Chapter 6 The Disappearing Act

Yulia switched to another car and drove to the auto service center, only to be greeted with a splash of water by a blonde girl as soon as she stepped inside.

"How dare you show up here, you disgusting woman!" the blonde girl snapped aggressively.

"Dakota!" A male voice sternly stopped her outburst.

Yulia removed her sunglasses and wiped her face. Her cold gaze made the blonde girl flinch with guilt the moment their eyes met.

Ignoring her, Yulia scanned the room but didn’t spot Harrison. Instead, the man who had intervened approached her.

"Harrison’s not here."

Yulia shifted her attention to the man before her. He wasn’t your average-looking guy—well-dressed and exuding an air of sophistication. Clearly, he wasn’t a mechanic.

"I’m Nathan Yoder, the owner of this garage," he introduced himself.

Yulia nodded lightly.

"Where is Harrison?"

"He’s at home resting. The shop’s been a hotspot lately, and it’s been inconvenient for him to stay here," Nathan replied with a hint of humor.

Yulia’s eyes flickered with guilt.

"My apologies."

"No need. Thanks to you, this auto service center has become famous across Horizia. I’m even opening a new branch next month," Nathan said with a smile, showing no trace of blame.

Yulia hesitated before asking, "Will he return to work here?"

Nathan didn’t immediately answer. After a brief pause, he said, "Not anytime soon. It depends on the circumstances. He’s skilled at what he does, and I’d be more than happy to have him back."

Yulia felt her heart sink.

It was her fault that he got into trouble.

"Could you give me his address or contact information?" Yulia asked, determined to set things right.

Nathan raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "You don’t have his contact info?"

Yulia shook her head.

The blonde girl, Dakota, immediately jumped in, indignant.

"Bro Yoder, you can’t give it to her! She nearly ruined Bro Harrison’s life!"

Her voice was filled with fury, though it was mostly posturing.

Yulia paid her no mind and instead looked at Nathan with a calm yet firm expression.

After a moment of hesitation, Nathan walked back to his office, wrote down a number, and handed it to her.

"I can’t guarantee he’ll pick up," Nathan said plainly.

Yulia exhaled in relief as she took the paper. Having a way to reach him was enough.

"Thanks." She turned to leave, but Nathan knocked on her car window before she could drive off.

"Miss Sanders, just a friendly word of advice—if you’re looking to make amends, don’t bother. Harrison’s not the kind of guy who likes being disturbed. Given the current situation, if you want to avoid making things worse, it’s best to leave him alone."

Yulia was puzzled but didn’t reply. She simply nodded politely and drove away from the auto service center.

At a quiet corner down the street, she parked and dialed the number on the note without hesitation.

The phone rang for what felt like an eternity, but no one answered.

Nathan had no reason to give her a fake number. If Harrison wasn’t answering, it was probably just as Nathan said—he was hard to reach.

After deliberating, Yulia sent a brief text.

"This is Yulia. Call me back when you’re free."

She didn’t add another word.

But the message vanished into the void, with no response in return.

Yulia drove past the auto service center a few more times over the following days but never saw Harrison again.

The photo scandal eventually cooled down, thanks to the Langford Family and Sanders Corporation’s PR efforts.

Still, her reputation as a reckless socialite was cemented in the social circles. Zinnia had confronted her at least ten times, delivering stern ultimatums each time. Yulia paid no attention to any of them.

Two weeks later, the piano institute emailed her, regretfully canceling her competition entry.

She wasn’t surprised in the least.

Hannah, however, was furious. She swore to dig up and expose all of Questa’s dirty secrets. Yulia didn’t object.

She had made a mistake and deserved the consequences.

More importantly, she had dragged an innocent person into the mess.

"What’s on your mind?" Hannah asked.

Yulia’s gaze was distant. "I’m wondering what’s the point of exposing dirt. If we really want to ruin her, we should make sure she can’t touch a piano again."

Hannah choked on her words. Having been Yulia’s friend for twenty years, she knew this time Yulia was truly angry.

After a long silence, she said, "Yulia, you seem pretty hung up on that mechanic. Still no word from him?"