Chapter 731

That night, the Bamboo Parlor, typically a hub of merriment, was instead cloaked in an atmosphere of tension and anxiety.

The air seemed almost solid with the weight of their worry.

Austin didn't sleep a wink.

He sat in a chair in the main hall, staring blankly into space, his nails bitten to nothing.

Cecily, Vincent, and the others stayed by their side all night.

Ezra and Aldus, who had rushed off with the bodyguard team, had not sent any word as if they had disappeared into thin air.

Austin's phone suddenly rang as the sky began to lighten with the first hints of dawn.

The ringtone jolted everyone to attention.

It was a call from Ezra.

Austin quickly answered.

"Mr. Lockwood, how's my dad?" Austin asked urgently.

On the other end of the line, Ezra was silent for a few seconds.

Then, he slowly said, "Sir, Aldus and I are already on our way back."

What kind of answer was that?

Austin's anxiety spiked. "I asked about my dad! How is he?"

The sudden rise in Austin's voice ma