He had no appetite and had been anxiously awaiting news.

His phone signaled an incoming message from Sylvia.

Alongside the video, a significant revelation accompanied Sylvia's message.

"Mr. Fowler, I've uncovered that Melissa's adoptive parents visited Warsew recently. There was a confrontation between Ryan's mother and Melissa, documented at the police station. Add to that Mr. Smith's unexpected visit. I believe it's related to Melissa's true parentage.

Melissa may have felt threatened, leading her to leave you at that time.

And sadly, I currently can't locate Melissa."

Pallor blanketed Marcus' countenance.

Repeatedly, he scrutinized the video and Sylvia's message.

Sylvia phoned, her tone hesitant. "Mr. Fowler, should we postpone the flight?"

"Push it back by a week," Marcus uttered, his voice coarse.

A sigh of relief escaped Sylvia's Lips.

Subsequently, Marcus tapped into all his connections in an attempt to locate Melissa.

Truth be told, he had never contemplated the next steps after locating Melissa. Despite their strained situation, he felt compelled to at least ensure her well-being.

Moreover, an apology was in order.

Regret weighed heavily on him. He berated himself for mistreating her, for uttering the degrading offer of two million dollars for a night, and for deeming her worthless.

She must have cried for quite a while when she returned.

It wasn't a secret that she was such a fragile soul.

Despite Marcus exhausting all his connections, Melissa remained elusive. Waylen's frustration boiled over, berating Marcus for his perceived ineffectiveness in locating Melissa and emphasizing that his only woman was left incensed.

Marcus found himself in a somber state of mind.

Opting against returning to the Fowlers' residence, Marcus revisited the apartment.