Inevitable repercussions.

The officer attempted to soothe Esme, assuring her that Scarlet might have simply gone somewhere and would return soon. However, he remained unwilling to file a missing person report.

His casual demeanor and nonchalant attitude irked Esme. "I have been trying to call her for the past hour. It has never happened before that she ignored my calls. Something is not right. Why are you not taking this seriously?"

With each word, her voice rose. "And that anonymous caller clearly threatened my father. Given the situation, aren't you going to take action immediately?"

"Madam, you are overreacting," the officer replied, his tone dismissive. "It's only been an hour since you last contacted her. Maybe her phone's battery died. Maybe she went to meet someone and kept her phone in silent mode. If she doesn't return after 24 hours, we will start looking for her. Right now, go home and wait for her, okay?"