece.”

I smiled and replied, “Let’s go with ‘Dance of the Goblins.’”

Sadie’s expression shifted dramatically. “You must be out of your mind.”

The complexity of the piece was undeniable, and the flicker of surprise in Sadie’s gaze, mixed with eager curiosity, didn’t escape me. Grasping the violin, I trusted my body’s natural reflexes to guide me. The audience silently bore witness, while Yael, oblivious to the rivalry, cheerfully offered, “I’ll play the piano to accompany you.”

“Thanks, Yael.”

His hands moved gracefully across the black and white keys, and it felt as though Sadie and I had stepped onto a battlefield. The composition was incredibly spirited, and Sadie hadn’t anticipated my ability to match its pace. As the tempo intensified near the conclusion, her playing grew erratic. In contrast, I only became steadier, harmonizing effortlessly with Yael’s accompaniment.

Snap! Sadie’s string snapped mid-performance, but neither Yael nor I faltered, playing through to the end. The room burst into a wave of enthusiastic applause, with even the professional instructors joining in, exclaiming, “What an extraordinary collaboration!”

Paying no attention to the praise, I fixed my gaze on Sadie and asked calmly, “Does this mean I can take the first chair now?”

Her eyes dropped to the floor, her expression brimming with reluctance. She had been thoroughly defeated, even in the last segment. Watching her stubborn refusal to accept her loss, an idea crossed my mind. What if I invited Bill to attend this concert? After all, doesn’t she pride herself on being the heir of the Gardners? Let Tyler, the one who once cherished her above all else, rip away her façade in front of our peers and Ashley.

That’s exactly how it should end. Just imagining the spectacle brought a surge of satisfaction.

At that moment, my phone buzzed, and Carter’s name lit up the screen. I stepped into the hallway to take the call.

“Carter, what’s going on?” Since it was during class, I knew Carter wouldn’t call unless it was important.

His voice was hushed. “Chloe, I dug into Whitney’s background.”

“What did you uncover?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“She’s actually Alice White, the illegitimate daughter of the Whites from Zorya.”

“Were you able to find any records of her surgery?” I pressed.

“It’s odd that there are no surgical records, either internationally or domestically.”

“Could she have had a private doctor perform the surgery at home?”

Carter shook his head. “She’s just an unimportant illegitimate child. The Whites wouldn’t have gone that far for her.”

“What about the Carlyns?”

“That’s exactly what I was getting to, Chloe. I found it suspicious and dug deeper. Someone from the Whites reported that their daughter went missing over ten years ago.”