Chapter 438
The second the idea hit her, Eva hurriedly scrolled through her contacts list, about to call Adrian Blackwood.
Yet, after dialing the number, she hesitated, and two seconds later, she canceled the call that hadn’t even gone through. If Adrian hadn’t replied to her message, he was probably too busy or in a situation where responding wasn’t feasible. Calling him in such a moment might just complicate things p>
For his safety, she decided against calling him, comforting herself with the thought that he’d message her back once he was free. With this in mind, Eva carried her phone everywhere, even placing it on a stand within reach while she showered, always ready for any vibration.
Eva’s focus wavered, her mind elsewhere as she showered, always alert for a message, only to rush out and find disappointment with each buzz that wasn’t from Adrian. This cycle of hope and letdown lasted until she finished her shower, nearly an hour later.
Drying her hair in her room, her gaze incessantly snapped back to her phone, even as she lay down, staring at the pristine ceiling.
It hit Eva suddenly, how much she actually cared about Adrian Blackwood.
Was she overreacting over an unanswered message? This preoccupation was stifling-how was she supposed to test him if she was this anxious?
With a soft sigh, Eva turned in bed, facing the black screen of her phone.
Despite her desire to control her thoughts, she couldn’t.
After an unbearably long wait, Eva eventually couldn’t stand it any longer and called Jacob. When he answered, his voice was clouded with sleepiness, clearly roused from his slumber by her call. “Eva-Ms. Hansen, do you need something?” Eva checked the time and realized with surprise that it was already past noon.
Oh right, they had arrived in Chicago so late.
She pressed her lips together, asking softly, “I’m sorry for calling so late, did I disturb you p>
“Don’t be a stranger, Ms. Hansen. I work for Mr. Blackwood, and my salary comes with being on call 24/7. Otherwise, you probably wouldn’t be able to reach me p>
Even so, Eva didn’t take it for granted, speaking gently, “I wanted to ask, have you heard from Adrian Blackwood today? Any news on your end p>
Jacob nodded.
Realizing Eva couldn’t see the gesture, he quickly added, “Ms. Hansen, if you’re worried about Mr. Blackwood, there’s no need. I was in touch with his team this morning. He’s fine.” “This morning p>
“Yes p>
“Was it this morning p>
“Yes p>
Eva couldn’t help but scrunch up her nose.
He had contacted Jacob in the morning but not her?
“Ms. Hansen, I mean I spoke with someone on Mr. Blackwood’s team, not directly with Mr. Blackwood himself,” Jacob explained hurriedly, worried she might misunderstand. “What about after that?” Eva persisted, “No contact since this morning p>
“Well… Mr. Blackwood had important business today, so I didn’t want to bother him p>
Important business?
Why didn’t he tell her? But Eva quickly let it go, understanding that he must’ve indeed been busy. Her text message shouldn’t have been a bother then, right?
“Ms. Hansen, don’t worry about Mr. Blackwood. It’s getting late; maybe you should get some rest p>
Despite Jacob’s suggestion, Eva didn’t know why she felt so restless. But it was late, and it felt wrong to keep troubling him.
“Alright, you should rest too p>
“If you need anything, just call me. And about Mr. Blackwood-if I hear anything, you’ll be the first to know p>
“Thank you p>
After hanging up the call, Eva clung to her phone and rolled over, still far from restful.
Biting her lower lip, her mind was a tangled mess.
But she was at a loss for what to do.
Eventually, Eva dozed off with her phone clutched tight and thoughts swirling in confusion.
Later, it was the vibrating of her phone that woke her.
Groggy, she discovered it was the alarm she had set. Since she had gotten up too late the day before, she’d adjusted it to an earlier time. Eva couldn’t tell if it was the loudness or the prolonged vibration that rattled her, but when she got up, her eyelids were twitching uncontrollably.
Her heart rate, too, was erratic.
After turning off the alarm, Eva leaned against the wall trying to steady her emotions. It took a while before her heartbeat slowed, but her eyelid kept twitching.
She was never superstitious-those beliefs about ominous eyelid twitches were not for her-but now, an uneasy premonition crept into her heart.
She felt like something was about to happen.
She glanced at her phone again; the text thread was frozen at her last sent message. Since yesterday, there had been radio silence. No matter how busy, couldn’t be too engulfed in tasks for this long, right? Could something have happened to him?
As the thought flashed across her mind, Eva threw off the covers, grabbed a coat, and hurried out the door.
When she found Margaret, she was entertaining two kids, Ruby and Dylan. Seeing Eva dash over, Margaret looked puzzled.
“Eva, you’re up? Why not sleep in a bit longer p>
Eva was about to inquire but swallowed her question upon seeing Ruby and Dylan.
Sensing Eva’s halted intent through her actions and gaze, Margaret suggested, “Shall we talk outside p>
Eva nodded immediately.
“Yeah p>
Margaret quickly excused herself from the kids and stepped out of the room with Eva.
Once outside, before Margaret could even ask what was wrong, Eva blurted out anxiously, “Mom, have you been in touch with Adrian Blackwood these past couple of days p>
“Adrian Blackwood?” Margaret was surprised by the question and pondered a moment before replying, “I spoke to him the night before we moved, telling him we’d be joining you in Chicago.” “And after that? There’s been no contact p>
Margaret shook her head slightly, a sense of concern beginning to mirror Eva’s.
Margaret shook her head. “He’s got his own life to live, and as parents, it’s not right for us to be on his back all the time p>
Taking in Margaret’s words, it dawned on Eva with crystal clarity. She too hadn’t managed to get in touch with Adrian Blackwood.