Chapter 232
At Quentin’s words, his brow furrowed. He glanced at Cedric Clarke. “What do you think?”
Cedric looked utterly grim, panic twisting his features–his mind was whirling with worry.
Regret gnawed at him. He never should have left Stella alone.
“I’ve already called my family,” Cedric said, voice tense. “There’s no surveillance in a place this remote. If we want to find her as quickly as possible, we need to bring in a professional search–and–rescue team.”
Quentin nodded in agreement. “That’s the right call. Let’s keep looking for now. If there’s still no sign of her by sunrise, we’ll call the police.”
“No one’s searched the woods out back yet. The rescue team will take some time to get here–I’ll start looking myself.”
“Dr. Clarke,” Quentin stopped him, his tone grave. “It’s still raining. Heading into the hills now is reckless, and there are wild animals in those woods after dark”
“I don’t care!” Cedric shoved past him, frustration flaring. “If you’re scared, stay here. I’m going.”
Quentin sighed, grabbing a raincoat. “Then I’m coming with you.”
Cedric didn’t respond. He yanked up his hood and disappeared into the downpour, running toward the woods-
They searched the entire night, but found nothing.
Dawn began to creep across the horizon, rain finally giving way to a pale, watery sunlight that filtered through the trees. The air was heavy with moisture.
The muddy path was trampled beyond recognition by anxious, searching feet.
One by one, everyone straggled back to the village leader’s house, shoulders slumped, faces drawn with worry.
Still, there was no sign of Stella.
At Silveridge, on the set of the promotional shoot.
It was ten in the morning by the time Briony finished her last shot.
She thanked each of the teachers and crew, then hurried straight to the dressing room.
As soon as she was alone, she pulled out her phone.
Stella still hadn’t replied to any of her messages since last night.
Briony tried calling again, but every attempt went straight to voicemail–no signal.
The reception was always spotty out there–this wasn’t the first time. But Briony couldn’t shake the knot of worry in her chest.
She dialed Stella’s number again.
Still nothing.
Her eyelid twitched with nervousness.
Then her phone buzzed–an incoming call.
It was Cedric Clarke.
Briony’s unease spiked. Dread crept in as she pressed the answer button, her voice stiff. “Dr. Clarke?”
On the other end, Cedric’s voice was ragged. “Dr. Joyner is missing.”
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Briony’s breath caught. The phone slipped from her shaking hands and clattered to the floor.
Stewart was in the middle of filming when his phone vibrated–Carl was calling.
Carl knew Stewart’s schedule down to the minute; he wouldn’t call unless it was urgent.
Stewart signaled to halt the shoot and picked up.
“Mr. Wentworth, Dr. Joyner is missing!”
Stewart froze, then asked in a low, steady voice, “What happened?”
“Dr. Clarke would know the details. She disappeared last night–they searched all night and there’s still no sign
of her!”
“Understood. Get in touch with Dr. Clarke and do everything you can to help.”
“Yes, sir!”
Stewart hung up, asked the crew for a leave of absence, and hurried toward the dressing rooms.
But when he arrived, the makeup artist told him Briony had already left.
He pressed his lips together, silent for a moment, then turned back to the set and resumed filming.
Briony contacted James.
James called in a favor from his father and arranged for a private jet.
It was already two in the afternoon when they landed in Northborough.
James was waiting at the airport to pick her up.
Once in the car, Briony buckled her seatbelt. “Let’s head straight for the mountains.”
James frowned. “You’re pregnant, Briony. The roads up there are rough, and it’s pouring again this afternoon. We don’t know the area well–maybe it’s better if—”
“What else am I supposed to do?” Briony’s eyes filled with tears, her voice trembling with desperation. “Star is missing up there, alone in those mountains! How can I just sit at home and wait?!”
James sighed. “I know you’re worried, but you’re pregnant. There’s nothing you can do out there.”
Briony bit her lip, anguish etched on her face.
“Dr. Clarke called in a rescue team last night, and the police are involved now. I’m sure we’ll hear something
soon.”
He squeezed her shoulder gently. “You have to think of the baby. If you go and something happens to you, Dr. Joyner would never forgive himself.”
At those words, Briony squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She pressed her hands to her face, sobbing quietly, her voice muffled in the car: “Nothing can happen to Star, nothing…”
The mountain area fell under Northborough’s jurisdiction, but normally, missing person cases would be handled by the local precinct.
But the Northborough Police Headquarters had already received calls that morning from the Clarke family and
Stewart.
They wanted Stella found–today.
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Chapter 23
Under this pressure, the headquarters sent out extra teams to join the search on–site.
Briony couldn’t head for the mountains herself, so she waited anxiously at the police station for news.
Days of rain had left the roads a muddy mess, with barely a footprint to be found. The search was slow and grueling.
They’d already brought in five search dogs, but still, there was no progress.
As dusk fell and the sun sank behind the mountains, the mood grew heavier with every passing hour.
Then came the worst news yet–a landslide had just swept through the ravine by the woods, burying a third of. the valley in mud and debris.
The river at the bottom had been completely blocked-
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