Being Lauren's most trusted friend and protecting her by his side would also bring Cyrus happiness.Angelina had also been quietly following not far behind them.Recalling Landon's pale face when he left, she knew that something bad must have happened, and it left her feeling extremely anxious.Just then, Cyrus remembered how Lauren had stopped in front of a shop window full of dolls when they first entered. He thought she might find them inconvenient during the outing, so he thought of buying one for her before they left.Right now, they happened to be at the entrance of the store, and the dolls were still there.Cyrus' eyes lit up. "Lauren, wait for me. I'll be right back.""Okay." Lauren nodded obediently.Cyrus turned around and quickly walked toward the store.As he took a few steps, he thought about Lauren's social anxiety and how uncomfortable she would be without anyone by her side. Therefore, he gave up the idea of surprising her with the doll and decided to take her i
"It's you?" Cyrus and Angelina were both shocked.The man before them was the same assassin who had severely injured Angelina during their last encounter and abducted Lauren.Now, he was here again. Though he remained unmoved, his presence still sent chills down Angelina's spine.Meanwhile, Cyrus stared incredulously at Remy's familiar yet unfamiliar face. He looked a lot like Damien."If you had fired and killed any of them, you might have had a chance to catch up. Unfortunately, you didn't."Remy's eyes were cold, and his hands were tucked into the pockets of his black leather jacket. His tone dripped with disdain toward Cyrus as he said, "That's why I've always looked down on you police officers."Even with the power to punish evil, you still hesitate just to look out for yourselves. Now, you won't catch up.""Who… are you?" Cyrus asked sternly. His forehead was covered in sweat."You're about to die. There's no point in knowing." As Remy said that, a glint of coldness flash
"Damien!" Cyrus cried out, unable to contain his tears as they streamed down his face. The tip of the blade had pierced his coat, sending a jolt of sharp, cold pain through him. Everything screeched to a halt, as if someone had hit a pause button. Cyrus' sorrowful visage held Remy's gaze captive. A detachment crept in, a chilling sensation like his spirit was untethering itself. Then, a wave of dizziness washed over him, unlike anything he'd ever experienced.As Remy lost his focus, Cyrus pulled the trigger.He shot Remy's hand, the one holding the knife. Pain lanced through Remy, yet he didn't make a sound. A deep frown creased his face as he let the weapon clatter to the ground. Cyrus wanted to apprehend Remy, but the beating had left him battered. He struggled to rise, clutching the gun tightly, prepared to defend himself if Remy attacked again.However, Remy made no move toward him. Instead, he walked over to his accomplice lying on the ground, and together, they disap
A cold, damp chill and the acrid bite of dust and stale tobacco filled Lauren's senses as she struggled to open her eyelids. Reality blurred with the remnants of a nightmare.Blurry and disoriented, she felt a pair of icy hands stroking her skin."Who's there?"Lauren's eyes snapped open, bulging wide like a startled deer. As she shifted her focus, a horrifying scene unfolded before her.Freddy sat by her bedside, his cold hands creeping along her slender waist, inching their way up, touching every inch of her skin."D-Don't touch me!" she rasped, the words laced with raw fear. A surge of adrenaline fueled a frantic struggle, but her limbs met only unyielding resistance. Only then did she realize that her hands and feet were bound. Helpless and trapped, she could only watch as Freddy's hands roamed over her body, feeling the burning humiliation coursing through her veins."Don't touch?" Freddy smirked, his lips close to her ear as his hand continued to roam over her body. His
"Yet, here you are, barging in, knowing full well I'm occupied. What a party pooper," Freddy grumbled, slowly re-fastening his belt, his displeasure evident on his face.The man in the blue suit flicked the cigarette butt to the ground. "You can indulge later. Zoe wants us to bring Lauren to her."Lauren's eyes darkened at the mention of Zoe's name, plunging her further into a pit of despair.…Jasper and Alyssa led Sean, Xavier, and the others to the western suburbs.Despite severe injuries, Cyrus insisted on leading a police team to the abandoned factory where both parties were expected to converge.They made efforts to keep Lauren's kidnapping under wraps, fearing it could negatively impact both the Beckett Group and the Harper Group, especially Newton. They knew he wouldn't take it well, and the risk of angering the kidnappers and endangering Lauren was too great.During the journey, Jasper learned from Landon that Cornelius might have come to harm, prompting him to call the
"Lauren isn't there?"Jasper and Alyssa's hearts sank at Angelina's words. "She's not here! I've combed the place, but there's no sign of her," Angelina choked out, her voice thick with emotion. Alyssa maintained her composure, speaking gently to Angelina. "Angelina, it's okay. You did your best in a difficult situation. Now, tell me everything from the beginning. Who informed you about Lauren's kidnapping and directed you to the abandoned factory in the western suburbs?""Mr. Cyrus and I were hot on the kidnappers' trail, but we were intercepted by the man who previously abducted Lauren!" Angelina recounted."It's him again!" Alyssa's heart hammered against her ribs. Lauren's enigmatic portrait, a doppelganger for Damien, taunted her memory."I was outmatched, so Cyrus decided to stall the man while I went to rescue Lauren," Angelina continued, her tone filled with frustration. "But the man had a female accomplice. "She fought me and deliberately let me stab her, severely in
"No, Jameson can't get wind of this!" Alyssa frowned, her grip tightening on Jasper's shoulder. "Think about it—if he finds out we're onto him, who's in the crosshairs?"Jasper met her gaze, understanding dawning in his eyes. "Amber.""Amber helped Axel escape the Millennium and provided intel that brought Josh down. This time, she'd risked everything to tell us about Lauren. She's clearly switched sides and become our ally."Confronting Jameson would put Amber in the line of fire. He's ruthless, and wouldn't hesitate to kill Amber just to vent!"Jasper's jaw clenched, a heavy weight settling in his chest. He pulled Alyssa close, his voice a low murmur against her hair. "You're too compassionate, Lyse. Unwilling to hurt anyone who's helped us, even a little.""Anyone with a conscience wouldn't stand by while Jameson does what he does," Alyssa countered, a bitter edge to her voice. "There must be a reason she follows him." Despite the bitterness, her gaze remained resolute. "As lon
Lauren's gaze locked onto Betty's hideous face, her eyes now ablaze with defiance. The lifelessness that had marred her eyes after the torture was replaced with a fierce emotion that only fueled Betty's anger further."Don't you dare look at me like that, you stupid bitch!" Betty spat, her eyes flashing with fury, eager to deliver another kick to Lauren before Zoe intervened. "That's enough. Save your anger for later," Zoe admonished Betty, halting her aggression.Mason let out a lazy yawn, breaking the tension. "Zoe, what's the point of dragging us all the way to this godforsaken place from different corners of the world? Couldn't you have chosen a more decent venue for our reunion?"Freddy shot him a cold glance. "Could you have witnessed this anywhere else? After all these years, you still sound like a spoiled brat.""Damn it, you little piece of—"Mason wanted to cuss Freddy out, but the woman in the red dress stopped him with a shake of her head.While the Hodgsons had gai