A solemn expression reced the smile on his face, and he shook his head gently.


    "Chloe, I''m sorry to disappoint you. I came because I was afraid you''d be anxious, and I wanted to update you on this matter. During my recent trip to Gerby, time was tight, and I found no trace of her. I had to start from scratch."


    "I''m sorry for the trouble," I replied with a hint of disappointment.


    "Don''t say that. We were all ssmates," Theo responded.


    "I went to the four high schools in their city and finally found some information about her. I only learned the basics of her situation. After all, she''s been away from school for too long. They also mentioned that there''s been no news of Beatrice in recent years."


    He shook his head and added, "But I can''t shake the feeling that the situation is not optimistic."


    Surprised, I asked, "Why do you say that?"


    Theo straightened up. "I asked a hotel attendant about their address. The attendant said that those living in that area are mostly wealthy people from Gerby. It seems her family''s conditions are good."


    I nodded and said, "I knew that. She and I shared a dorm room, and we were very close. We talked about her family, and apparently they owned some kind of factory that was doing well. Otherwise, her conditions wouldn''t have been so favorable. Beatrice is their only daughter."


    Theo nodded. "I took a cab to the ce. To my surprise, they live in a vi! Although the vi looks a bit old, judging by the well-maintained yard, the conditions are excellent." "That makes sense. Did you see her?" I inquired.


    "See her? When I knocked and said I was looking for Beatrice, the person who opened the door rudely rejected me and said there was no such person."


    As Theo shared this, he seemed a bit dissatisfied.


    I was even more puzzled. "That''s not right. Who opened the door?"


    "It looked like some sort of maid. I intended to ask their neighbors, but the distance between the vis was quiterge, and I had no choice but to leave.


    "So I hurriedly returned to Foswood the next day, and in the end, I didn''t see anyone. I didn''t have enough time. If I had one or two more days, I could have learned some information!"


    "Don''t worry too much. I''m not in a


    rush, either. As long as we find her, that''s good. After all, I haven''t seen her in so many years. I always think of how Beatrice always cared for me during those years. Among the girls, besides Ivanna, she''s my only


    friend."


    Iforted Theo, "Take your time to contact her for me."


    "I also want to meet her," Theo continued with a smile. "On the way back, I kept thinking of how bad that person''s attitude was. If she''s really a maid from Beatrice''s family, it''s way too impolite. Shecks basic manners. It just doesn''t feet right."


    "Could they have moved?" I spected.


    Theo decisively shook his head and said, "Impossible. When that person opened the door, I asked her, ''Is this the Chandler family?'' She smiled and said, ''Yes!"" "That''s strange."


    "I don''t know why, but the people in their house seem to have a reason for this attitude. You didn''t see how that person''s expression instantly changed. She mmed the door in my face!


    "No matter what, Beatrice is theThis content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    heiress of that family. It seems like


    11


    there''s some deep-seated grudge," Theo said. "My curiosity has been piqued. I''ll definitely get to the bottom of this."