Reborn as Mr.CEO's Fat Wife-Chapter 945: The Young Master Pei Makes a Move

If David Locke had been able to maintain some degree of composure earlier, it was because he knew Lambert Norman was following closely behind Mary Scott. Even if Mary Scott’s safety officer truly had questionable motives, with Lambert’s keen instincts, there would be some warning before action. But he never expected Mary Scott to shake off Lambert and leave with James Jerome.

At that moment, his heart sank completely, and his eyes turned bloodshot.

James Jerome was startled by David Locke’s reaction. "David... Director Locke, this is..."

Even a seasoned man like James Jerome dared not ask anything further upon seeing his expression.

Martin wore a pained expression as he tried to console him, "Director Locke, when Mr. Foster came up earlier, Madam was still fine. It’s been such a short time; she should be okay."

But under the present circumstances, his consolation seemed even more hollow.

Simon Baker hadn’t thought things were worse than expected either. He lowered his voice and continued asking James Jerome, "Mr. Foster, did you notice anything odd about the safety officer when you returned?"

James Jerome, now realizing something was wrong, felt uneasy as he heard Simon’s pointed question. "Safety officer? What do you mean by ’odd’?"

After speaking, he reflected for a moment, "Not really. He always seemed diligent. When the signal was lost midway, I was experiencing altitude sickness, and it was Mile who assisted me and suggested I take the sightseeing car from the rescue station halfway up."

Before finishing his sentence, James Jerome suddenly fell silent as he noticed the expressions of everyone around him turning grim.

Could the other party have deliberately diverted him?

The moment this possibility occurred to James Jerome, everyone else was thinking the same.

The atmosphere was so tense it was suffocating.

At this point, the police rescue team captain in charge spoke up, "We’re unsure about the current situation, so everyone, refrain from unnecessary speculation. We’ll do everything to rescue the missing."

After his speech, the captain ordered all team members to immediately proceed from the mountain summit.

Martin glanced at David Locke, then at the police rescue team. "Director Locke, I’ll go with them. As soon as there’s any news about Madam, I’ll find a way to notify you."

With those words, Martin ran off to join the rescue team.

The summit turned eerily quiet, but everyone’s spirits remained low. Stella Murray’s eyes reddened after learning the details of the situation.

James Jerome, on the other hand, was filled with guilt.

Simon Baker didn’t know how to console James Jerome, so he joined Assistant Director Ernest in reaching out to the staff at the scenic area to brainstorm additional measures.

The biting cold wind felt like knives cutting across faces, especially up on the summit. Simon Baker, for the nth time today, cursed himself internally—Why choose this place? Even if the online audience ridiculed them for having a misleading program title, would it truly matter? Criticism wouldn’t cost him a hair off his head...

But regrets were futile now.

Simon Baker sneaked a glance at David Locke, who sat stiffly in his wheelchair, silent ever since the police had set off. He waved at Assistant Director Ernest, "Get a heavy coat for Director Locke."

In the rush earlier, Simon hadn’t even noticed this renowned director only had on a woolen coat. It’d been fine elsewhere, but up on this mountain, he’d freeze solid before long.

David Locke ignored the crew’s gestures and quietly bundled himself in the coat once it was draped over him. He continued to sit silently at the edge of the ridge, his gaze fixed on the uphill path.

From his position, he could spot anyone approaching the summit immediately.

He waited for over an hour.

Finally, two figures emerged from the uphill trail. David Locke’s stiff hands twitched slightly, his gaze resting behind the two men. Yet, as they approached, he didn’t see the familiar figure he longed for.

Brian Joule, upon reaching the summit, saw David Locke sitting motionless in his wheelchair like an ice sculpture. With a furrowed brow, he voiced his surprise. "Director Locke, why are you here?"

"Where’s Mary?" After prolonged silence, David Locke’s voice was hoarse and dry, but it didn’t prevent Brian Joule or the filming photographer with him from hearing it.

Both found it strange. Brian, frowning, responded, "Mary and Adam Piers haven’t arrived yet? As I climbed, I found a clue and parted ways with them. Later, the communication equipment suddenly lost signal, and somewhere along the way, I took a wrong path and slowed down. I figured they’d already reached the summit. Could it be they’re delayed due to snow-covered trails?"

Upon hearing this, David Locke’s heart sank further, but he remained silent.

Brian Joule wasn’t dull. From the moment he saw David Locke at the summit, he had sensed that something was amiss. Now, upon observing the situation, it appeared much worse than he had anticipated. He instinctively turned toward Simon Baker for confirmation.

Simon Baker took a deep breath and briefly explained the situation.

Brian Joule’s complexion darkened upon hearing it. "The safety officer’s suspicious?"

He instinctively glanced at the person following behind him.

The individual immediately shook his head. "Impossible! How could it be? What reason would Mile have to harm anyone?"

David Locke heard Mile’s name again and furrowed his brows tighter, but he didn’t say a word. Anything said at this point felt meaningless.

