She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 618

Her heart was pounding frantically in her chest.

Not because she had run too fast.

But because...

Instinctively, Melanie clutched the black folder tightly against her chest.

She had given up.

There was no way she could find that little girl now.

Even though she deeply regretted not chasing after her immediately, there was nothing she could do to change the facts.

Melanie didn't return to the gala.

She stood at the hotel entrance, constantly scanning her surroundings.

Earlier, she had been looking for the little girl.

But not anymore.

Melanie's gaze had changed.

It was now filled with sharp vigilance and caution.

She had a gut feeling...

The person who had used a random little girl as a courier to deliver this black folder was still here.

Hiding somewhere in the shadows of the night, secretly watching her.

Back inside the gala venue.

Everett and Elias were making small talk.

"Mr. Carter, are you and Melanie... very close?"

Everett stumbled over the question.

"Yeah, we're friends."

Elias's answer was refreshingly straightforward.

Everett opened his mouth, but the words 'just friends?' died on his tongue, and he swallowed them down.

Since Elias had already stated they were friends, pressing further would make him look overly suspicious.

Their conversation fizzled out after just a few exchanges, and they plunged back into silence.

In truth, the only reason they were sitting together was because they were waiting for the exact same person—

Melanie.

"She's taking a long time..."

And why they had used such a convoluted delivery method.

It was glaringly obvious that whoever was pulling the strings from the shadows desperately wanted to remain anonymous.

Melanie read through the thick stack of papers with intense scrutiny, but also incredible speed.

When she locked in, her efficiency was terrifying.

Just as she was about to flip to the very last page, her phone suddenly rang.

The caller ID flashed with Elias's name.

Melanie answered the call, and before she could even offer an excuse, Elias's anxious voice blasted through the speaker.

"Oracle, did I mess up as a host? Jordan just told me he saw on the security feeds that you came back inside but didn't return to the hall. You took the elevator straight upstairs!"

"Ah... yeah."

Melanie scratched her head as she held the phone.

"I'm so sorry, I totally forgot to text you."

She had been entirely consumed by her desperation to read the files.

"It's nothing you did. I just had something urgent come up on my end... Oh, right, Elias... you mentioned the security cameras... Could you check them and see if they caught that little girl who came looking for me?"