Melissa had just fallen asleep when the door to her house was suddenly slammed open. For a moment, she was disoriented.
It wasn’t until the dog downstairs started barking that she jolted awake.
She rushed to the door and opened it, only to find George standing there, having also opened his door.
Their eyes met briefly, and Melissa immediately started heading downstairs, but George grabbed her wrist firmly. “Don’t go down.”
Melissa had been called back home by her family today.
However, when she returned, she didn’t expect George to already be there.
When the two families arranged their marriage, her family had clearly been aiming higher by connecting with the Thomas family. But George, as a talented young man and the future prospect for the marriage, was Melissa’s best choice, both in terms of his personal qualities and his family background.
Her parents, of course, were thrilled, and since Melissa hadn’t expected to marry George either, she didn’t think much about the lack of emotional foundation and just agreed to it.
Years had passed since the marriage, and the two families had long since merged into one. The relationship, bound by mutual interests, was no longer something she could simply end with a divorce.
And besides, how many couples in their circle stayed together despite a lack of feelings? George hadn’t done anything outrageous, so most people thought Melissa was just being fussy and indecisive, stirring up drama for no reason.
The Thomas family had their complaints as well, but George had kept everything under control.
After dinner that night, Melissa was still her usual self. Her family didn’t know what to do and awkwardly invited George to stay the night, offering him the room next to Melissa’s. The rooms were connected by the same balcony, so they could simply open the door and walk over.
Melissa wasn’t stupid-she could clearly see her parents’ intentions, so she locked the balcony door early, drew the curtains, and went to bed, not wanting to deal with the situation.
So when the front door was suddenly slammed open, Melissa first thought it was just a neighbor drunk driving who hadn’t seen his front door clearly yet.
“What’s going on?”
Just as she spoke, the crystal chandelier shook. The car seemed to have pulled right up to the doorstep. The housekeeper and Melissa’s parents, all wearing pajamas, came downstairs.
“Who is it?”
“Sir and Madam, it’s Mr. Conrad.”
“Which Mr. Conrad?”
Before anyone could respond, Conrad’s dark and menacing voice rang out. “Where’s Melissa?”
George immediately grabbed Melissa and shoved her into the room.
Melissa didn’t understand, but George did. He knew that Conrad was bringing trouble, and it wasn’t good.
He locked the door and turned to head downstairs, where he came face to face with Conrad, who was bringing people upstairs.
“Well, well, you’re here at Melissa’s family,” Conrad mocked.
George maintained a calm face. “What’s with all this drama? What are you doing here?”
“Don’t you already know? Why are you asking as if you don’t?” Conrad said, pushing George aside.
Just then, Andrew arrived behind him.
George immediately clashed with Andrew, and the situation escalated.
“What… What are you doing?!” Melissa’s parents were so shocked by the scene that it made their hearts race uncomfortably.
Conrad cut straight to the point. “Where’s Melissa?”
Inside the room, Melissa, hearing the commotion, suddenly opened the door. “What do you want?”
Conrad slowly turned his head, his eyes dark and filled with malice as he stared at her. “Melissa.”
“What are you doing?! Get back inside and close the door!” George barked at her.
Melissa had never seen this side of Conrad before. She swallowed nervously, not daring to meet his gaze.
“Where’s Lillian?” Conrad asked coldly.
Melissa stared back at him. “I don’t know…”
But the next moment, Conrad’s large hand grabbed her neck, lifting her off the ground.
Melissa felt her breath constricting, her entire body weighed down by his grip.
In the next instant, George charged at Conrad, landing a punch on his side.
When Conrad was hit, he only spat out a mouthful of blood before continuing with his question, unbothered by the blow.
“Where is Lillian? I’m asking you!” Conrad growled.
Melissa shook her head, gasping. “I don’t know! I really don’t know!”
“Her phone just turned on. It showed up at your house!”
Melissa pointed to the phone on the nightstand. “Lillian gave me her phone that day. I only realized I had brought it back when I got home. I was planning to return it to her, but there were things at home, so I just charged it.”
If George hadn’t come over, she would have already gone to Hillside Villa to look for Lillian!
As for where Lillian had gone, Melissa really didn’t know.
George glared at Conrad. “You can’t just accuse her of knowing! She really doesn’t know.”
“You expect me to believe you just because you say so? You’re defending her like she’s your heart and soul! Why should I trust anything you say?” Conrad retorted.
George’s face hardened. “So what do you want? Are you going to barge into everyone’s house just because you suspect them?”
“Yes. As long as I can find Lillian, I don’t care!” Conrad snarled. “I’ll make enemies of the whole world if I have to!”
George shook his head in disbelief. “You’ve completely lost it!” He turned to Melissa. “Well, since Lillian’s not here, Melissa is my wife, and her parents are my in-laws. What are you going to do about it?”
Conrad looked at Melissa with a cold smile. “George may protect you, but I won’t. As long as Lillian is missing, you better watch your step.”
With that, he grabbed Lillian’s phone and walked out.
George was itching to chase after him and put a stop to Conrad’s out-of-control behavior, but then he noticed Melissa’s father, Mr. Miller, clutching his chest, looking distressed, and her mother appeared visibly shaken.
Melissa’s siblings weren’t home, and if he left, her parents would probably stay up all night in worry.
“Dad, let me check your health first.” George hurriedly picked Melissa up and placed her on the bed, then turned to Mr. Miller.
Mr. Miller, still rattled, asked, “George, what’s Conrad trying to do? Is Lillian missing?”
“We don’t know yet, but he’s always been a bit unstable. Don’t worry about it,” George replied, his eyes darkening with concern.
After he helped her parents upstairs, he returned to the room, only to find Melissa sitting on the bed.
“George.” She looked at him with an unfamiliar tone, something she’d never used before, and said, “Do you really think Lillian ran away?”
“I don’t know,” George replied, “but what I do know for sure is that she didn’t tell anyone this time.”
He went to look for a suitcase.
“What are you doing?” Melissa asked.
“You can’t stay here anymore,” George said firmly. “Don’t go to work for the time being, and you’d better stay with me all day. I can’t be sure what Conrad, that madman, might do to you otherwise.”
If Conrad couldn’t find Lillian, he would turn his attention to Melissa. And if that failed, he’d probably target someone close to Lillian.
George didn’t want to think about what might happen if that occurred. The thought of it was enough to send a chill down his spine.
Melissa wanted to refuse, but she was afraid the events of today would repeat themselves.
“Where could Lillian have gone? She’s out there all alone, and with everything that’s going on, what if something happens to her?”
“Focus on yourself for now,” George said flatly. “Lillian wouldn’t just leave without reason. At least, she shouldn’t be lacking money.”
He packed his bag and sat on the bed beside her. “Do you really not know where she is?”
Melissa shook her head.
“Well, at least this way, she won’t drag your family into it.”