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Chapter 0652
Peter rushed back to Valentia from Slovenia, while Alden’s flight also made its return. Although parts of their plan regarding Leonardo and Frank were falling into place, they hadn’t anticipated Leonardo’s fixation on Serenity-
let alone his interest in Maurice.
At the Bartz residence, chaos reigned. Valerie, overwhelmed by the pressure, suffered a nervous breakdown and had to be taken to the hospital by Camille. Her fragile condition, compounded by the danger to her unborn twins, put everyone on edge.
At the police station, Marcus Bartz sat in silence as the charges against him were read aloud. He was accused of kidnapping the infamous Judge Frank Levett, who had been presumed missing for years. Among the atrocities listed were cutting off Levett’s pinky finger, gouging out art eye, burning his eyes with acid, cutting out his tongue, and removing his vocal cords.
Listening to the accusations, Marcus’s mind raced. He knew he hadn’t committed the later acts, which led him to
discreet suspect that Frank’s son might have been involved. He called his lawyer and requested a separate, investigation into what had happened to Frank after Marcus’s last visit to the nursing home.
What weighed most heavily on Marcus’s heart wasn’t his own future but Valerie’s last expression before he was taken away. She now knew the full extent of his dark past, and the stress of such revelations could endanger her and their unborn children.
“Marcus, she’ll be fine. Focus on getting out of here,” his lawyer urged. “I’ll do everything possible to secure your release. I’ll try to file an injunction, and then we’ll work on your defense. I’ll investigate everything thoroughly and shift this in your favor. But I need you to stay focused.”
“How can I focus? Valerie my wife–just found out about all this. Do you know what she must be feeling right now? What she’s going through?”
“No, Marcus. But I do know she’s strong, and she’ll come to understand why you did what you did.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure…” Marcus muttered.
“Stay sharp, Marcus. Don’t say a word, no matter what. They’re waiting for you to slip up and incriminate yourself.”
“They already have Frank Levett. What more proof do they need?”
“That doesn’t mean you committed those atrocities. Someone else might be lying…”
What Marcus didn’t know was that his lawyer had already received explicit instructions from Peter to defend him. The lawyer had access to information that could either incriminate or exonerate Marcus, but Peter wanted everything done methodically to leave no room for doubt about Marcus’s innocence–or guilt.
Two hours later, Alden landed in Valentia, where his men were waiting to brief him. They informed him that they had located Serenity, Maurice, and Johnvanni Bartz at Leonardo’s old mansion. Alden didn’t hesitate his priority was rescuing the children.
Receiving gear and a weapon from one of his men, Alden prepared himself. Negotiation wasn’t on his mind.
“So, Leonardo went back to his old house?” Alden asked.
“Exactly. What are your orders?”
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Chapter 0652
“Do whatever it takes! I want all three safe.”
And Leonardo?”
“Kill them all if you have to. I don’t care. Sweep the place clean!‘
“Is this personal?”
“Very,” Alden confirmed, his voice cold.
Theodore, aware that Alden had returned to Valentia, reached out to him. He suspected that Ethan’s ordeal might be connected to Serenity’s kidnapping. However, Alden shocked him by revealing that he had already pinpointed Serenity’s location along with Maurice and Jolun.
“Alden, don’t make a mistake! Please tell me you sent someone else to handle this,” Theodore pleaded.
“Theodore, you know I prefer to handle these matters myself. I’m already on my way. Leonardo will regret every move he’s made.”
M
“Son! Think this through. I’ll call your father, Maximus, and Frederick–they’re all searching for the children
- 100.
“Fine. Tell them to meet me at this address.” Alden rattled off the location.
“Don’t make a mistake, Alden!”
“Theodore, I appreciate your concern, but these bastards need to learn never to mess with our family.” “Alden, your father needs to know about every move you make-”
“He’s the one who called me back. If he didn’t want me involved, he wouldn’t have asked me to return.”
“Alden-”
he Theodore had been a killer in his youth, but everything changed the day he decided to betray Frank Levett. Now, lived off the money he had stolen from the man, far remove from his former self. Time had taken its toll, and he was no longer the person he once was.
Alden ended the call abruptly, leaving Theodore no chance to respond. Without wasting any time, Theodore immediately contacted Frederick and Maximus, who were already together. He explained the situation and informed them that Alden was on his way to the location.
