Chapter 343
Aubree finally had a moment to check her phone after getting in the car and noticed that Birgitte had called her three times in a row. “Why did Birgitte call me so many times?”
Aubree frowned. “Did something happen over in Südlichen Strand? But I haven’t heard anything.”
Even as she spoke, Aubree was already hitting redial. The line rang twice.
An automatic voice sounded. “The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”
Aubree’s heart sank. “Something must have happened over there.”
Aubree immediately called Vincent, asking him to book her the earliest flight to Südlichen Strand.
“Don’t worry,” Bowen said. “I’m calling my subordinate in Südlichen Strand.”
Bowen kept one hand on the wheel while already calling the head of Turner Group’s Südlichen Strand branch with the other.
Before Bowen could get any updates, Aubree’s phone suddenly rang. It was Josiah Reynolds, Birgitte’s assistant. She answered, “Hello?”
Josiah said, “Ms. Miller, Ms. Cherniavsky has gone missing.”
Aubree pressed her fingers hard against her brow, forcing herself to stay calm. “What happened?”
“Here’s what happened. A couple of days ago, Tengu Gruppe suddenly sent over a cooperation invitation. Ms. Cherniavsky figured that since she’d been working so hard, she’d make one last attempt. If their attitude was still as half-hearted as before, she planned to drop it completely.
“Anyway, she figured there was nothing to lose by going and accepted their invitation early this morning. Tengu Gruppe didn’t allow me to accompany her, so I could only wait outside.”
The meeting was set at an upscale private club in Südlichen Strand – a favorite spot for local executives, fully equipped with all the dining and entertainment one could want. Knowing how the Tengu Gruppe liked to drag things out over a meal, Josiah was certain nothing would be settled until well after lunch.
Birgitte figured she could handle Tengu Gruppe on her own. They couldn’t possibly do anything to her, anyway. She told Josiah to take care of his tasks and pick her up in the afternoon.
However, when Josiah arrived to pick her up, the people from Tengu Gruppe had already left, and Birgitte was nowhere to be found. It wasn’t until he got back to the company and learned she hadn’t returned at all that it finally dawned on him that something might have happened to her.
A wave of guilt swept over Aubree. Those three calls from Birgitte had been desperate cries for help, and she hadn’t answered a single one.
The call was on speakerphone, so Bowen and the others heard everything. Without even glancing at her, Bowen knew Aubree was surely berating herself for not answering those calls.
Bowen said, “Bree, now’s not the time for self-blame. What matters most is finding her.”
“Yes, we need to find her.” Aubree steadied herself, then told Josiah, “Call the police first. Keep a close watch on Tengu Gruppe’s movements. Figure out a way to make them talk and find out where Birgitte is. I’ll get there as quickly as I can.”
Aubree murmured under her breath, “Tengu Gruppe…” She couldn’t believe they dared to do this.
Just like Birgitte, Aubree couldn’t for the life of her figure out how Tengu Gruppe would dare to pull off something as brazen as kidnapping.
Bowen frowned slightly. “Alvin, I’m heading straight to the airport. Can you drive back yourself?”
Alvin replied, “Sure.”
Alvin had no objections. After today’s events, he felt that he needed to have a serious talk with Irvin. In addition, the Wilson family had just suffered a major blow. They certainly wouldn’t let this slide.
Alvin assured them, “Uncle Bowen, you guys can focus on Südlichen Strand. I’ll take care of things here.”
Although Aubree rushed to Südlichen Strand, by the time she arrived, it was already around six or seven in the evening. Waiting at the airport were Josiah and Harris Brooks, the head of Turner Group’s local branch.
Harris reported, “Mr. Turner, as you instructed, we’ve been closely monitoring Tengu Gruppe, but there’s no suspicious activity on their end.”
“Yes, Ms. Miller," Josiah reported. "With Turner Group’s assistance, after we contacted the police, the officers accompanied us to Tengu Gruppe for questioning.