The Kiss that Sparked it All

Nolan rapidly scrolled through his contacts to dial Francis, who had been previously blocked.

At that moment, Francis was lounging on his couch, flipping through a magazine that boasted about the latest record broken by the Harris Group. With a sour expression due to envy, his mood shifted instantly when he saw Nolan’s call and eagerly answered, sitting upright.

“Hey? Nolan, what’s up? Let me guess, you’re joining Regina for dinner tonight, right?”

Nolan had no time for small talk. “Regina’s in trouble. Something happened to her on her way home!”

“What?” Francis’ voice boomed in disbelief. “You’re joking, right? She knows that route like the back of her hand. How could something happen? Maybe she just ran out of battery or something.” Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Trying to reassure both Nolan and himself, Francis sat back down.

“Don’t worry, man. I’ve driven her back and forth on that route countless times since she was a kid. Plus, there’s always a neighborhood watch patrolling. Nothing could’ve happened.”

But Nolan was tense. “I just spoke to her, and something definitely happened. Her phone got turned off too. It’s been about half an hour since she left work. She might have been near the Tanner Mansion by now. Go check if her car’s there!”

Despite Nolan’s urging, Francis was skeptical. How could something happen right at their doorstep?

Nolan’s tone grew stern. “Do you not want to receive any more financial help from me? If you’re thinking that way, then just stay put.”

Without giving Francis a chance to argue, Nolan hung up.

If Francis was smart, he’d realize the urgency of checking on Regina. If anything had happened to her, Nolan wouldn’t let the rest of the Tanner family off easily.

Nolan, feeling a headache coming on, stood up and instructed Lucy to rally the people he had influence over in the area. He didn’t call the police yet, as it hadn’t even been fifteen minutes since Regina’s disappearance.

He needed to witness the scene himself to gather evidence, whether for the police or anything else.

Back at the Tanner family estate, Francis was shocked by the abrupt end of the call.

Was Nolan really disregarding him, his own father-in-law, to this extent?

Furious, Francis threw his phone onto the couch. But then, remembering Nolan’s warning, he grew anxious.

Did Nolan genuinely care for his daughter to threaten him like that?

Worried about the financial implications for the Tanner family, especially for his son, something had happened to Regina, Francis hurriedly grabbed his phone and coat.

Just then, Imogen entered the room, noticing his rushed preparations. “Dinner’s almost ready, and Regina will be home any minute. Are you seriously going out now?”

Imogen couldn’t help but be suspicious, especially with her being pregnant. She doubted Francis’ fidelity, not believing him to be the type to stay faithful for her sake.

Francis brushed her off. “Nolan just called saying something happened to Regina. I need to check the route she takes home!”