Emma panicked. She needs to get out of here! She wanted to call a cab, but she does not know where she is. Now she regretted that she spaced out on the way here. She didn't pay attention where the car drove her because she relied that the driver which Charlie arranged for her will bring her to the right place.
Right… her phone… GPS locations. She looked at the map and found that her dot is in the large open area, road is not too far away… how can she get the address?
She can call JoAnna, but she does not want to disturb her, and there is a chance that JoAnna will alert Charlie. Who can she call? Sarah and Aiden are out for the evening who knows where, Sophia and Felix are home… considering that Sophia is pregnant, she does not want to call her. The same goes for Penny, she should rest. Emma looked at her recent contacts on her phone and her sight fell on… Brian. He is in Los Angeles, and if he is in Ellie's villa, he is in the neighborhood. Right!
Emma was walking down the long driveway while waiting for Brian to answer his phone. Well, even if he does not pick up, her plan was to talk until she reaches some intersection and then she can call the cab to pick her up there.
Emma exhaled in relief when she heard Brian's voice. "Hey… can you come and pick me up?"
Brian paused when he heard Emma's question. He knows that she is out with Charlie. And he knows that because he wanted to have a lunch with Emma, but she rejected him due to an appointment in the styling salon to get ready for the event. Her calling him now means that something happened. Brian frowned at the thought that Charlie did something to Emma to make her sound this upset. But Brian didn't want to question her now. He is happy that she thought of him when she needs help.
"Where are you?"
"I'm not sure, but I believe that I'm close to Ellie's villa and you can see where I am with the app for sharing the GPS coordinates… I will send you the link so that you can view my location…"
…
Inside…
Charlie noticed Emma's absence. He glanced toward the restrooms few times, but he didn't see her, and he can't go inside to check on her. Charlie didn't look at the time when she went, but he knows that she should be back by now. The people around him are talking, but he is unable to focus on what they are saying.
"Excuse me…", Charlie stepped away from the people.
One man from the group was not pleased that Charlie just walked away. They were in the middle of a discussion!
"Trouble?", Dylan asked Charlie. He was one step behind Charlie.
Charlie ignored him. He got his phone and dialed Emma. His anxiousness shoot up when she didn't answer the call.
"Did something happen to your nurse?", Dylan continued probing.
"Stay away from me.", Charlie squeezed through his teeth. He needs to think. Where is Emma? Why is she not picking up the call?
He was ready to go toward the ladies' room when he spotted JoAnna.
"Hey… can you check if Emma is OK?", Charlie asked JoAnna.
JoAnna paused for a moment while observing Charlie's concerned expression. "Did something happen?"
Charlie shrugged helplessly. "She went to the restroom a while ago. And she is not picking up when I call her cell phone."
JoAnna whispered few words to Jeff and headed to the restroom with urgency. Charlie was right behind her.
"She is not in there.", JoAnna told Charlie when she got out.
Charlie ran his hand through his hair nervously. He does not know what to do other than… he got his phone and called Emma again. And the same as the last time, it rang all the way until it reached the voicemail.
"She is not answering my call.", Charlie told JoAnna helplessly. "I will go and look around."
"Wait.", JoAnna held his arm. "I have a better idea. Give me a second."
JoAnna got her phone and texted Eve to track Emma's phone location.
"It's not like Emma to play around by hiding. She knows that you would be worried and look for her.", JoAnna told Charlie. "Something happened, and you don't have the time to go and search for her randomly."
JoAnna was concerned by the possibility that someone drugged Emma and they are about to do who knows what with her.
By the time JoAnna finished her last sentence, Eve sent Emma's location to her phone.
"She is not on this property.", JoAnna told Charlie and she saw him pale in an instant.
Both of them feared that she was kidnapped.
"We need Jeff's help.", JoAnna told Charlie and moved swiftly toward her husband. They need to mobilize their forces and find Emma before something happens.
While walking, JoAnna gave it a shot and called Emma… and Emma picked up after few rings.
"Where are you?", JoAnna asked immediately.
Charlie's eyes widened and he held his breath while watching JoAnna talk on the phone.
"Please, don't worry about me and tell Charlie that I'm sorry.", Emma said, and she was about to hang up but JoAnna's voice prevented her.
"Don't you dare hang up on me! We are all worrying already. I thought that someone kidnapped you. How can you leave without telling anyone? What happened?"
Emma knows that JoAnna will not give up, and she felt sorry for making others worry about her, so she told JoAnna that four women approached her, and that Miss Davis spilled red wine on her dress. She asked JoAnna not to tell Charlie about it. "I'm really sorry but I don't know how to face him."
JoAnna was sad for her friend and angry as well. It took Emma a long time to acknowledge her feelings toward Charlie, and Charlie took forever to make his move. This was supposed to be the evening where Emma realizes that those socialites are not better than she is, and those four crappy women ruined everything! How dare they!
"Don't worry about the dress, sweetie." JoAnna did her best to comfort Emma. "We are all concerned about you. Do you know where you are going?"
"Yes. I don't want to be alone so I will stay at Ellie's villa tonight. Brian is with me.", Emma admitted.
JoAnna sighed. Out of all the people, now when she is vulnerable... Emma is with Brian. And they all know that Brian is interested in Emma. How likely is it that he will miss this opportunity? JoAnna is not the one to count that Brian will be a gentleman.
"Don't do anything you will regret. OK? Wait for reinforcements."
"What?", Emma asked but JoAnna ended the call already.
JoAnna turned to Charlie. "Emma was bullied, four on one and she is ashamed to face you."
Charlie balled his hands into fists. "Who dared to mess with her?"
"Let me handle them. If you don't want to lose Emma, I recommend you go to her quickly.", JoAnna advised Charlie and gave him the address of Ellie's villa.
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