Arthur didn't retort immediately as usual.

After a moment, he relaxed his furrowed brows and snorted lightly.

"She's made a scene before. She pretended to disappear to make me worry and only to come back obediently. Who knows where she's off gallivanting this time? She is cunning! Don't let her usual demeanor fool you!

"Enough, let's not bring up things unrelated to the case!"

His determination was evident.

Seeing this, Chris and the others held back their words, finally ceasing to mention me.

I was growing anxious.

But I was the victim.

How could they solve the case without mentioning me?

I watched as Arthur was consumed with the case, spinning his wheels with no progress for days.

All the nearby missing persons had been checked, yet none of the clues pointed to me.

Arthur looked exhausted.

Chris and the others brought me up again.

This time, Arthur didn't refuse.

He went home.

Upon entering, he seemed to have steeled himself before calling out my name.

The room was empty, and no one responded.

He glanced around the room with disdain.

"Enough, I'll count to three, and if you don't show up, don't expect to see me ever again!"

I desperately wanted to respond to him.

But he couldn't hear me.

Impatiently, he scoffed, "Fine, Chloe, you've really learned some tricks, playing hard to get now. Even if you die out there, I won't come back for you!"

With that, he stormed out.

I rushed forward to stop him, wanting to tell him that I really wasn't throwing a tantrum.

He walked right through me, his eyes cold.

I froze.

Arthur really hated me...

Even though I wasn't at home, he found even the places I'd been unbearable...

Just as he neared the door, he suddenly stopped, his gaze falling on a voice recorder on the entryway cabinet.

Excited, I floated in front of him.

Please, just play it!

Luckily, I used to have a habit.

Arthur didn't like checking messages I sent on WhatsApp. He was often not replying for days.

I worried he might come home and not find me.

So, I always left a voice recorder at the door explaining where I'd gone.

If only Arthur would listen, he'd surely realize I had vanished long ago!

Arthur frowned, picking up the recorder.

After a long pause, he tossed it aside with a mocking laugh.

"Are you still playing tricks with that recorder, Chloe? When it comes to scheming, no one beats you!"

I floated in front of the sofa, reaching for the recorder that had fallen underneath.

No, I didn't...

Please, Arthur, just listen to it!

Arthur didn't look back.

He returned to the police station.

Chris and the others crowded around him anxiously.

"How is it? Arthur, is Chloe alright?"

"Yeah, how is she? She must be okay, right?"

Arthur clenched his fist, his tone disdainful.

"What could be wrong with her? She still has the energy to go out and have fun, and she even left me a voice recorder to help me find her. Stop mentioning her. It makes me sick just thinking about her. Let's talk about the case.

"Jackson mentioned earlier that the victim had a previous injury to her left leg. Check the records at nearby hospitals to see if there have been any surgeries related to her left leg in recent years."

For several days, Arthur had been vetting candidates.

He rubbed his temples and set the documents aside.

Louise called him out...

Amanda had come to see him.

Arthur pulled her into his private lounge.

Watching Amanda walk confidently into the room and take a seat on the sofa, I felt a sudden daze.

I had never been here...

Every time I brought food to Arthur, he wouldn't even let me step inside the police station, much less his private space.

Yet Amanda quickly walked into places I had never reached.

She affectionately pulled Arthur to sit beside her and began gently massaging his temples.

"You haven't come to see me lately! Do you find me a burden?" she asked.

Arthur shook his head.

"How could I? I've promised to take care of you for life, and I won't go back on that," he reassured her.

"It's just that this case has been quite tricky."

Ignoring the prohibitions, Arthur erased the details of the case and started discussing it with Amanda.

Amanda gasped, trembling as she hugged him from behind.

"It's terrifying! How could someone do that? Have they caught him yet? What if he comes after me?"

Amanda's body pressed close to his.

They seemed like a pair made in heaven.

Arthur stiffened momentarily, his hand rising.

Arthur had a work habit. Whenever I hugged him from behind, he would push me away forcefully, sternly telling me not to touch him like that.

Just when I thought he would push Amanda away, he simply laid his hand on her shoulder, patting it soothingly.

So, it wasn't that he had a work habit...

He had made an exception for someone else.

"I will never let anyone hurt you! Next time you feel in danger, call me directly. I'll come to you no matter what, okay?"

Amanda nodded obediently.

The atmosphere was incredibly warm for a while.

It wasn't until Amanda brought up my name.

"I heard from Chris that she hadn't brought you food for a long time. Is she coming today? If she sees me here, she'll surely start another fuss...

"Maybe I should just go back..."

Arthur's expression visibly cooled.