"They still haven't found the suspects."
"I heard that things might get troublesome the longer this prolongs."
"What if he never returns?"
Hushed whispers of concerned voices entered the ears of a certain young lady who was reclining on a couch with her eyes closed and her head lowered.
Despite hearing what everyone in this room was discussing, she pretended to be deaf and her languid expressions displayed that she had no intentions of getting involved.
"With the heir now missing, what will the Valken family do?" Another whisper was heard, this time from a different corner of the room.
The family name that she went by had just been mentioned yet she sat there without even lifting her head.
*Ding*
The sound of a notification coming from her phone finally succeeded in attracting her attention.
The figure who sat in a discreet corner of the room with her head lowered until now had been as still as a statue that everyone had forgotten the existence of another person in this large and comfortable room.
Only after sensing movement coming from that particular direction did the other occupants of the room pause for a moment to take a look at who it was.
Thus, they finally caught sight of a young lady who had just stood up from her seat.
Thick black hair that had been tied up into a sleek top bun and large-framed sunglasses that concealed quite a big portion of her face were what came into their line of sight.
From the part that was still visible, they could discern her soft pink lips and clear yet pale skin.
Among those seated in this room, some were trying to figure out the identity of the lady they had never seen before, while others were focused on the clothes she wore.
Tight black pants paired with a white blouse and a dark beige designer jacket, known to be hard to acquire even with a large sum of money, fell loosely over her shoulders.
Under the gaze of those numerous watchful eyes, the young lady who had just stood up, held her phone in one hand and the handle of her suitcase was gripped in the other.
Loud clicks and clacks resonated in the room that had fallen silent ever since she had raised her head earlier.
However, no matter the number of eyes fixed on her, she neither flinched nor displayed anxiety as she strode out of the room with her head held high.
"Who do you think that was?"
Curious whispers once again echoed in the room the moment she disappeared from their sight.
After all, they were currently in a private lounge, a place that was only reserved for those with sufficient influence and resources.
The lady being in here meant that she came from a rich and powerful family, making them wonder about her identity as they forgot about their earlier topic of the missing Valken family heir.
While they were guessing who she might be, the one now at the center of their discussion had long walked away, not caring about them and their sudden interest in her identity.
As soon as the lady had walked out of the room, the silence from before had been replaced by the loud noises emanating from the crowd, either hurrying in her direction or away from her.
After all, she was standing in the midst of a crowded airport right now and such a scene was to be expected.
Scanning her surroundings, she used the signboards around her to pinpoint her location before lowering her head and typing something into her phone.
{Right outside Lounge - III, opposite the coffee shop with the strange logo on it.}
The well-fitted black gloves she wore allowed the outline of her slender fingers to be noticeable as they tapped the screen before hitting the 'send' button.
Once the message had been sent successfully, she raised her head to look at the logo of the same coffee shop, a cute penguin trying to hula hoop.
However, before she could focus on how absurd of a logo it was, her eyes fell on the large TV screen inside the coffee shop.
Despite being at about twenty feet away from the coffee shop, her eyes were able to catch a clear glimpse of what was displayed on the screen, thanks to her perfect eyesight.
Though the news channel was on, her attention wasn't on the pretty newsreader but the "Breaking News" on the news ticker, the scrolling text that ran at the bottom of the TV screen.
{Valken family heir still missing. Whereabouts remain unknown...}
The script that scrolled after that was ignored when she sensed someone heading in her direction.
"Miss Valken?" A fumbling and unsure voice called out to her, diverting her attention to her left, the same direction she had felt someone's presence.
Turning towards the voice, the young lady who had been addressed as Miss Valken looked at the one now standing before her.
Blonde hair with streaks of brown hidden among them and bright green eyes were the most striking features of the man who had called her name.
"Yes." A cold voice responded to the query from earlier, managing to straighten the back of the man who had just arrived.
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Valken. Milo Gavin, CEO Valken's personal assistant." The clearly nervous man introduced himself while using the most formal tone that he could conjure.
Once he was done, he did not dare to even breathe out too loud as he waited for her next words.
"Hello, Mr. Gavin." She greeted as a slight smile formed on her face in hopes of easing the anxiety evident in the recently introduced assistant's face.
However, instead of helping him soothe his nervous state, her smile had quite the opposite effect on him.
The tall assistant had his cheeks flushing and his irises trembling when he heard his name coming from her lips.
'What's his problem?' Anita Valken, the only daughter of the prestigious Valken family, blinked in silence while gazing at him.
Milo felt his entire body heat up under her gaze and was quick to look away in an attempt to escape her observant eyes.
This series of actions had already fallen into her eyes, making her guess what was wrong but she said nothing while waiting to see what happened next.
"Chairman is waiting for the Miss to return." He announced and even hastily turned around to avoid her curious gaze.
Anita was already tired from the long flight that she had to board in the middle of the night, which lasted for fourteen hours straight.
Therefore, she only gave him a hum of acquiescence and allowed him to lead the way without further delay.
As they walked toward the exit of the airport, her mind wandered.
It had been nine long years since she had left this city where she had been born and raised.
She had never turned back after leaving this place but here she was now, making an appearance amid the chaotic atmosphere that enshrouded the entire city.
Amidst the reminiscent thoughts circling her mind as she followed the assistant who had come to pick her up from the airport, her feet paused when she sensed something.
In no time, her brows furrowed and her nose scrunched up as what she had sensed was getting closer.
Her eyes soon darkened as a mild trace of disgust made its way onto her cold face.
Turning her head just a little to the right, a smirk formed on her lips when she saw a small group of men entering the airport through the main gates.
Anita watched as the group headed in her direction but it looked like they had not noticed her presence yet.
Therefore, she took this chance to call for their attention as she could not let such an opportunity slip from her grasp.
"Look who it is I see the moment I get back~" Her voice dripped with hostility as she uttered those words.
Earlier, Milo, after realizing that the lady had stopped following him after he had taken a few steps, had turned around with the intention of waiting for her to catch up with him.
However, when his eyes fell on her, he realized that the partially concealed face of the young lady was facing a different direction entirely.
Following her line of sight, his eyes widened when he saw who had made her stop in her tracks and before he could call out to her, he heard the young lady's voice filled with disdain.
Her words had attracted the attention of three men who had come to a halt before Miss Valken once she had finished speaking.
However, among the three, Milo's eyes were fixed only on the man who stood at the forefront of this group.
"Valken." The man who looked like the leader of the group muttered the name that had popped up in his mind as he stared at the woman right before him.