Chapter 997
"Hey, Uncle, brother-in-law, have you seen my girl around?" Leo asked.
The two men exchanged a glance and then turned their eyes to Leo. In the heat of the moment, the uncle and nephew duo set aside their differences.
Leo, stationed in the police station's surveillance room, quipped, "How did you two manage to upset your wives so much they left, and why did my girl take off with them?" Andre, sporting a stern look, sat quietly, deep in thought. Chad was glued to the surveillance video, watching every frame of the Cedillo family's departure. "There's no way they're in Havenbrook," Andre suddenly stated.
Chad glanced at him while Leo started typing away on his laptop, trying to track them down. Just before he was about to make progress, Andre interjected again.
"Molly's a bit naive, Anya's too innocent-neither of them are as sharp as Mia. They must have been persuaded by someone from my family."
Despite wanting to defend their significant others, the uncle and nephew realized they couldn't argue against Andre's point.
Andre continued, "Mia's definitely upset with me. She knows I went abroad, so she's probably gone on a long trip to get back at me."
Leo chimed in, "Those three going abroad? No way! Mia, Molly, and dear Ms. Anya together couldn't even pass their IELTS or TOEFL. They'd get swindled overseas before they even realized it." "Could they have gone to see Cooper?" Chad speculated.
Andre shook his head, "Visiting Cooper would take a whole day's flight. Mia with the kids, and Molly pregnant-long flights would be a nightmare. Plus, Henry's such a handful; he can't sit still." Not to mention, Anya's complicated situation, and Mia knows Leo would get insanely jealous. Even a simple meal with Cooper would have Leo's envy reaching across continents.
His clever little wife wouldn't venture that far.
Leo, focused on his laptop, exclaimed, "Got them! They're in H city, Seaside Sanctuary."
The two men turned, eyeing their nephew who had once again hacked into a system. Andre walked over, shut the laptop with a swift motion, and glared at Leo.
Didn't he get that they couldn't just hack for info like this, especially here?
Leo sheepishly bowed his head, acknowledging his mistake.
Chad, pretending he hadn't heard the earlier conversation, said, "I need to swing by the chief's office."
He went to request leave.
---
On the beach at night, the three women played in the sand, flashlights in hand, watching as the waves rolled in. Henry, ever cautious, clung tightly to his mom's hand, refusing to feel safe with anyone else. Every time the waves washed over his little feet, Henry would freeze in fear, whining, "Mommy~"
Anya was busy digging for treasures by the sea, crouched down with her phone lighting the way.
Molly, draped in a long dress, used her phone as a flashlight. "Anya, tomorrow's meals are on you."
Henry wailed in the background, the sea's touch making him cry out across the beach.
Finally, Mia scooped up her son, crouching to dig in the sand alongside him.
Behind the hotel, a water park blasted music into the night, with plenty of must-see attractions.
With the night being dark and crowds thick, Mia opted for the quieter beach to keep the pregnant Molly and the kids safe.
Soon enough, Anya shouted excitedly, "Auntie, I caught one!"
Mia carried her little one over, "Wow, a real crab!"
Henry, momentarily forgetting his fear, reached out to grab it.
Mia was baffled her son feared the gentle sea but wasn't afraid to handle a crab.
She quickly pulled Henry's hand back, preventing him from getting pinched.
After half an hour of beachcombing, they leisurely headed back with a single small crab.
"A day without men is pure bliss," Mia sighed.
Her little boy in her arms protested, "Mom!" His name might have changed, but his gender hadn't.
---
At the airport, three men clutched their tickets, sitting in a row.
Leo opened his laptop again to check on the three women. Andre turned to him, his look alone exerting enough pressure for Leo to close it immediately. "Uncle, brother-in-law, please keep your women in check. If this keeps up, I might really have to take Ms. Anya and move out."
Leo felt frustrated but couldn't express it, his partner constantly being influenced by those two.
Soon enough, they boarded the plane.
Two hours later, they landed.
Leaving the airport, Chad quickly scanned the surveillance, pointing out a blind spot.
Andre dragged Leo along.
Leo pulled out his laptop to check their spending patterns.
Finally, they tracked down the rental car company.
"Oh, those three beauties? Absolutely stunning. I've rented to many influencers and celebs, but those three were something else-naturally beautiful and
generous. Such a pity, though.el
a mom, one's expecting, but the other one's quite charming, really..."
Leo, annoyed, interrupted, "That charming one is my wife. Stop with the chatter. Her looks are none of your concern."
The boss, taken aback by Leo's outburst, retorted, "You say she's your wife, but where's the proof? I'm not telling you a thing. Who are you anyway, asking about those three?"
Leo was on the verge of losing his cool, but Andre's calm demeanor prevailed. "We're here for our wives and children."
The boss, eyeing Andre, felt an odd familiarity. "You say they're yours, but where's the proof? I'll call the cops."
Chad flashed his police badge. "Talk."
The boss, still hesitant with these three men-knowing full well that three gorgeous women could attract a lot of attention-remained guarded.
Then Leo opened his laptop, typed Andre's name, and showed the boss.
The boss, shocked by what he saw, looked at Andre again. It was him... Andre!
"Where's my wife and child?" Andre asked coldly.
The boss, now nervous, realized he might have overstepped. "They rented a car and left."
After acquiring the rental info, the three men returned to their car. Leo tried to track the women's hotel check-ins, but nothing came up. "No check-in records, the last transaction was for the rental car." Leo began doubting his skills. Chad suggested, "Andre, should we check the local police's system?"
Andre glanced at Leo, "If he couldn't find it, I doubt anyone else could."
If his nephew couldn't dig up the info, Andre wasn't inclined to trust anyone else could either.
Meanwhile, at the hotel, the three women sat on a bed. Molly leaned against the pillows, Henry in his mom's lap, and Anya with a few sticky notes on her face. "Pair of Kings, anyone?"
Mia glanced at her hand, "Pair of Aces. Molly, you in?"
Molly checked her cards and shook her head, "I'll pass."
Anya played a "Pair of Twos."
It was Mia's turn, but before she could play, her little one, hugging his big teddy bear Isaac, quickly swiped a card and with a flick of his tiny wrist, tossed it onto the bed, "Boom-"All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
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Names and cultural references have
been adapted to better fit a Western
context, while maintaining the
universal appeal of a card game. The descriptions have been slightly adjusted to ensure a seamless
Western setting, avoiding any specific cultural nuances that might require translation.