Chapter 9
† 288 Vouchers
Meanwhile, at Boston’s most luxurious hotel.
As one of Boston’s top elite families, the birthday banquet for Hill group heir Kevin naturally drew attention. Guests were all big names in their circle, yet the man at the center of attention seemed distracted.
Kevin’s brothers noticed too.
“Hey, weird. Why isn’t Jennifer here yet? Did she forget?”
“How could she! When has Jennifer ever forgotten Kevin’s affairs these years?”
“True. But the party’s halfway through… This is the latest she’s ever been…”
The group exchanged glances, and finally all eyes settled on Kevin. Seeing him lost in thought, Larry couldn’t hold back any longer and tentatively spoke up, “Kevin, why don’t you give Jennifer a call and ask?”
“No need. She’s just preparing a gift.” Hearing them, Kevin instinctively shook his head and refused.
Hearing this, though they still felt a bit strange, they didn’t say anything more.
Maybe they were just overthinking it.
Just then, the birthday celebration moved into the gift-giving segment. Larry and his brothers each presented their gifts, and soon it was Emily’s turn.
Although Larry and the others disliked Emily for abandoning Kevin years ago, today was Kevin’s birthday banquet after all. So ultimately, they held their tongues.
Until she approached, blushing shyly as she offered the gift she’d prepared with both hands:2
“Kevin, this is my…”
But before she could finish, Kevin glanced at his phone and paled abruptly. Before everyone’s eyes, he pushed past her and bolted outside.
“Ah!”
Caught off guard, Emily fell hard to the floor. Sharp pain brought sudden tears to her eyes. She instinctively tried to call out to Kevin-yet the man who’d always put her first didn’t even glance back as he sprinted straight through the banquet hall doors.
For a moment, everyone looked at each other in confusion, unsure what had happened.
0.0%
09:30
Chapter 9
288 iVouchers
Larry and the others were caught off guard by the sudden turn of events. Someone suddenly remembered Jennifer, who hadn’t shown up yet, and paled. “Could something have happened to Jennifer?”
At those words, they all grew frantic and hurried out, leaving Emily alone on the floor. When she heard their last words, she fumed with gritted teeth.
Jennifer-it was always Jennifer!
But no one cared what she thought.
When Kevin raced back to the villa, the villa was empty.
He still clung to hope, rushing upstairs to search every possible spot, but nothing.
Not only had Jennifer vanished, but all traces of her existence had disappeared too.
He stood blankly in the hollow room, staring at the recent message on his phone and the number beneath her contact name. After a long pause, as if suddenly remembering, he dialed that number-
unaware that his hand was trembling uncontrollably while pressing the digits.
The busy tone rang on, tangling his thoughts into a mess,
yet Jennifer didn’t answer.
As the call cut off, the doorbell chimed. He hardly knew how he managed to walk downstairs and open the door. See- ing Larry’s anxious face outside, he felt everything was surreal.
“Kevin, why are you back all of a sudden? Did something happen to Jennifer?”
He forced himself to ignore that strange ache in his heart. He opened his mouth, remained silent for a long time, and then replied in a hoarse voice,
“Jennifer said… she’s gone.”
