Chapter 343
Vincent clenched the phone in his hand so tightly that the veins bulged. With a deep breath, he managed to tamp down his burgeoning rage and finally inquired, “Why are you calling me?”
On the other end, Luke’s laughter echoed, tinged with smugness. “Speaking to an astute person like you certainly saves me a lot of effort. You and your buddies drove my company to the brink and forced me into exile. Now, I demand that each of you kneel and beg for my forgiveness. Oh, and send Mila over to me as well.”
“In your dreams,” Vincent spat back, his teeth gritted in fury.
“I take it your sister isn’t all that important to you then. If that’s the case, you might as well forget about rescuing her and let her stay. I could use a new lover,” Luke replied nonchalantly.
This remark nearly pushed Vincent over the edge, his grip on the phone intensifying as though he might crush it at any moment. “You’d better not lay a finger on her, or I swear you won’t be safe abroad either.”
“It’s not your call,” Luke taunted, audibly clicking his tongue. The thrill of the conversation seemed to invigorate him as he knew Vincent wouldn’t give up on his little sister. “You have two hours to decide. Remember, I want all of you on your knees, not just you.” With those final words, he hung up the phone.
Unable to contain his anger any longer, Vincent unleashed his frustration on the nearest wall. His fists pounded against the solid surface repeatedly, blood soon oozing from between his knuckles, yet he seemed oblivious to the pain as he continued to strike. Just then, Mila, sensing something amiss, hurried out of her room, her face blanching at the sight. Rushing to his side, she halted him. “Stop! What happened?” Though Vincent stopped his assault on the wall, the weight of his guilt remained palpable. He was here to safeguard Queena but had let his emotions dictate his actions, leading to her capture. He faced Mila, her expression etched with confusion, yet he couldn’t bring himself to disclose Luke’s demands.
Liam, witnessing Vincent’s battered state, felt a wave of disappointment wash over him. He believed Vincent was jeopardizing his sister’s safety for a woman who had previously betrayed him. Turning to Mila with a stern expression, he disclosed, “Luke has taken Queena. He’s proposing a trade; you for her.”
Mila, initially shocked, quickly pieced together the likely sequence of events that led to their current predicament. She surmised that Luke had discovered their location because of the previous day’s events, which explained his vigilant surveillance. The fact that Queena had been out, presumably enjoying herself, provided Luke with the perfect opportunity to abduct her. Looking up at Vincent’s face, marred by guilt and resolve, Mila understood the depth of his affection for Queena. Realizing that her past actions had contributed to the current crisis, she felt a profound responsibility to amend the situation. After a moment of deep thought, she finally declared resolutely, “Vincent, let me negotiate for Queena’s release. Luke is pure evil. The longer Queena remains in his clutches, the greater the danger she faces.”
Vincent responded with a stern and anguished look, his voice laden with concern, “No. It’s too risky for you to go.”
“I’ve encountered Luke more often; I understand him better than you do,” she rebutted with confidence.
Despite her arguments, Vincent remained adamant, replying firmly, “No. I will handle it myself later and think of a way to rescue Queena. I don’t need your help.” With those final words, he stopped looking at Mila and turned to leave.
Mila quickly followed, and upon realizing Vincent’s determination, she responded through clenched teeth, “I’ve got nothing left to lose to Luke, yet Queena is still so young; she doesn’t deserve to be harmed. Do you understand?” As she spoke, her face turned ashen. She was painfully aware that anything she said, be it true or false, would permanently end any possibility of reconciliation with Vincent. Nonetheless, she believed that sacrificing herself for Queena’s safety was a worthwhile exchange. She then intercepted Vincent at the door, her voice soft yet firm. “Please, give me Luke’s contact number.”
Holding his phone tightly, Vincent looked into her eyes with a mix of seriousness and heartbreak. Although he had suspicions about Mila’s connections with Luke, hearing her admit it directly still shattered his heart. After a long and tense silence, he responded indifferently, “Ms. Ward, your personal relationships are of no concern to me. I will figure out a way to save Queena on my own. You don’t need to worry about it.” With that, he shut the door, leaving Mila stranded outside. Distressed yet determined, Mila remained outside the door, keeping watch.
Meanwhile, Liam was also taking action. Having seen Queena grow up, he felt a strong responsibility to protect her. Previously, the headquarters of Sullivan Group had been overseas, not too distant from their current location, prompting him to make calls to rally additional support from there. Awakened by the disturbance at the door, Cynthia rose from her bed. Stepping outside, she overheard Liam on the phone and, sensing something was amiss, she urgently inquired, “What’s going on? Why are you deploying additional personnel here?”
Surprised by her sudden appearance, Liam gestured for her to sit beside him as he explained the situation. Having spent considerable time together, he knew his beloved wife possessed hidden talents that might aid in Queena’s rescue. Cynthia, utterly shocked upon hearing of Queena’s abduction, exclaimed, “Who is this Luke? How dare he abduct Queena!”
Liam elaborated, “Mila betrayed Vincent because of Luke, and he kidnapped Queena because of her. But there’s more; Luke’s actions are likely also driven by a vendetta against us, as we exiled him from Clusia, and he wants us to beg for his forgiveness.”
Cynthia, infuriated by the notion, retorted, “In his dreams.” She then recalled that Hallet had been trailing Queena before her abduction,
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Chapter 343
prompting her to contact him urgently.
The call connected swiftly, and before Cynthia could say a word, Hallet whispered urgently, “Cynthia, I’ve been tailing the car that took Queena. They’ve taken her to a heavily guarded mansion. I can’t breach their security alone.” Having trained together from a young age, both were accustomed to responding swiftly and effectively under pressure.
“Send me the address,” Cynthia demanded coolly.
Hallet quickly texted her the location and added, “Queena has been held captive for over an hour now. I need to assess the situation inside. Do you have a plan?”
Cynthia paused briefly before responding, “I can try, but I can’t promise success.”
“All right, I’ll scout for an entry point in the meantime,” Hallet replied.
“Stay safe,” Cynthia cautioned him.
After ending the call, Cynthia turned to Liam, asking, “Do you have a computer?” Liam retrieved his work laptop from his suitcase, which contained numerous files from Sullivan Group. Cynthia quickly transferred all relevant files to her home computer, then wiped the laptop’s data. She then attempted to connect to the local network.
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