Chapter 2 : Emergency

Feast City Hall 1

Halfway through the Q&A, Austin noticed out of the corner of his eye that the staff behind the curtain were signaling nervously.

The signal meant: "Request for an intermission."

Albert noticed it too. He was momentarily stunned but quickly responded, saying to the media below, "How about we take a break? My mouth is getting dry... Can we get some water and snacks, please?"

The crowd gradually relaxed from the previously intense atmosphere. Austin stood up and walked towards the back of the curtain, puzzled. A staff member quickly approached him and said urgently, "Mr. Williams, Miss Su asked you to check your phone. She said it''s urgent."

Austin was taken aback. For some reason, a bad feeling, like a small electric current, ran through his heart.

He quickly turned on his phone. After the startup logo, the phone was bombarded with message notifications, vibrating continuously. The screen showed over twenty unread messages, all from his assistant, Audrey.

"Caleb, Bella suddenly got sick."

"Caleb, can you come out now? It seems like a high fever and vomiting. Not sure what''s going on. Ava is asking if we should take her to the hospital."

"Are you guys done yet?"

"Hurry up and come out!"

"She''s been throwing up so much she''s dehydrated. Ava took her to the ER, but they need a family member to sign."

"Caleb, are you guys ready yet?"

...

Austin''s mind buzzed, and he was about to rush out when a hand pressed down on his shoulder. He turned to see Albert looking at him with concern. "What''s wrong? What happened?"

Austin raised his phone, quickly scanned the room, and lowered his voice apologetically. "Sorry, I might need to leave for a bit. My kid''s sick, I need to go to the hospital."

Albert patted his back urgently. "Then go, go! Wait, didn''t you drive the company car today? Do you need me to find someone to take you?"

Austin waved him off. "No, it''s fine. I''m going."

He quickly exited the theater through the emergency exit, heading for the elevator while checking his phone. The last message read: "B1 Parking Lot, C4 Area, C0981, hurry!"

Feast City Underground Parking Lot Entrance

Donald had been driving around the film city for a while before finally finding the hidden entrance to the underground parking lot behind some greenery. There were no signs, so he couldn''t tell if it was an entrance or an exit.

Feast City Underground Parking Lot

Austin was sweating, barely catching his breath, when he spotted his SUV with its turn signal on. Audrey was leaning out of the driver''s window, her eyes wide. "Caleb, hurry up!"

Austin, not one for regular exercise, was already winded. He usually only hit the gym before filming, and now, in his suit, he was struggling. He yanked open the passenger door and barely sat down before Audrey floored the gas.

He quickly buckled his seatbelt. The car''s air freshener, a heavy wood scent from an agarwood essential oil, couldn''t mask Audrey''s agitation. She drove the SUV through the parking lot''s tight corners like a bumper car, the good luck charm hanging from the rearview mirror swinging wildly.

Austin took off his crooked sapphire bolo tie, trying to calm his racing heart. "Don''t panic, drive carefully."

Audrey, looking distressed, her freckles standing out on her nose, replied, "Caleb, a one-and-a-half-year-old with a fever of almost 104 degrees is no small matter! Ava''s call scared me so much I abandoned my game. If you''re not worried about having no heir, I''m worried about my little one."

Austin, still catching his breath, muttered as he scrolled through his contacts, "Stop saying such ominous things... She was fine before, how did she suddenly get sick..."

Audrey wailed, "How would I know..."

As they neared the parking lot exit, Audrey suddenly remembered something important. "Caleb, this is the company car. What if someone recognizes us at the children''s hospital?"

Austin had already pulled out his usual sunglasses, mask, and hat from the car''s compartment. Albert had suggested giving him a ride for this very reason, and Austin was well aware of the situation.

Austin: "It''s fine, I''ll just..."

Before he could finish, a loud crash jolted the car forward.

Austin nearly bit his tongue.

They had turned a corner and were heading up a slope when they collided head-on with a car coming down.

Austin''s teeth rattled, and his brain felt like it was sloshing around. Thankfully, they weren''t going fast, so no one was seriously hurt. But before Austin could gather his thoughts, Audrey was already half out the window, shouting from her diaphragm, "What the hell, can''t you drive?!"

The two cars were at a standstill, neither having the upper hand. The SUV''s front light was shattered, and the silver-gray Porsche''s front end was crumpled.

Austin frowned, feeling that the car looked somewhat familiar.

The young driver quickly stuck his head out of the car, looking at Audrey with a face full of surprise. "Mr. Audrey?"

Audrey was taken aback, almost not recognizing him. "…Donald?"

Neither of them expected such a coincidence.

Austin, looking through the tinted windshield, was shocked as he scrutinized him. It took him a few seconds to confirm he wasn''t mistaken. Then, as if the window was rolling down too slowly, he simply elbowed the door open. "What are you doing here?"

A golden retriever stuck its head out of the back window of the sports car, wagging its tail happily. The dog seemed completely unfazed by the earlier collision. "Woof woof!"

Donald exclaimed with joy, "Bro!"

Austin: "…"

Donald was wearing a jacket with exaggerated patterns and letters. His large, well-shaped eyes from a distance looked like a lucky cat, giving him an inexplicable festive look. He smiled broadly at Austin and said, "I came to find you, bro. Where are you going? I''ll give you a ride."