Third Person’s POV
Vincent couldn't believe that he had spent the entire night wide awake searching for Agatha, only to come up empty-handed. With just four hours left in the day, it felt like a never-ending search. Even the assistance from the police seemed futile.
Feeling lightheaded, he pulled over to the side of the road and took a moment to collect himself. He hadn't eaten anything except for a bottle of water. The constant worry had taken away his appetite, and he couldn't help but imagine all the dangerous scenarios in his mind.
"Where in the world are you?!" he exclaimed, slamming his hand on the steering wheel. He then rested his elbow on the windowsill and pressed his forefinger against his temple, tracing a circular pattern.
With each passing moment, his hope began to fade. He had wanted Agatha to leave her brother's life, but not like this.
He barely whispered, "I never intended for you to distance yourself from me either."
Now, he was filled with remorse for his actions from the previous night.
If only he had stopped her from leaving...
If only he had held onto her wrist and pleaded, "Please stay here."
If only he had taken better care of her...
But dwelling on these 'what ifs' was pointless. The past was already set in stone. All he could do now was rectify his mistake by locating Agatha. Not because he felt guilty, but because...
"Because... I can't bear to lose her," he murmured.
Ready for another go at searching, Vincent revved up the engine once more. However, just as he was about to hit the gas pedal, his phone blared loudly.
He used to keep it on vibrate, but now he switched off the silent mode and even cranked up the volume to the max. Just in case he received a call from the police, Lanceil, or Wayne.
Without even bothering to check the caller ID or name, he answered, "Hello?!"
"..." The other end remained silent.
"Hey! Who is this!? I don't have time for pointless calls, so don't f*ck m..."
“Vincent?”
It was her voice, the voice he had been longing for. With her call, his empty soul suddenly lit up once again. It felt as if he had stumbled upon a vast ocean after wandering through the desert for ages.
"You! WHY DID YOU SUDDENLY VANISH?! WHERE ARE YOU?! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GO?!"
Vincent used to always yell at Agatha before, mainly because he found her incredibly annoying. But now, as he raised his voice like a raging beast, there was no trace of anger. Instead, Vincent sounded deeply worried, as if he wanted the whole world to understand the emotions he was trying to suppress.
Agatha let out a sigh and said, "Finally, I remembered your number."
Vincent scowled and asked, breathing heavily, "What?"
"I lost my phone, so I couldn't contact anyone. You used to call me all the time to complain about being hungry, so I barely remember your number," Agatha explained.
Now he was getting angry. If she was really okay, why didn't she come home?
"What happened?" Vincent tried to calm himself by closing his eyes and speaking slowly.
“I went out to buy something. But suddenly, I felt dizzy on the way. Then I passed out on the street," Agatha answered.
Vincent quickly turned on his GPS. "Which hospital? I want to come and see you," he insisted.
"No, no need. I'm fine now. I'm staying at my friend's place for a while."
'A friend's place?'
His face twisted with suspicion as he fired off a pointed question. "Is it a guy or a girl?"
"A WOMAN."
"Where does she live?"
"Instead of asking about my whereabouts, can you do me a favor? Please let your brother know that I'm okay. And..."
"Where is it?" Vincent questioned, his teeth clenched tightly.
"Why do you keep asking? Do you actually plan on coming to see me? It's not like you even like me, Vincent. So why bother visiting?"
"Why would I, you ask?" Vincent muttered, gripping his brown hair with frustration. Then he retorted, "I spent the entire night searching for you! I ran around like a crazy person just to find you! Why would I do that if... if...!" Fearful of revealing his hidden emotions, he abruptly halted his words and simply clenched his fists.
"Did you... worry about me?"
"I have no idea! If you don't tell me where you are, just go home quickly!"
He abruptly ended the call, his face turning red. He was frustrated that he couldn't see her, even though he really wanted to, but at least he knew she was safe.
Meanwhile, after he hung up, Agatha and Brett exchanged glances. She had used his phone, so they had to put it on speaker mode.
"What was that about?" Brett asked.
She blinked and replied, "I don't know. But he's definitely angry."
"No, he sounds like me."
"Huh?"
Brett stroked his chin. "I'm certain of it. Are you close with that jerk?"
"Not at all!" she exclaimed.
"Then did you seduce him too?"
"Why on earth would I do that?"
“Anyway, you already reached out to the other party, so no need to ask about going back anymore.” Brett got up with his phone.
"Can I borrow it a little longer?" She asked.
"And what? You'll try to remember Lanceil's number? You already contacted his brother, so that's sufficient."
Agatha stood up and said, "It was you who told me to get close to him. So why are you being so grumpy?" She intended it to be a whisper to herself, but Brett heard it clearly.
"Ahh," Brett exclaimed, turning around slowly. "I previously mentioned that you wouldn't carry out your mission until I found the killer, right? On second thought, I've suddenly changed my mind."
"What do you mean?"
"Starting today, you're fired," Brett declared.
“Fired?” Agatha asked, frowning. “You mean, I am…?”
“Yes. You don’t need to seduce Lanceil anymore. The deal is over.”