Chapter 707 - 699: Marry a Rich Man (2)

Chapter 707: Chapter 699: Marry a Rich Man (2)

Jevon, Swenton Factory.

Archie Lockwood stared at the stacks of blueprints on his desk, his brow furrowing ever tighter.

The grim look in his eyes cast an increasingly oppressive pall over the room.

Howard Rhodes shot Louise Jordan a look. Taking the hint, Louise quickly spoke up, her voice laced with anxiety. "Sir, this is the final design proposal we’ve received. If you’re still not satisfied..."

Archie Lockwood picked up one of the blueprints and handed it to Louise Jordan. "We’ll go with this one for now. Tell Joel Lynch it must be finished within five months."

"Yes, sir." Louise Jordan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly agreed.

As Louise Jordan left with the blueprint and her new assignment, Howard Rhodes also turned to leave.

Noticing this, Archie Lockwood looked up. "Howard Rhodes," he said, his voice quiet.

"Sir."

"Take my phone and put it on the charger. I’ve been so focused on work these past two days I forgot." ’It’s been two days since I called my little one. I wonder if she’s behaving and eating well.’

"Yes, sir."

After Howard Rhodes left, Archie Lockwood opened his laptop and, as usual, immersed himself in his work.

He worked nonstop until a little after eight that evening.

When he stepped out of his office, he saw Louise Jordan, Howard Rhodes, and Joel Lynch in the middle of a discussion.

They all stood up nervously the moment they saw him.

Joel Lynch, in particular, scratched his head and said with a nervous smile, "President Lockwood, are you finished with work for the day?"

"Mhm," Archie Lockwood replied coolly. His eyes swept over the room as he strode to the desk, where he bent down to pick up his phone.

Seeing that Archie Lockwood was barely paying him any mind, Joel Lynch felt a bit embarrassed. He cleared his throat twice before speaking again. "President Lockwood, I’ve booked a private room at the Crestwood Hotel. I’d like to invite you to dinner, if you would do me the honor. It would give me a chance to act as a proper host."

"Then I’ll be in your hands, President Lynch," Archie Lockwood said, his lips curling into a cold, faint smile.

"Not at all, not at all! It’s my pleasure, truly."

「One hour later. Crestwood Hotel.」

Archie Lockwood had felt uneasy ever since he sat down. He had tried calling home on the way over, but no one had picked up.

’It’s already this late... Normally, the little one wouldn’t be asleep so early, would she?’

’Could she be angry with me for not calling home these past two days?’

With that thought, Archie Lockwood tried to remain patient and dialed the home number again.

Again, there was no answer.

He turned to Howard Rhodes, frowning deeply, and asked in a low voice, "Has Rory called either of you in the last two days?"

"No," Howard Rhodes said truthfully, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Louise Jordan, has Rory called you in the last two days?"

Louise Jordan looked equally baffled. "No, I haven’t heard from her. Is something wrong?"

Hearing that neither of them had been in contact with Rory, Archie Lockwood stood up and walked to the window. He tried calling Rory’s cell phone, but it was turned off.

At this point, his appetite was completely gone. He turned around, his face grim, and said, "No one is answering the landline at home, and Rory’s cell phone is off."

Louise Jordan stood up as well, phone in hand. "Maybe her phone just ran out of battery."

Archie Lockwood shook his head. "Even if her cell phone is dead, someone should still be answering the landline."

"I’ll call Mrs. Lane right now." Howard Rhodes was the first to react. He, more than anyone, knew what it meant when Rory went missing.

The little one was devilishly clever and had a knack for slipping past the security cameras to run off on her own.

"Do it."

"I’ll call Hugh Archer and have him head back to the villa to check on things," Louise Jordan added, her expression suddenly growing tense as a thought struck her.

Archie Lockwood’s fingers flew across his phone screen as he strode quickly out of the room.

Howard Rhodes and Louise Jordan hurried to keep up.

As soon as the text message was sent, Archie Lockwood was already making another call. "Get a helicopter ready for me immediately. In half an hour, I..."

As Archie Lockwood descended the stairs, his mind was entirely consumed with Rory. He wasn’t looking where he was going and didn’t see the woman running frantically up the stairs, one hand on the railing for support. They collided at the landing, and the impact sent his phone flying from his grasp.

SMACK! The phone hit the floor, immediately followed by the woman’s startled cry, "Ah!"

Archie Lockwood’s handsome face was dangerously grim. He watched the woman fall backward and instinctively reached out to grab her. But then the thought that this clumsy woman had interrupted his call flashed through his mind, and he forced his outstretched hand back to his side.