Overwhelmed by anger and unable to bear reading further, Cristofer rushed to the restroom and vented his frustration by throwing his phone onto the ground.
Moments later, his phone began to ring, but Cristofer paid no attention to the caller ID and chose not to answer. He had no desire to engage in conversation with anyone at that moment. The phone continued to ring persistently for a full minute.
After regaining his composure, Cristofer left the restroom, his eyes now filled with a chilling resentment as he disappeared into the darkness.
****
*In Room 1231*
“Who are you calling?” Victor asked as he noticed Estelle was making a call.
Panicking, Estelle hurriedly pocketed her phone and replied, “I… I was calling the hospital. I’m worried about Christina.”
Estelle opened the bedroom door, feeling safer in the spacious living room due to its soundproofing and quick escape route. If there was any danger, she could flee and ask for help. This thought eased her anxiety.
In the past, when she was with Mr. Mysterious, this suite had been a comforting place. But now, Victor had turned it into a source of unease. Every time Mr. Mysterious approached her, she felt uncomfortable and disgusted.
Victor strolled casually out of the bedroom, hands in his pockets, wearing a playful smile. “The surgery was a success, right? The doctors and nurses will take care of her. Don’t worry.”
Estelle merely nodded in response, still standing by the door, too afraid to sit down. She set her phone to vibrate mode and dialed a familiar number again, but it wouldn’t connect once more.
Frowning slightly, Estelle thought, ‘Cristofer, didn’t you ask me not to block your number the other day? Didn’t you say I can call you anytime when I need you? Why won’t you answer the phone?’
As she pondered, her phone suddenly vibrated, startling her. Without checking the caller ID, she assumed it was Cristofer and hastily answered, “Hello?”
“Estelle, why aren’t you at the Hans’ Residence? It’s late. Where have you gone?” A soft female voice on the other end surprised her.
“Mom?” Estelle exclaimed upon recognizing Aurora’s voice.
“Why are you so surprised? You can’t even recognize my voice?” Aurora quipped. “I heard that Christina had the surgery, so I came back. I’ve just arrived at the Hans’ Residence. Both you and Cristofer are not at home. Have you gone to the hospital to take care of Christina?”
Relieved, Estelle replied, “Mom, I’ll be back right now!”
“Okay. Take your time. It’s raining outside. Ask Cristofer to drive slowly.”
“Okay.”
After ending the call, Estelle turned to Victor and said urgently, “Sir, my mother is back. I’ve got to go now.”
Sitting on the sofa, Victor played with his phone and wore a sinister smile. “Estelle, why do you hate staying with me so much?”
“I don’t hate being with you. My mom went to the Hans’ Residence. She asked me to come there. I really have to go now,” Estelle explained.
“Well, I’ll drive you there. It’s good that I don’t need to wait until tomorrow and can go to the Hans’ Residence ahead of time,” Victor suggested as he prepared to accompany her.
“Sir…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Can I ask you a question?”
Raising an eyebrow, Victor responded in a casual tone, “Aren’t you in a hurry to go back to see your mother? Do you have spare time to ask me a question now?”
Estelle persisted, licking her lips, and said, “This question is very important to me.”
“Fine, go ahead,” Victor allowed.
Taking a deep breath, Estelle continued, “You will also see my mother later. It’s the first time you will meet her. Don’t you think you should prepare a gift for her, something she likes?”
Victor furrowed his brow impatiently and asked, “What does she like?”
“She likes lilies,” Estelle responded, her heart sinking.
Suppressing his impatience, Victor replied, “There’s a flower shop next to the hotel. I’ll go buy some lilies now. Wait for me here.” With that, he swiftly left.
As Victor disappeared from her sight, Estelle took a moment to collect herself. She couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that this man might not be Mr. Mysterious after all. She thought back to what Rebecca and Justin had warned her about. Perhaps they were right.
She gathered her thoughts and assessed the situation. ‘Mr. Mysterious should have taken the elevator downstairs and left the hotel. I must leave before he returns. He likely doesn’t know the way since he asked me to take him to the Hans’ Residence. I can’t lead him there, risking harm to Grandpa Gary.’
Making up her mind, Estelle rushed out of the room towards the elevator.
Ding Dong! The elevator door opened gradually, revealing a man stepping out. When Estelle saw his face, she felt a rush of cold sweat, but her anxiety turned into relief upon realizing it wasn’t Mr. Mysterious but Cristofer.
“It’s you. I tried calling you multiple times, but you didn’t answer. Why?” Estelle questioned Cristofer urgently.
Cristofer maintained a tight-lipped expression, his eyes glowing affectionately as he looked at her. “You’re going out alone? Where’s Mr. Mysterious?”
“It’s a long story. Let’s leave this place first,” Estelle urged.
“Where are we headed?” Cristofer asked dumbfoundedly.
“The Hans’ Residence.”
This response caught Cristofer off guard. “You…”
Estelle took a deep breath and asked, “Did you drive here?”
“No, I came on my motorcycle,” Cristofer replied, studying her closely. He noticed she was neatly dressed, appearing only slightly tired and upset. Her demeanor had no fear or panic, making him feel relieved as he sighed softly.
A few moments later, the elevator descended and came to a stop on the underground floor. Estelle quickly exited the elevator in her haste to leave, eager to look at Cristofer’s motorcycle. However, despite her thorough search, she couldn’t find it.
“Cristofer, please hurry…” She turned around, her anxiety filling her voice, only to discover Cristofer following her slowly, his gait appearing somewhat unusual.
Alarmed, Estelle rushed over and linked her arm with his, asking, “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” Cristofer replied, grimacing against the pain.
Only then did Estelle notice that the plaster on his left arm had vanished, leaving his arm hanging limply at his side? She then examined his pale, sweat-soaked face.
“Why did you remove the plaster?” she asked abruptly.
Cristofer tried to muster some courage and responded with a furrowed brow, “It was causing too much inconvenience, so I took it off.”
“What?! Do you want to be disabled? How can you give the kids a bear hug in the sky if you’re disabled? I recall that in high school, you once broke your leg playing soccer, but you refused to go to the hospital and didn’t want a cast. Now you’re over thirty and no longer a teenager. Why are you still so stubborn?”