Beep...

While tensions were at a peak, the faint sound of someone’s phone echoed abruptly, followed by simultaneous vibrations from everyone else’s phones moments later—as if all the devices had coordinated.

Simon Baker’s eyes lit up. "The signal tower’s been restored!"

Excited, Simon exclaimed, just as his own phone seemed to switch into vibrate mode, with a flood of incoming notifications.

The man sitting at the ridge—seemingly frozen stiff—slowly moved his hands. Because he’d remained inactive for so long, his movements were sluggish. Nonetheless, he managed to dial a familiar number right away.

The phone rang quickly, and David Locke’s eyes visibly brightened. Yet, before the other end could pick up, the line cut off after two brief beeps.

David Locke frowned and dialed again, this time faster. However, the response on the other end was even quicker—a mechanical female voice announced, "Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently switched off. Please try again later."

Maybe it was the extended hours spent in freezing winds dulling his thinking, or perhaps it was a momentary lapse. David Locke couldn’t comprehend why a number he’d just managed to call moments prior had suddenly shut down.

This delayed realization turned into an uncontrollable irritation as the mechanical voice repeated itself during his third attempt. His frustration left him unable to remain seated, and he abruptly stood up.

But his legs—already encased in a plaster cast and frozen stiff from more than an hour in the cold air—throbbed with a sharp pain deep in his bones. David Locke collapsed back into his wheelchair with a heavy thud, startling the nearby group gathered around Brian Joule.

Simon Baker rushed in to steady the wheelchair, terrified David Locke might accidentally tumble down the ridge before they even managed to reestablish contact with Mary Scott.

But no sooner had Simon secured the wheelchair did David begin struggling to rise once again.

Now Simon was truly panicked. "Director Locke, please calm down. We’re working on contacting Miss Scott and the photographer. We’ll update you with any news immediately."

"Exactly! Director Locke, your leg’s injured. If you go down recklessly and get hurt, how would Mary react if we find her but you’re not there?" Stella Murray also stepped in to dissuade him. Earlier, she had read online reports and assumed the publicized relationship between Mary Scott and David Locke lacked genuine emotion. Even though David had clarified the rumors, Stella had always felt the dynamic was staged more for optics than authenticity—an impression further reinforced by David’s obvious jealousy earlier that morning.

But this moment shattered her assumptions. David Locke’s feelings for Mary were evidently far deeper and immeasurable than anyone could have anticipated.

David Locke ignored all the attempts at reasoning and fixed his gaze on the hammer held by Assistant Director Ernest next to Simon Baker.

Caught off guard and uneasy, Ernest stammered, "Director Locke?"

"Hand it over." David Locke’s voice was low, neither loud nor aggressive, yet infused with a compelling force that no one could resist.

Ernest froze, glanced at the hammer in his hand, finally realizing David Locke wanted the tool he had just been using to secure the tents. Without hesitation, he handed it over.

Curious, Ernest asked, "Director Locke, what do you need this for?"

Bam!

Before Ernest could finish his question, a loud bang resounded. David Locke had swung the hammer down to shatter the plaster cast encasing his injured leg.

Ernest’s jaw dropped wide open in shock.

Simon Baker, closest to David, barely reacted before seeing the cast broken open. David Locke extracted his leg, stood up, and began hobbling down the mountain trail.

Everyone snapped out of their shock. "Director Locke!"

But David ignored their calls and continued limping forward.

Brian Joule stared at him in astonishment. Though this hadn’t been his first time working with David Locke—he’d had plenty of interactions with him during casting and production meetings, particularly at the behest of his manager, Miss Vu—he’d never pegged David as a man capable of such unwavering loyalty. Past impressions had suggested that his commitments in life leaned more toward reputation management than genuine emotion—opportunistic rather than earnest.

Yet here he was, acting against reason.

Clearly, Brian wasn’t the only one caught off guard. Casting a glance at Stella Murray’s equally stunned face, Brian took a deep breath. "Director Locke, Mary and Adam were fine when I last saw them. Maybe we just need to give them more time—they’re likely just delayed..."

But before Brian even finished, David Locke pressed forward as if he hadn’t heard, cutting a lone, unyielding figure.

The snow was falling heavier, accumulating at an alarming pace. Simon Baker was sweating profusely as his mind raced—how would they stop this man? Could they at all? The thought that crossed his mind repeatedly was clear: He’s gone mad!

Fortunately, just when it seemed David Locke’s determined march was unstoppable, his phone abruptly rang.

The wind and snowfall muffled the ringtone somewhat, but the surrounding group—tense and focused as they were—felt each note reverberate through their chests. Even David Locke’s movements halted as he slowly retrieved the device from his pocket. Displayed on the screen was Martin’s name.

David’s hand paused momentarily, as if torn between eagerness and apprehension as he pressed the answered button, exposing emotions so raw they left everyone behind him silently pained.

"Dobbin..."

