Shane followed Franklin and the others back to the police station, using alcohol to scrub the tattoo off his back after much effort.

He quickly washed his hair and changed back into his own clothes.

As Franklin walked Shane out, he said, "When you go back, don’t tell Audrey I’m here. Audrey can’t keep secrets and will definitely tell Laura. I don’t want her to worry, so I haven’t informed her I’m here yet. I’ll go to her after I’m done here, so please keep this confidential for now."

Shane nodded and asked, "What’s going on with that bar you mentioned?"

Franklin replied, "It’s still unclear. Tonight Erin plans to sneak in and check things out. I’ve also sent her the photos of your two friends, and she’ll keep an eye out. If there’s any news, she’ll contact us. It’s not very safe outside here, so when you go back, make sure everyone stays in the hotel and doesn’t wander around."

Shane murmured an agreement, checked his reflection in the glass door, adjusted his shirt buttons, and walked out of the police station.

Back at the hotel, as soon as he stepped off the elevator, he saw Audrey standing by the corridor window, appearing to look for something.

Without making any noise, Shane approached her from behind and also glanced out the window, seeing nothing unusual.

He gently tapped Audrey on the head and asked, "Who are you looking for, glancing around like this?"

Startled, Audrey turned around to see Shane, her face still stuck in a worried expression that hadn’t yet changed.

Seeing her expression, Shane immediately frowned and pinched her cheek, asking, "What happened? I’ve only been out for a little while, and you’re already like this?"

Audrey slapped his hand away and asked angrily, "Where did you go?! I called you, and you didn’t pick up!"

Shane was taken aback, fished out his phone from his pocket, and realized he indeed had a missed call when he was too rushed to check earlier.

"I put it on silent and didn’t hear it." Shane put his arm around Audrey and walked towards their room. "Were you worried about me?"

Audrey glared at him, not very pleased, "What do you think?! Now, Brother Xavier and the others are missing, and you’re running around. What if you also..."

Shane chuckled lightly, interrupting Audrey, "You’re just making up scenarios and scaring yourself again. I just went with the police to understand the situation; didn’t I message you?"

Audrey remained silent, worried not only about him but also about the photo she had taken of that man and woman.

She couldn’t completely let it go.

"So where did you go with them?"

Shane replied, "Those women are missing too, aren’t they? The police think Faye’s disappearance might be related to them, hoping to find clues by starting with them. We went to the place where we parked but didn’t find anything useful so far."

Audrey looked at him with a mix of belief and doubt, feeling uncomfortable with it all bottled up, and said, "I just saw someone who looked a lot like you coming to this hotel with a very beautiful girl."

Shane’s expression stiffened slightly, recalling that Audrey was just by the window then. Could it be that she saw him when he arrived with Erin?

No wonder Audrey had that troubled look.

Audrey took out that photo and handed it to Shane, "Look, this is it. Doesn’t it look like you?"

When Shane saw the photo, his heart skipped a beat, debating whether to admit it or not.

He had just told her he was with the police investigating the caravan, and admitting it now would mean he lied earlier.

Seeing that Audrey didn’t seem absolutely convinced it was him in the photo, Shane said, "How does it look like me? There’s no way I’d wear clothes like that. Besides, the woman next to him isn’t you, so it couldn’t possibly be me."

Audrey turned to look at him, as if trying to get him to slip up and said, "I didn’t say it was you, just that it looks like you."

"Is that how you see me in your mind?"

Audrey explained, "If you ignore the clothes, doesn’t the face resemble you?"

"Not a bit," Shane insisted.

Audrey put her phone away, not wanting to argue further, and said in a downcast tone, "Do you remember that dream I had? The one where you cheated."

"Don’t let your imagination run wild. It was just a dream. See, I’m right here with you now," Shane said.

Audrey paused and then looked up at Shane, asking, "Just now, when I messaged you, and you didn’t reply or pick up the call, then I saw someone resembling you walking into the hotel with an unfamiliar woman. That feeling of unease was overwhelming."

Shane sighed, pulled Audrey into his arms, and gently said, "After being together for so long, don’t you understand my feelings yet? Why would you still doubt me like this?"

Audrey, smelling the remaining scent of hair gel on Shane’s hair, thought of the man with the slicked-back style and lowered her head, silently leaning against his chest.

Shane reassured her, "Stop scaring yourself. I’ve committed to you for life. Even if you tire of me, I won’t let go."

"...And what if you tire of me?"

Shane corrected her, "Losing novelty doesn’t mean growing tired; it means we know each other better now."

Audrey finally raised her hands to hug Shane, willing to believe his words.

Even if he was lying, she wanted to believe there was another reason.

Thinking about it, if that man in the floral suit was really Shane, why would he make such a spectacle of bringing his lover to this hotel?

Wouldn’t he want to be caught having an affair?

Shane, being as cautious as he is, would never do something so foolish if he really had an affair.

Unless he wanted to make it clear and seek a divorce.

But it clearly wasn’t that now.

Yet there was still a lingering, unresolved feeling in her heart.

At night, lying in the hotel bed, Anna had already fallen asleep with a bottle in her arms.

As Shane came out after his shower, he saw Audrey neither asleep nor on her phone, just staring blankly at the ceiling.

He walked over, touched her forehead, concerned she might be tired from a cold and feeling unwell.

She hadn’t eaten much during dinner either.

"What’s wrong? Not feeling well?" Shane gently placed his hand over Audrey’s belly, asking softly, "Is the baby bothering you?"

Audrey didn’t answer, just brought her hand out from under the covers, holding Shane’s large hand in her palm, looking at him and asking, "What if a few years later, when I’m old, you meet a young and beautiful girl, what would you do?"

"What do you mean, what would I do? No matter how many years pass, I’ll still be older than you. When you age, so do I. Is your mind wandering off again, thinking about nonsense? Have you been sneakily drinking milk tea again?"