Chapter: 207

Worried he might get annoyed again, Jonathan simply leaned in and kissed her more fervently, his arms tightening as if he wished to fuse her into him.

The intensity of their night left Bethany barely able to rise the next morning.

She supported her waist as she walked to the dining room, where breakfast and a note from Jonathan awaited.

"My mother won't be visiting again. You can sleep in."

She sat down, still dazed by the breakfast Jonathan had prepared, pondering his actions.

Did he mean that he had been in love with her since middle school?

And was the number Q825 actually connected to her, not Maddie?

All this made last night feel like a dream.

She rubbed her forehead in disbelief when suddenly her phone rang.

The call was from the hospital, making her heart drop without reason.

“Is this Bethany Holt? Your mother is missing! She said she wanted to walk in the hospital's backyard garden. Later, she mentioned going to the bathroom, and a nurse waited outside for her. But after a long wait, she didn't return, and the nurse found the bathroom empty.”

Bethany's head spun. She stood abruptly, bumping into the table corner.

"I'm on my way. Have you called the police?"

“We have. Please hurry!"

Bethany skipped breakfast and rushed straight to the hospital.

This time, however, it seemed Marie had been prepared and even mapped out an escape route.

"There's a little door in the back garden. A gardener comes every day at one o'clock to tend to the flowers and trees. That's when Marie made her escape."

The hospital took the incident very seriously and promptly reviewed the surveillance footage.

The two bodyguards stationed outside the ward were visibly anxious and concerned about Jonathan's reaction.

"It's not your fault. My mother left on her own." Although Bethany was worried and nervous, she didn't want to drag anyone else into this.

If Marie was determined to leave, no one could have stopped her.

“What should we do now? Do you want us to get in touch with Mr. Bates?" one of the bodyguards inquired.

“No, don't tell him." Bethany shook her head. She didn't want Jonathan to be distracted by this again.

She sat down and pondered. Although Marie was mobile after her surgery, every movement was still painful. Yet, she had insisted on leaving the hospital, which meant she had a compelling reason to leave.