Chapter 82: No Answer

Ji-Ah came out of the shower, drying her hair, but when she looked at the bed, Evelyn wasn't there.

She frowned and checked the kitchen. Not there. She looked in the living room, the balcony—everywhere. But Evelyn was gone.

Confused, she grabbed her phone and called her. No answer.

She called again. And again. Still nothing.

Her chest tightened. Where did she go? Why isn't she picking up?

Worried, she quickly called her friends, Min Hye-Jin and Kang Seo-Jun.

They arrived fast, seeing the fear on Ji-Ah's face.

"Don't worry," Hye-Jin said, holding her shoulder. "Maybe she had urgent work."

"But she's not answering," Ji-Ah said, voice shaking. "She wouldn't leave like this."

Seo-Jun sighed. "Let's wait a little. If she still doesn't call back, we'll go find her."

Ji-Ah nodded, but she couldn't shake the bad feeling in her chest. Something wasn't right.

Minutes felt like hours as Ji-Ah sat on the couch, staring at her phone, waiting for it to ring. But Evelyn still didn't call back.

Hye-Jin and Seo-Jun stayed with her, trying to keep her calm, but Ji-Ah could see they were also starting to worry.

"I can't just sit here," Ji-Ah finally said, standing up. "We have to do something."

"Okay," Seo-Jun nodded. "Let's think. Where could she have gone?"

"She didn't even take her bag," Ji-Ah muttered, glancing at Evelyn's things still by the bedside. "Her phone rang when I called, so she didn't leave that behind either."

"Maybe she had to rush out," Hye-Jin said. "Did she mention anything last night?"

Ji-Ah shook her head. "Nothing. She was fine. Happy."

Her heart pounded. What if something happened to her?

"Let's check nearby first," Seo-Jun suggested. "Maybe someone saw her leave."

Ji-Ah grabbed her phone and keys. "Let's go."

She had a bad feeling, and she needed to find Evelyn—now.