Chapter 298: Stranger at the Door
There was no way Lily was going to stay with Yunice. The second Owen stepped out, she followed right behind him, leaving Yunice alone in the dressing room.
She sat quietly, idly spinning a makeup brush between her fingers. She didn’t feel hurt or ignored anymore; that kind of disappointment had worn itself out long ago. Then, behind her, something crashed to the floor.
Yunice turned and saw a little boy with a blunt bob haircut. He was dressed in a suit and stood stiffly, one hand hidden behind his back as if clutching something. She recognized him instantly—he was the boy from the construction site, the one who’d been crying on his knees while his mother begged for help. His dad was now behind bars, facing heavy fines. The man who used to hold the family together was gone. For a family like theirs, it was a breaking point—and life ahead would only get harder. But did that mean they deserved her sympathy?
Yunice stayed seated. She calmly asked, “Hey, kid. How old are you?”
The boy answered softly, “Three.” He stopped a couple of feet away, too nervous to come closer. Seeing Yunice wasn’t paying him much attention, he tried again, more desperate this time. “Miss, I got separated from my mommy. Can you help me find her?”
Yunice kept her eyes on the mirror, still spinning the brush. She didn’t respond. The boy’s voice trembled, his eyes starting to well up. “Please, miss… If my mom can’t find me, she’s going to be really worried…”
Yunice finally turned to him, her voice steady, almost gentle. “Sorry, but if I left with you and my family couldn’t find me, they’d be worried too. How about this—I’ll call the front desk, and they can help you find your mom.”
“Miss…” The boy’s expression shifted—his eyes flashed with something sharp, almost guarded. “Don’t call the front desk. I don’t need to look for her anymore…”
His tone turned panicked. He took a step toward her, still hiding one hand behind his back.
Meanwhile, Lily and Owen had searched the entire ballroom, and there was still no sign of Elsie. Calls went straight to voicemail. No one could reach her.
Frustrated and panicking, they suddenly got a call from hotel management. One of the guests had reported a missing child, and since the Saunders family was hosting the event, the hotel asked for help. With no time to waste, Owen followed the hotel manager to his office to figure out what was going on.
Apparently, the woman had been walking past the ballroom with her son when he slipped away and ran inside. Within moments, he was gone. The hotel manager reviewed the security footage and quickly found the boy on camera. “He went into the backstage dressing room,” he said, pointing to the screen. “He hasn’t come out since. That’s the room Ms. Saunders is using, isn’t it?”
Owen’s stomach dropped. Yunice had a history of psychiatric issues—and had once been classified as potentially dangerous. The kid went in. Never came out. Owen didn’t want to imagine what might have happened. Without another word, he took off with the others, rushing toward the dressing room.
Oscar showed up just then, carrying a dress. Spotting everyone gathered outside the dressing room, he asked, “What’s going on out here? Where’s Yunice?”
Owen pointed inside. “She’s in there.” Everyone followed him inside. The hotel staff and the boy’s mother spread out, calling his name as they searched the room in a panic.
Yunice, seated calmly at the vanity, glanced up. “No kid’s been in here.”
The boy’s mother turned to her, surprised. “You’ve been in this room the whole time?”
Yunice nodded. “Yeah.” The woman gave her a strange look, then went back to searching with the others.
Meanwhile, the Saunders family had gathered around Yunice. Lily’s eyes landed on the dress she was wearing, and her expression twisted. The material was clearly high-end. “I thought Oscar said he was going to buy you a new dress,” she said sharply. “So why’d you steal someone else’s?”
Hotel Marcellus hosted a lot of private events, so it wasn’t uncommon for high-end dresses to be stored backstage. So, of course, Lily’s first thought was that Yunice had gotten vain and grabbed someone else’s gown to wear.
Yunice turned and shot her a glare. “Wyatt sent it. He had it delivered specifically for me.”
Owen frowned. “You could’ve mentioned that earlier. We’ve all been running around trying to fix this, and you just sat here.”
Yunice replied coolly. “The only person who’s been running around for me is Oscar. Weren’t you and Lily off looking for Elsie?”
Owen stiffened. “Every time someone says something, you act like we’re attacking you. If this is the attitude you’re bringing, maybe you shouldn’t have come at all.”
Oscar immediately stepped in, his voice sharp. “That’s enough. Mom, you’re the one who should be more careful with your words. Since when did this family start jumping straight to blame instead of asking questions? When did scolding replace support? Being the elder doesn’t give you the right to tear someone down.”