âCut it out!â
The bedroom door swung open, and Theoâs irritable voice rang out.
Veronica was startled by her brotherâs commanding tone. And then it hit her. She blurted out, âWait, youâre back? You⦠you were in the room too? What on earth were you doing with her while Ellinor wasnât home?â
Theo didnât feel the need to explain himself. âItâs late, Veronica. Go to your own room and sleep.â He retorted, âNo wonder Ellinor ran away. Youâre really not helping, bro!â Veronica muttered, shooting Sophia a dirty look before storming off.
Sophia merely shrugged and spread her hands. âSee that, Theo? Thatâs how she treats me! Thatâs why I came to your room.â
Theo was stone-faced. âYouâll have to make do for the night. Iâll arrange a hotel for you tomorrow. You wonât have to see her anymore.â
âFair enough.â Sophia replied nonchalantly and went downstairs to watch TV.
Theo didnât care what Sophia did. He was simply annoyed by Veronicaâs shouting and had come out to put a stop to it.
He returned to his room and picked up an incoming call from Collin.
Expecting news, he answered promptly.
âMr. Blanchet, weâve checked all the public transport. Thereâs still no sign of Ellinor. Weâve got people watching the highways too, but there arenât any leads. Sheâs likely still in Greenhaven.â
The pit in Theoâs stomach sank further. âKeep looking. If sheâs in Greenhaven, I want you to turn the place upside down until you find her.â
âUnderstood, Mr. Blanchet.
Six months later.
The Blanchet Corporationâs new building was complete and had been furnished for some time now.
In three days, all departments of the Blanchet Corporation were set to move into the new office building. A grand ribbon-cutting ceremony was planned, with major media outlets covering it.
However, things werenât going smoothly.
There was an unwritten rule in Greenhavenâs architectural scene. The architect must attend the ribbon-
cutting ceremony of a completed building. Otherwise, it was believed to bring bad luck to the occupants and even affect the buildingâs safety.
While this was just a rumor, architects generally didnât mind attending the ribbon-cutting of buildings they had designed. It was a proud moment, after all. Over time, it became an accepted practice. If an architect didnât show up, it was considered disrespectful to the client or even a curse.
Especially for large corporations. Their towering buildings demanded high safety standards.
Shareholders cared about this. Whether they believed the rumor or not, who wouldnât want good luck?