Chapter 344
Cynthia managed to pinpoint the location Hallet had provided, but the mansion’s security system was robust, requiring some time to bypass. She looked at Liam and queried, “How long until your men get here?”
Liam estimated, “They should arrive in about an hour.”
“That’s cutting it close,” Cynthia noted, stashing the laptop. “Let’s head there now. I’ll continue working on breaking their security system while we’re on our way.”
As the pair gathered their belongings and headed out, Vincent also made his exit at the same time. He glanced over and then deliberately overlooked Mila, who was steadfastly positioned by the door. Upon encountering Liam and Cynthia in the corridor, Liam cautioned him, “Vincent, please think this through carefully. Hallet has already located where Queena is being held, and I’ve dispatched some of our men to assist. She will be fine.”
Vincent managed a weak smile in response to Liam and Cynthia’s concerned faces. “Thanks, I appreciate it, but I’m worried for my sister. I’ll confront Luke directly to buy some time for everyone.”
Just then, Mila, disregarding the numerous rejections she had faced, rushed forward determinedly. “Vincent, let me accompany you,” she implored.
However, he gave her a cold, dismissive glance and deliberately stepped away, creating distance between them. “We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Why should I bring you along?” He then addressed Liam and Cynthia, “Let’s get going.”
Cynthia exchanged a look with Mila but ultimately followed Vincent without uttering a word. Mila chased after them to the hotel entrance, watching as they drove off in a car. She then hailed a taxi and attempted to follow them but quickly lost sight of their vehicle. Left with no other option, she returned to the hotel, her thoughts consumed with hopes for their safety.
Inside the car, Cynthia was busy at work with her laptop connected to the network. She furiously typed away, battling the mansion’s robust firewall. The mansion’s network was intricately secured, with multiple networks operating simultaneously, complicating her efforts to pinpoint the one linked to the surveillance cameras. In a bid to expedite the process, Cynthia, with a calculated move, created fictitious invoices under Sullivan Group’s name and uploaded them to the laptop without applying any encryption. She then deliberately initiated a flawed cyber–attack on one of the networks.
Back at the mansion, Luke was briefed by a subordinate. “Mr. Blake, Vincent and the others have just left the hotel. Mila attempted to follow them but lost track. She has since returned to the hotel,” the subordinate reported.
Upon hearing the report, Luke arched an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips as he thought about Vincent’s undying loyalty to Milala, even in these dire circumstances. ‘Vincent’s quite the romantic, isn’t he? Protecting Mila at a time like this, he mused. However, the more Vincent tried to shield her, the more determined Luke became to thwart his efforts and ensure that Vincent would live to regret his actions for years to come. After a moment of contemplation, Luke had one of his underlings discreetly place some clues at the hotel for Mila to find. He then settled back, patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to ensnare her. Once he had them all within his grasp, he would exact his long–awaited revenge for the years of exile he had endured.
Just then, another subordinate rushed in with an update. “Someone is breaching the mansion’s network. I traced the activity back to Sullivan
Group. There are invoices from their company on their system.”
Intrigued by this unexpected development, Luke stroked his chin thoughtfully. “That’s an interesting twist,” he remarked, sensing an opportunity. He presumed that Liam was the only one who could be linked to Sullivan Group in this scenario, and there were likely confidential company documents on his laptop. Thinking that it might deal a heavy blow to Sullivan Group if he could get hold of those documents, Luke eagerly instructed, “Quick, extract everything you can from that computer.”
“Yes, sir,” the subordinate replied before departing swiftly. Luke glanced over at Queena, who lay unconscious on the floor, and smiled wickedly. “Trying to infiltrate my network? How naive,‘ he thought with a sneer.
Meanwhile, Cynthia kept a vigilant watch on her laptop’s activity. As expected, an intruder soon hacked into the system, engrossed by the fabricated invoices and completely oblivious to her successful penetration of the mansion’s firewall. The surveillance footage was now visible, showing Queena, seemingly unconscious, in the center of the room, surrounded by men dressed in black, with Luke seated triumphantly in front of his laptop. “What a fool,” Cynthia muttered disdainfully. She then activated all the mansion’s surveillance cameras and meticulously mapped out a route based on the footage. After marking Queena’s exact location, she sent the map to Hallet.
Meanwhile, Hallet, consumed by anxiety about how to infiltrate the mansion, felt a surge of relief and admiration for Cynthia’s impressive hacking prowess upon receiving the detailed map. Finding a secluded area, he climbed over the mansion wall. The noise of his landing alerted the mansion’s guards. As they emerged to investigate, Hallet skillfully rolled into the shadows to evade detection. Simultaneously, Cynthia and the others were approaching the mansion. Vincent exited the vehicle and approached the entrance, where he was thoroughly searched by imposing foreign bodyguards before being admitted inside.
When he noticed only Vincent arriving, Luke’s face twisted with dissatisfaction. “You don’t want to save your sister?” he taunted.
Vincent carefully observed Queena on the floor, relieved to see she was merely unconscious without visible injuries. Rising to his feet, he faced
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Chapter 344
Luke with a defiant, unyielding stance. “Luke, your demands are unreasonable. Propose something else, and if it’s within my capacity, I’ll ensure your satisfaction.”
Luke, amused, threw out a casual suggestion, “If I demand your company, will you hand it over?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Vincent agreed, “Sure,” catching Luke off guard. Luke had merely thrown the suggestion out as a ploy, not expecting Vincent to actually consent. The prospect of gaining control over Yearwood Group was tempting, but he was acutely aware that any rash actions against Sullivan Group could lead to his immediate financial ruin.
After a brief pause, Luke waved his index finger dismissively, his tone laced with suspicion. “You think I’m naive enough to fall for your tricks? If you can’t meet my demands, Queena will remain here with me.” He then lifted a coffee pot from the table, pouring its contents onto Queena’s face. She sputtered and coughed violently as she woke up, while Vincent watched with evident concern, his impulse to rush to her side curtailed by a gun pressed suddenly against his back.
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