The Heart System Chapter 581

I secured the car and stepped out, drawing my jacket a bit tighter as the rain drummed consistently upon it. The street presented a quieter scene than most parts of the metropolis, the sort of locality poised right at the boundary between urban and suburban. Apartment buildings and asphalt roads still stood, yet they were of a lesser scale, appearing more aged and spread out with greater distance between them. A scattering of houses punctuated the landscape, each adorned with modest front yards and dimly lit porch lights. It wasn't precisely a rural setting, but it possessed a palpable sense of unhurriedness and spaciousness. Fewer vehicles passed, fewer individuals were present, and a profound silence emanated, a stark contrast to the downtown clamor.

Approaching the house, I rapped on the door, then took a small step back. The interior lights were extinguished, and no sounds emerged from within. For a fleeting moment, a glimmer of hope arose that Ivy might simply be asleep inside, perhaps staying over at a friend's place and neglecting to inform Delilah. Such a scenario would have provided the simplest resolution.

I knocked once more. Then again.

Still, silence.

Just as I was preparing to move towards the window adjacent to the door, attempting to gain a view inside, a light abruptly flickered on. A faint stirring sounded from the other side of the door, followed by a weary voice.

"Who is it?"

"Hello, I'm Ivy's friend," I stated. "Delilah, Mrs. Komb, was concerned about her daughter. Is she there?"

A brief interval of silence ensued.

"Ivy..." the woman murmured from within. "No. I had assumed she went straight home. Though I did suggest she stay over. But she acted as if she didn't recognize me... I am still somewhat intoxicated, my apologies."

A frown creased my brow. "Where were you two imbibing?"

"A club not too far from here," she replied. "It's called Ex's."

"Ex's," I echoed, promptly retrieving my phone and initiating a search. The location appeared almost instantaneously. A mere five minutes away.

"Understood. Thank you."

"Mm."

The illumination inside the house was extinguished once more, concluding the interaction.

I retraced my steps to my vehicle, unlocked it, and settled inside. As I placed the phone onto its stand and brought the engine to life, I released a measured breath.

"Truly..." I murmured aloud. "Making me traverse all over the place."

I proceeded back onto the road, commencing the journey along the indicated route. Raindrops streaked across the windshield, the wipers struggling to maintain their pace as I navigated the tranquil streets. My grip on the steering wheel tightened imperceptibly.

Why, I pondered, could she not accept the reality? Chase was gone. It was finished. None of this was her doing. Yet, here she was, drinking in the morning, instigating altercations, vanishing without notifying anyone.

I applied a touch more pressure to the accelerator.

The traffic signals ahead cycled from green to yellow, then to red. I accelerated through the intersection just before the light completed its change, my focus momentarily diverted to the navigation display on my phone.

At that precise moment, my phone began to ring.

It was Delilah.

I answered without decelerating.

"Evan," she stated upfront. "Her friend just returned my call."

"Yes," I responded. "I apparently roused her a few moments ago."

"So she wasn't present?" Delilah inquired, her voice tinged with growing distress. "Good heavens, where might she be?"

"I am en route to a establishment named Ex's," I informed her. "It is in the vicinity. I shall update you upon my findings."

"Alright... please do," she pleaded. "Let us hope it is nothing serious."

"Indeed," I replied curtly. "We shall speak again shortly."

I terminated the call and refocused my attention on the road ahead.

A few minutes later, I reduced my speed and maneuvered the car into an available parking space along the curb. The club was directly ahead.

Ex's.

However... it did not appear to be operational.

The interior illumination was subdued, the sign emitted only a faint glow, and the main doors remained firmly shut. For a venue operating as a nightclub, it conveyed an uncharacteristic lifelessness for this hour.

I exited the vehicle after retrieving my phone and proceeded towards the entrance. The rain intensified slightly, saturating my shoulders as I reached for the door handle.

It was locked.

Leaning forward, I placed my hands flat against the glass pane, endeavoring to peer inside. The interior was dark, yet not entirely devoid of activity. I discerned movement towards the rear of the establishment. An individual was present, engaged in mopping the floor.

"Hello," I called out, tapping on the glass. "Hello!"

The person inside looked up, acknowledged my presence, and after a brief pause, approached the door. He propped the mop against a nearby table and unlocked the entrance.

"Apologies, friend," he said, opening the door ajar. "We are presently closed. Kindly return at a later time."

"No, no," I interjected swiftly. "I am searching for my companion. Ivy."

He adopted a puzzled expression. "I do not recognize that name. I am not particularly adept with names or faces."

"Blast..." I uttered, running a hand over my forehead. "What transpired here?"

"An altercation erupted," he explained. "Two individuals became embroiled in a dispute. Law enforcement arrived, and subsequently, cocaine was discovered in the mens' restroom. Therefore, yes, we concluded operations earlier than scheduled."

"Fantastic," I sighed. I retrieved my phone and navigated to Ivy's profile, angling the screen towards him. "Could you at least ascertain if you observed her?"

He leaned closer, peering intently at the displayed photograph. After a moment, his expression transformed.

"Ah, yes," he confirmed. "I have seen her. Another patron recognized her as well."

"How so?"

He offered a shrug. "Something about that psycho guy... Chance? Chase? His girlfriend, wasn't it?"

My jaw clenched subtly. "Yes."

"Anyway," the person continued, "that customer and this girl got into an argument. Then... Ivy, wasn't it? Her friend stepped in and separated them. After that, they both left in a taxi."

"A taxi?" I inquired. "Did you happen to see their destination?"

He shook his head. "No, but I overheard her friend mentioning that Ivy could stay over at her place."

"Is that all the information?" I pressed.

"That's everything I gathered."

A slow exhale escaped me as I ran a hand through my damp hair. "Alright. Thank you."

"No worries, man," he replied. "I genuinely hope you locate her."

"Yeah," I mumbled, taking a step back from the doorway.

The relentless rain persisted as I lingered for a moment, my gaze fixed on the ground.

A taxi. A friend. A different location.

"Damn it..."

With no other viable options presenting themselves, I retrieved my cigarette, lit it, and sought meager shelter beneath the club's entrance awning as the downpour continued. The streetlights cast shimmering, elongated yellow streaks onto the slick asphalt. Each passing vehicle sent a fine mist of water splashing onto the sidewalks, and a chilling cold began to permeate my jacket.

Where could she possibly have gone?

Her friend had offered her a place to stay, an offer Ivy accepted, yet she never arrived. This implies she altered her intended route somewhere along the way. But why? And more crucially, to where?

"Considering her condition..." I murmured, releasing a plume of smoke. "Where on earth would you go now, Ivy?"

Pulling out my phone, I dialed her number once more, driven by sheer desperation rather than any real expectation of success. The ringing tone echoed in my ear, seeming to stretch out unnecessarily, each passing second fraying my patience further.

No answer.

My jaw tightened, and I lowered the phone, my eyes momentarily fixed on the ground before I released a soft, exasperated sigh.

"Ah... predictable."