Chapter 4

“Ring, ring. Ring, ring.” Maeve pressed the doorbell. Upon seeing Maeve, the servant seemed shocked. She looked like she had just seen a ghost. She hurriedly found Sabrina and said, “Madam, it’s Ms. Maeve, Ms. Maeve has returned!” “Ms. Maeve? Don’t bring up a sore subject on such a joyous occasion.” She had bought off several inmates. She made sure that Maeve would die in prison. There was no way she could survive until the end of her sentence. “I’m telling the truth, Madam. If you don’t believe me, go and see for yourself.” The servant was so shocked that her complexion was still pale. “I will go and take a look!” Sabrina excused herself from the party. The moment she turned around, her expression grew stern as she walked toward the entrance. Her son, Johnson Lawson, followed closely behind her. Seeing her stern expression, he voiced his concern. “Mom, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” Sabrina said in a low voice, “Madam Wright said our old baggage has returned. Today is your birthday. It’s such a joyous occasion. Don’t let her ruin the mood. Go back to the party and hang out with your friends. I will go check it out.” “I will come with you.” The mother and son walked out together. The mansion’s courtyard was brightly lit. Even from a distance, Sabrina immediately recognized Maeve. She had changed a lot. However, even if she was reduced to bones, Sabrina would still recognize her. As they approached, Sabrina said in a sullen voice, “Maeve, it really is you!” Maeve sneered. “Yes, I’m back.” There was a hostile expression on Johnson’s face as he said fiercely, “What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’re here to claim a share of the family fortune. The son inherits the family business, and the daughter has no claim to it.” Maeve looked at her half-brother with mixed feelings. Johnson was six years younger than her. Speaking of which, she was the one who took care of him when he was little. When they were young, Sabrina was busy playing poker with her friends, shopping, and going to the spa. She often left Johnson in her care. Kids would sometimes sustain bruises and cuts. That was unavoidable. However, each time something like that happened, Sabrina would scold and beat Maeve without trying to find out if it was really her fault. Sabrina often instilled in her eight-year-old brother the idea that the family’s fortune was meant for him alone, and that only a son could inherit the family business. As his sister, Maeve had no claim to it and was considered an outsider once she got married. Whether she had the right to a share of the family fortune or not, it was not for Sabrina and Johnson to decide. The law had its own set of provisions. In front of Sabrina and Johnson, Maeve did not show even a hint of desire for the family fortune. She had just been released from prison. She had all the time in the world to reclaim what rightfully belonged to her in the future. At the moment, she had a more important matter to discuss. “I’m not here to claim any share of the family fortune. I’m here to see Grandma. Where is she?” Prison life was monotonous, with strict schedules dictating every activity. There was only half an hour each day to watch the news, which was Maeve's sole means of getting information from the outside world. Shortly after she was incarcerated, the news reported her father’s passing, despite efforts taken to save him. She never expected that she would be forever separated from him in such a way. The last time she saw her grandmother was through the footage of the funeral broadcasted on the news. It was a heart-wrenching sight. Her grandmother seemed to have aged significantly at that moment. Maeve wondered how her grandmother was doing now. “No need to look for her anymore.” Sabrina’s words interrupted Maeve’s thoughts. “That old hag couldn’t accept the fact that her son had passed away. She succumbed to depression and passed away soon after. It’s actually good news for you. You can’t even support yourself right now. If that old hag was still alive, you would have to take care of her, and she would have become your burden.” Sabrina crossed her arms. It was as if her grandmother’s life was insignificant and not worth mentioning at all. “What did you say?” Maeve’s eyes widened in shock. “I don't have time to waste on you. Get out of here now, or I will have someone throw you out!” After Sabrina said that, she heartlessly closed the gate. “Sabrina!” Maeve shouted angrily from outside the ornate gate. “What goes around comes around! You, too, will grow old one day, and karma will get you sooner or later!” If karma did not take its course, she would make sure it did! Maeve felt utterly hopeless. However, she did not entirely believe Sabrina’s words. Was her grandmother really gone, or was Sabrina deceiving her? She had to find out the truth! Her mother abandoned her, and her father had passed away. If her grandmother was also gone, she would truly be all alone. Since her release from prison until now, Maeve had not been able to take a proper rest. She was exhausted and did not have the strength to walk back to the bus stop. Since she had a place to stay after getting married, she could save on rent. With a bit more financial freedom, Maeve hailed a taxi and decided to go to Nunavut Bay. On the way, Maeve suddenly came up with a good idea and quickly said to the driver, “Excuse me, can you please take me to the nearest police station?” “The police station?” The driver glanced at Maeve through the rearview mirror. “Yes.” “The nearest one is the Starlet Police Station.” “Okay. Please take me there.” The driver dropped Maeve off at the Starlet Police Station. As Maeve looked at the police cars and the police officers coming in and out in uniforms, her body instinctively tensed up with nervousness. She forced herself to stay calm and approached the service window. “Hello, my grandmother is missing. I’ve been unable to reach her by phone, and I’ve spoken to all our relatives and friends who are close by, but nobody has seen her. I want to file a missing person report.” “When was she last seen?” the police officer asked in a formal manner. “I’m not sure of the exact time. I just got back yesterday, so it’s been at least a day.” “What’s her name? Do you know her ID number?” “Agatha Lawson,” Maeve replied, quickly providing the ID number. The police officer entered the ID number into the system and pressed Enter. Maeve was on tenterhooks as she asked nervously, “Did you find anything?” “We found her. We will file a report now. We will do our best to locate her. Please leave us your phone number, and we will contact you if there’s any news.” “Thank you! Thank you! I’m counting on you!” Maeve expressed her gratitude repeatedly and provided her mobile number. She had come here with a hopeful mindset. If her grandmother had really passed away, Sabrina, who was concerned about the social impact and reputation, would have arranged a funeral and canceled her social security number. However, now it seemed that Sabrina might have been lying. After leaving the police station, Maeve hailed another taxi. The house that Matthew had asked Liam to purchase at the last minute was located in Nunavut Bay. The neighborhood was not large, and the buildings showed signs of age, but the environment was serene. Maeve took out the keys and opened the door. The apartment had one living room and two bedrooms. There was not much furniture, just the most basic pieces. The place was clean and spotless. It felt so deserted; it was like no one was living there. It did not look like a home at all. In the shoe cabinet, there was only a pair of men’s slippers, no other shoes. Maeve took off her sneakers and put on the slippers. The men’s slippers were quite large. They did not fit her feet well. Unable to rest, Maeve sat on the sofa and immediately opened her phone’s contact list. She dialed each number one by one, hoping to find someone who might know about her grandmother’s whereabouts. When the Lawson family was influential, outsiders only knew her as the eldest daughter of the Lawson family. Many people tried to befriend her and flattered her. Her contact list had hundreds of phone numbers. Now that she was destitute, everyone avoided her like the plague. Some brushed her off, claiming not to know anything, while others even hung up the second they heard it was Maeve on the line. After making a round of calls, she found no leads whatsoever. Feeling thirsty and hungry, Maeve set aside her phone and got up to go to the kitchen. The kitchen was equipped with all the necessary utensils, all brand new and unused. The refrigerator was completely empty. Was this really where he lived? Something was off!