Chapter 165

165 Lukas Is Back

“What?” Joseph asked in disbelief.

After pondering for a while, he ordered, “Ask the staff in the manor to find along the road from the southern suburb to the Richmond Arts University. Besides, contact the principal of the Richmond Arts University and get the surveillance video at the school entrance to see if Isabella has gone out.”

“Yes!” Gerry answered.

After Gerry left, Joseph looked out at the night sky and frowned.

‘I knew Isabella well. Even if she went out to avoid me, she would make up an excuse and tell me through the phone. It’s so late now, but she hadn’t sent any message so far.

Is it possible that she was kidnapped after she got in an illegal taxi?

Alas, as a woman, she is always careless!’ Joseph concluded in mind.

He waited for her news at home until four o’clock in the morning.

The moment the doorbell rang, he rushed over and opened the door. “Have you got any news about her?” he asked with expectation.

.....

Gerry panted. “She left the school with her bag and her phone in her hand, but she was nowhere to be found later. We searched the road carefully but found nothing,” Gerry said.

“Talk to the public transportation company and get their surveillance video,” Joseph commanded, “By the way, contact her classmates and friends and ask them if they knew where she went!”

“Yes!” Gerry answered.

Isabella was sleeping in a cellar now.

Suddenly, a noise rang out the quiet cellar.

She felt that something slipped past her calf, so she reached out to scratch her calf with sleepy eyes.

But she didn’t expect that she would touch something soft and fluffy and it seemed to be alive.

“Ah!” she screamed.

The mouse on her leg slipped away in horror.

She came fully awake now. Thinking of the bad situation, she stepped back to a corner and crouched down, trembling all over.

She buried her face between her knees and began to sob.

Tears wet her skirt.

It was another dark and cold night. She was tortured by desperation, just the same as what she had experienced before.

The cellar was deep and damp.

Isabella was familiar with the environment here.

It was so dark that she couldn’t see her fingers when he stretched out her hand. As the wind blow in the cellar, it made a harsh sound and brought a musty odor of rotten vegetation. What’s worse, there was a faint rustle as rats or cockroaches passed occasionally.

Everything was terrifying and disgusting.

It was mental torture to be locked up here.

As long as there was a little moonlight or light from the streetlamp outside, she would not feel scared in this cellar. However, the absolute darkness and isolation in the cellar were enough to strike fear into her heart.

‘It’s so cold. I only have a dress on me, and I’m so hungry.

What is time now?

Is it evening?

I didn’t go back to the Wilson Manor, and didn’t tell William through the phone in advance. Will anyone find it strange? Will Charlie doubt why I hadn’t come back home? Will Joseph be angry?

I miss the delicious food there. William always prepared a lot of tasty food for me. The chief always let me taste the dishes first. Charlie always put on a kind smile.

And Joseph. He can be considered a nice guy, too.

It’s true that he usually looks cold and likes to roar and glare at people. Moreover, sometimes he acted like a rogue.

But he gave all the chocolate that others gave him to me.

I ate one every night when I read a book. There are still two in my pink bed now. I feel happy as long as I thought of the sweet and slippery texture of the chocolate.

Moreover, he bought a nice dress and a doll for me. Once a time, he beat up the rogue with bare hands to protect me.

If they see me in such an embarrassing situation, they will rescue me soon.

Maybe Joseph will put his coat on me while complaining that I am a fool.

Although he is arbitrary and arrogant sometimes, he is a gentleman.

His bark is worse than his bite,” Isabella thought.

She began to shed tears.

She had never expected that she would think of the Wilsons whom she had lived with for only half a month when she was sad and felt desperate.

It was probably because she was treated like a “Princess” there that she felt happy and being loved.

“No, I should be counting on Lukas,” she muttered all of a sudden.

She wiped her tears and began to encourage herself.

She thought she would be locked up there for a dozen or so hours at most, and she would be free when Lukas returned.

She thought that Lukas would reprimand the Smiths for their mistreatment of her, and then tell them that he loved her. She even thought that Lukas would take her and her mother away. Her mother suffered a lot in the Smith family. She thought it would be end soon.

She made up her mind that she had to pour out all the grievances to Lukas, who seemed to be the person she could count on all her life.

She wanted to pour out all her fear and frustration before enjoying her upcoming happy life.

She felt happy at the thought that she could finally say goodbye to the dark cellars, beatings, scolding, and humiliations. She even dreamed that there would be no more tribulations in the future.

As she was dreaming about her happy life in the future, the door of the cellar was opened.

The sunlight shone into the cellar. She covered her eyes partly and squinted at the door. The fat middle-aged maid said impolitely, “Come out, Miss Isabella.”

Isabella stumbled out and found that it was past one in the afternoon on the second day.

When she entered the living room, she saw Lukas sitting on the sofa. She was so happy that she rushed over. “Lukas! You are finally back!” she said with joy.

“Isabella,” Lukas looked at her and said.

He caressed Isabella’s head gently and continued, “I’m sorry, I’m late.”

“Don’t worry. I’m fine!” Isabella said in a hurry.

She looked at Lukas’s gentle and handsome face with tears welling up in her eyes. “Have you made it clear to them? Do you come to pick me up?” she asked with expectation.

As soon as Isabella finished her words, she heard Rosy sneer. Meanwhile, Lukas looked away.

Isabella could tell that something happened when she was locked up in the cellar. Before she could ask, Lukas said apologetically, “Isabella, I didn’t expect that you would misunderstand a lot because of what happened that day. We shouldn’t have drunk so much wine.”

Isabella was dumbfounded. She looked at Lucas in disbelief, “Lucas, I didn’t drink that day.”

“Well, it’s me who drank too much that day,” Lucas explained.

He looked at her, and the sadness in his eyes was the same as that night. “I originally thought that as an adult, you would take it as a misunderstanding and forget it soon. But it turned out that I am wrong. Isabella, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault...”

“Misunderstanding?” Isabella interrupted.

She added, “Lucas, do you mean what you said when you kissed me that night was just nonsense after drinking? You said you would make me happy, didn’t you?”

Upon hearing that, Lukas began to avoid eye contact with Isabella. “It is true that I will make you happy. After all, you are Rosy’s sister and I will take care of you as my sister. But as for the kiss that night, I might have just mistakenly thought you were Rosy,” Lucas explained.

“What?” Isabella muttered. Her eyes looked blank and vacant.

“Rosy and I are going to get engaged soon. I can’t betray her. I’m sorry,” Lucas apologized.

Isabella looked at him and suddenly felt that he was more like a stranger.

In her eyes, Lucas was a person with a sunny disposition. When he was lying on the bed and couldn’t move after the car accident, he was optimistic and always wore a bright smile on his face.

He was wise, handsome, brave and considerate. She had been dreaming that he could be her boyfriend one day.

But now, she doubted if he was the one she used to know.

She even doubted if she ever really knew him.