Babel Novel
Chapter 101
As Carlisle heard the automated message on his phone, his heart skipped a beat.
He rushed to the front desk and asked the receptionist, “Did a lady with short hair in a white dress leave
just now?”
The middle–aged receptionist, who wasn’t the same person from the night before, shook her head. “I didn’t see anyone fitting that description.”
Frowning, Carlisle pressed on. “She’s staying in room 305. Could you please check if she’s there?”
The receptionist hesitated, giving him a skeptical look. “I can’t just open a guest’s room without
confirmation.”
“We arrived together last night. Can you check the surveillance footage?” Carlisle urged.
“The surveillance system is down, and the maintenance guy isn’t available,” the receptionist explained.
Frustrated, Carlisle slammed his fist on the counter. He raised his voice, saying, “My friend might be in
trouble! Can you afford the responsibility if something happens to her?”
The receptionist looked annoyed. “What’s with the attitude? I’m just following protocol.”
Carlisle shot her a glare. He stormed out to look for Wanda, guessing she might have gone out to buy
breakfast.
Outside the hotel, Carlisle spotted the parked cab and its driver enjoying breakfast.
As soon as the driver saw Carlisle, he put down his croissant and drove over.
“Have you seen my girlfriend?” Carlisle asked urgently.
The driver shook his head. “I went to refuel and grab breakfast. Didn’t your girlfriend stay with you?”
Carlisle got into the cab. “Let’s look around nearby,” he urged.
The driver quickly turned the car around and drove down the streets, checking breakfast spots on both
sides.
Despite searching several streets, there was no sign of Wanda.
Carlisle tried calling her multiple times, but her phone remained switched off.
By 10:00 am, they returned to the hotel.
Carlisle approached the front desk and asked, “Have you seen a lady with short hair and a dress?”
The receptionist frowned. “Is she really missing?” she asked.
Carlisle nodded grimly.
The receptionist swallowed hard at the gravity of the situation. “You should call the police, she suggested.
Chaple 101
Carlisle’s eyes reddened. Trembling, he pulled out his phone.
With no surveillance footage to rely on and no sign of her after such a long search, calling the police seemed to be Carlisle’s only option.
Just then, the receptionist pointed outside. “Is that her?”
Turning around, Carlisle saw Wanda entering the lobby, holding a black plastic bag.
“Why are you staring at me?” Wanda asked nervously as she entered the lobby.
Without a word, Carlisle rushed over and enveloped her in a tight hug.
Wanda’s eyes widened, her body freezing in surprise. What was Carlisle doing?
With a hoarse voice, Carlisle said, “Wanda, don’t ever disappear on me like that again.
Wanda realized her phone had died. She was touched by the fact that Carlisle went out to look for her because he couldn’t contact her.
Feeling a mix of guilt and relief, Wanda explained softly, “I’m sorry. I went to withdraw some cash, but the bank was crowded, so it took me a while…” Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org
A sigh of relief mixed with frustration escaped Carlisle when he realized she had gone to the bank to withdraw money. He gently let go of Wanda and ruffled her hair, saying, “Remember what I said. Don’t ever disappear like that again.”
Wanda nodded earnestly. “I will, and next time, I’ll bring a power bank.”
She handed Carlisle a black plastic bag. “I didn’t know how much you needed, so I withdrew all my pocket
money.
Carlisle peeked into the bag. There was probably around a hundred thousand dollars inside.
He felt a mix of envy and relief, knowing that Wanda was indeed from a wealthy background, which set them apart. In an era where most people earned only a few hundred dollars a month, having that much pocket money was truly mind–boggling.