?Chapter 1339:


    “We’re searching, sir,” Phillips replied, his tone cautious. “But…”


    His hesitation spoke volumes—it was like hunting for a single star in a daylight sky, the odds maddeningly slim.


    “Keep searching! Don’t waste another second!” Eric’s voice cut through, sharp and unyielding.


    “Yes, Mr. Scott!” Phillips responded, the line going dead.


    Eric’s face paled, a shadow of dread settling over him. Without pause, he dialed Cordell. “Have you tracked down Gifford?”


    “Not yet, Mr. Scott,” Cordell admitted, his voice steady but careful. “But I suspect he will reach out to you directly. It might be best to—”


    “Absolute nonsense!” Eric’s roar erupted, raw with frustration.


    Did Cordell think he hadn’t already considered that possibility? “I can’t just sit and wait! My daughter’s in his hands—she is only four! Every moment we lose, she suffers more. Find him. Now!”


    “On it, Mr. Scott!” Cordell replied, urgency in his tone as the call ended.


    After ending the call, Eric turned and sank into the sofa.


    He folded his arms, leaned back, and tried to steady his thoughts. He couldn’t fall apart now—not when Hadley and their daughter still needed him.


    By the time the first light of dawn touched the sky, his phone buzzed across the table, waking him from a shallow sleep.


    He leaned forward, picked it up, and answered groggily. “Yeah?”


    Phillips’ voice came through. “Sir, Cordell just arrived. He says he has news about Gifford. He’s downstairs.”


    “I’m on my way.”


    Eric hung up, grabbed his coat off the couch, and moved toward the door.


    “I’ming too!”


    Hadley came rushing out from the bedroom, her steps unsteady but determined.


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    “Hadley.”


    Eric turned to face her. Even though he had knocked her out so she could at least have some shut-eye the night before, she still looked weak and worn, herplexion far from normal.<fnfafb> This content belongs to find·novel</fnfafb>


    “Who was that? Was it about Joy?”


    Her voice trembled as she reached for his arm. “Please. Let mee with you.”


    “It’s not confirmed yet,” Eric said softly. He couldn’t bring himself to lie to her. But he also couldn’t offer false hope. “I’m just going to check things out. You need rest, please stay home and wait for an update, alright?”


    “No.” She clung to his arm even tighter, refusing to budge.


    Her head shook firmly. “You want me to just sit here and do nothing? I can’t sit here alone—I’ll lose my mind with worry. What now, Eric? You’re going to have someone knock me out again, too?”


    That thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.


    There wasn’t a moment to spare. Eric couldn’t waste time arguing. He reached for her hand, gave a quick nod, and said, “Alright. We’ll go together. Let’s move.”


    “Okay!”


    Eric paused and then ducked back inside her room, grabbed a shawl from the chair, and draped it over her shoulders. “Here. Let’s go.”


    “Alright!”


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