"Gone? Where did she go?" Upon hearing those words, the worry froze on Harry's face as he stood rooted to the spot. The same shock was written clearly across the others' faces..

None of them had ever considered the possibility that Melanie might leave.

Over the years, they had watched Dustin ride out highs and lows after that accident. They had seen people come and go from his side. Even they, when faced with Dustin's unpredictable temperament back then, hadn't dared to stay with him all the way through.

From the beginning to the end, only Malanie had stayed by his side. She came to him when he was at his lowest, being incredibly patient and tolerant with him. She endured all his anger and abuse, and never once thought of leaving.

So, why did she suddenly leave now?

At that moment, his phone rang again. Almost immediately, Dustin answered the phone. "Mel? Where are you…"

But before

"Thank you, Mrs. Hart." Olivia smiled politely at Miriam before turning to Dustin and extending her hand toward him. "Dustin, you can just call me Liv."

Olivia naturally knew this dinner's purpose. The Hart and Scott families were well-matched in status, and coincidentally, the two families had recently been negotiating a business partnership.

Besides strengthening ties, this meal also carried the unspoken intent of arranging a marriage alliance.

Olivia knew there were two other women around Dustin, but she didn't mind.

After all, one of them had abandoned him when he was at his lowest. He might still cling to that woman, unable to truly let go, but who could truly feel nothing toward someone who had once cast them aside?

And the other was nothing more than a country bumpkin with no background or connections. If not for the Hart family's support, she would never have crossed paths w

On the other side of town, a banquet was being held in the most luxurious hotel in Captorn.

Since the Hart family was one of the most powerful families in Captorn, Dustin naturally drew a lot of attention for his birthday banquet as the Hart Group's heir. Plenty of guests attended, and all of them were well-known figures in elite circles. 

Yet, the man at the center seemed distracted.

His friends also noticed that something was amiss.

"Hey, that's strange. Why isn't Mel around? Did she forget?"

"How could that be? Mel has never forgotten anything about Dustin in all these years."

"True, but the banquet is already in full swing. This is the first time she's ever been this late…"

They glanced at each other before finally fixing their eyes on Dustin. Seeing him lost in thought, Harry Nolan couldn't help himself and asked carefully, "Dustin, why don't you call Mel again just in case?"

"There's no need. She's just preparing her gift." Dustin shook his head almost instinctively.

Though his friends still found it strange, they didn't say anything else. They thought that they might just be overthinking it.

At that moment, the banquet moved on to the gift-giving segment. Harry and Dustin's other friends each presented their gifts.

Soon, it was Jane's turn.

Even though Harry and the others disliked Jane for abandoning Dustin back then, it was still Dustin's birthday banquet that day. So, they ultimately held their tongues.

Blushing, Jane stepped forward with the gift she had prepared personally. "Dustin, this is what I…"

Before she could finish, Dustin glanced at his phone, and his expression suddenly changed. In full view of everyone, he shoved Jane aside and bolted for the exit.

Jane was completely caught off guard and was knocked to the ground. The sharp pain brought tears to her eyes, and she tried to call out to him. But this time, the man who had always put her first didn't even spare her a glance, simply running out of the hall.

The people in the crowd stared at one another in bewilderment, not knowing what had just happened. Harry and the rest of his friends were caught off guard, too. 

Then, someone suddenly remembered that Melanie still hadn't appeared tonight. His expression changed. "Could something have happened to Mel?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone grew anxious and hurried after Dustin, leaving Jane alone on the ground. Hearing those words, she gnashed her teeth in fury.

Melanie. Once again, it was Melanie.

But no one cared about what she was thinking.

Dustin sprinted all the way back to the villa, only to find it empty. Still, he refused to give in. He rushed upstairs and searched every possible corner, but there was no use.

Not only had Melanie disappeared, but everything connected to her had vanished as well.

Dustin stood in the vacant room, staring at the message on his phone from just moments earlier, and the number saved beneath her name. After a long pause, he seemed to remember something and dialed the number.

He didn't even realize that his hand was trembling uncontrollably as he pressed the keys.

The busy tone droned into his ear, causing a surge of nervousness. But Melanie didn't answer.

When the line finally cut off, the doorbell rang. He didn't know how he made it downstairs and opened the door, but Harry and the others were outside with worried expressions.

Everything still felt surreal to Dustin.

"Dustin, why did you suddenly rush back? Did something happen to Mel?"

Forcing himself to bear with the strange ache in his chest, he opened his mouth. After a long silence, he rasped out hoarsely, "Mel said she's gone…"

"Gone? Where did she go?" Upon hearing those words, the worry froze on Harry's face as he stood rooted to the spot. The same shock was written clearly across the others' faces..

None of them had ever considered the possibility that Melanie might leave.

Over the years, they had watched Dustin ride out highs and lows after that accident. They had seen people come and go from his side. Even they, when faced with Dustin's unpredictable temperament back then, hadn't dared to stay with him all the way through.

From the beginning to the end, only Malanie had stayed by his side. She came to him when he was at his lowest, being incredibly patient and tolerant with him. She endured all his anger and abuse, and never once thought of leaving.

So, why did she suddenly leave now?

At that moment, his phone rang again. Almost immediately, Dustin answered the phone. "Mel? Where are you…"

But before he could finish, Jane's voice came through on the other end. "Dustin, I twisted my ankle. Can you t

Chapter 9