The caller’s voice was soft and trembling—a clear sign of crying. David’s grip on his emotions slipped as his eyes misted. In a hoarse voice, he coaxed gently. "I’m here."

The tenderness in those two words carried a palpable ache.

"I’m okay, but..."

"But what?" Just when it seemed a weight had been lifted off David Locke’s heart, it crashed back down with force.

"Adam and Zoe fell down the mountain slope. There’s no news of them yet." Mary Scott’s voice trembled over the phone. "It was my fault—they fell because of me."

David Locke felt his chest tighten. "Don’t panic. What did the police say?"

Mary wasn’t sure how to respond. Her body shook violently, prompting Martin to take over the call as he spoke gravely. "Director Locke, the police said survival chances are slim, and the rescue operation faces immense difficulty. They’ve already deployed a helicopter for support."

David Locke closed his eyes tightly in pain. After a moment, his voice was steely, but his tone calm. "Make sure she gets back to the summit safely."

"Madam won’t agree," Martin replied, his earlier efforts to persuade proving fruitless. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

"I’m not surprised," said David. "Coordinate closely with the police and ensure she’s brought back here no matter what."

He hung up and immediately dialed Brandon Piers’ number.

Despite the complicated dynamics within the Piers family, David Locke knew Brandon cared deeply for his cousin. Adam Piers being caught up in this disaster—one involving Mary Scott—meant there was no time to waste in notifying him.

The call was quickly answered. David wasted no time explaining the situation.

Brandon frowned as he listened, but when David finished speaking, he decisively said, "I’ll immediately dispatch personnel to assist the police rescue efforts."

With that, he ended the call and promptly made several others before stepping into his bedroom to change and pack a small suitcase. He carried it downstairs, prepared to leave.

In the living room, Abigail was playing with Teddy while Elder Piers and Old Mr. Smith played chess on the side, occasionally arguing like children. The entire scene radiated a cozy warmth.

Brandon descended the stairs, and Abigail was the first to take notice, looking at him inquiringly. "Are you heading out for a business trip?"

"Yes." Brandon nodded toward his grandfather.

Elder Piers raised an eyebrow in disapproval. "Leaving on a business trip during the Third Day of the Lunar New Year? What kind of nonsense is this?"

"Then why don’t we swap jobs? I’ll take over as Chairman, and you go on this trip?" Brandon replied indifferently.

Elder Piers snorted. "Ungrateful brat!"

Brandon ignored him, nodded toward Old Mr. Smith, then walked directly to Abigail. "Could you walk me out?"

"Tsk-tsk." Elder Piers muttered and grew even more disdainful. Never had he seen someone so attached to their spouse. Didn’t Brandon realize Abigail was heavily pregnant? At most, he’d need to walk a few steps; did he need her for that?

And yet, before Elder Piers could finish scoffing, Abigail had already replied "Alright," handed Teddy to Aunt Claudia, and slipped into a thick coat to accompany Brandon outside, hand in hand.

The snubbed Elder Piers muttered to his old friend, "See that? You should be grateful I’m not as unbearable as that one."

Old Mr. Smith, smug in his approach, couldn’t help but feel validated for the first time in decades.

Grayson Piers merely sighed in exasperation. "What a disgrace!"

Outside.

Once they stepped out, Abigail turned to Brandon with concern. "What happened?"

"Just received a call from Director Locke. Adam has had an accident at West Mountain. Stay at home to keep an eye on Grandpa; don’t let news of it leak to him. I’ll head over now to assess the situation myself." Brandon replied succinctly, knowing Abigail’s sharp mind.

"Understood. What’s the current status?" Abigail had been following the live streaming of "Detectives and Wilderness," vaguely aware of the sudden interruption, though she hadn’t anticipated its gravity.

"Apparently, he fell alongside a minor celebrity. Things are unclear at the moment." Brandon’s tone darkened as he spoke, knowing well the conditions at West Mountain. A fall in such terrain... survival chances were slim.

Brandon sighed, cutting off further grim thoughts.

Abigail’s face visibly paled. "I’ll accompany you; if he’s found, having me there might increase his chances of recovery."

Brandon shook his head. "I’ve packed some of your specially prepared medicines, but you should stay here to calm Grandpa down. Despite his apparent disdain for Adam, after everything that has happened with Daniel and Joshua, I know it’s weighing on him. If there’s more bad news about Adam, he may not handle it well."

Plus, Abigail was pregnant—a fact that had haunted Brandon with disproportionate levels of worry since her first trimester. Her going to West Mountain wasn’t something he could stomach.

Abigail nodded, recognizing his reasoning. "Alright. Be careful, and keep me posted at all times."

"Of course." Brandon promised, stroking her lips softly, letting his hand linger warmly on her head. "Go back inside."

Abigail agreed but watched him go until he disappeared from sight before turning back toward the house. As she walked inside, she suppressed the unease in her heart, careful not to reveal it to Elder Piers.

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