?Chapter 160:


    Realizing this, Sadie scanned the office quickly.


    Byrum was… nowhere to be found.


    A chilling premonition washed over her, and her heart sank.


    “Where’s Byrum? Why isn’t he here today?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.


    A young designer timidly raised a hand, responding cautiously, “Miss Hudson, Byrum took a leave today, citing an emergency at home.”


    “An emergency?” Sadie echoed, suspicion rising within her.


    Byrum’s absence seemed too convenient.


    “Did he mention when he’d return?” she pressed.


    The young designer, clearly nervous under her scrutiny, stuttered, “N-no, he didn’t specify.”


    Taking another deep breath, Sadie said, “Give me Byrum’s phone number.”


    The designer quickly jotted down the number and handed it to her.


    Sadie dialed immediately.


    It went unanswered.


    Finally, an automated message stated, “Hello, the phone you dialed is turned off…”


    Turned off?


    Sadie’s heart sank deeper.


    Determined, Sadie tried calling again, only to be met with the same result.


    She instructed, “Does anyone here have other contact information for Byrum?”


    Nothing came of Sadie’s efforts.


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    Sadie bit her lower lip hard, striving to maintain herposure. At this point, panic would serve no purpose.


    “Call the police!” shemanded decisively. “Call them now!” Simultaneously, Sadie began urgently creating a new batch of drafts. Time was pressing, and every second was crucial.


    She worked relentlessly, foregoing sleep and rest. Reassuring the clients was also essential. Handling the smaller clients proved manageable, but therger ones, particrly Hank Lawrence, the CEO of Lawrence Group, posed the greatest challenge.


    “Mr. Lawrence won’t see me?” Sadie massaged her temples, fatigue evident in her voice.


    The assistant responded cautiously, “Yes, Miss Hudson. Mr. Lawrence’s secretary mentioned he’s been extremely busy and can’t spare time for a meeting.”


    This was the third time Sadie had been rebuffed.


    “Find out what Mr. Lawrence has been involved intely! And check his social circles too!” she instructed.


    Shortly after, the assistant returned with information. Hank’s wife, Leanna Lawrence, had her eye on a rare Hermes bag that was hard to acquire, even with ample funds.


    An idea sparked in Sadie’s mind. Perhaps leveraging Leanna could provide a breakthrough.


    “Contact the Hermes store,” she directed her assistant. “Tell them I need that bag, regardless of the cost.”


    The assistant paused momentarily, then quickly grasped the urgency. “Okay, Miss Hudson, I’ll handle it immediately.”


    The assistant was prompt, and by the next day, there was good news.


    “Miss Hudson, it’s done!”


    Sadie felt a wave of relief. Securing Hank’s order would provide the studio with much-needed stability.


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