Chapter 210
Richard lifted his gaze to Owen, who was lying on the hospital bed, his expression grim.
Owen’s face was dark with anger.
96%0
Richard took it upon himself to make a decision. “Find a few of your men, and while the Brown family is out, have them search their house. Look for any sign of Miss Dalton”
“Alright.”
“Also, have them check if there have been any strangers around town recently. If so, find out who they are and what they’ve been doing these past few days,” Owen added.
Richard passed Owen’s orders to Tommy before hanging up. He turned to Owen and asked, “Boss, should you go to Densborough yourself?”
Owen remained silent for a moment before lowering his head, speaking softly. “Inform Raphael about this.”
“Raphael?” Richard was taken aback, not understanding Owen’s intention.
Owen didn’t explain further, merely responding with a quiet “Mm.”
Seeing that Owen wasn’t offering any more details, Richard didn’t press the issue and left the room to carry out Owen’s orders.
*****
It had been two days.
Hailey leaned against the wall, pressing her hand to her aching stomach.
For the past two days, she had eaten only a piece of bread and half a bottle of water.
The masked man had told her that this would be her food for the next three days, and the bread was already gone, leaving only the remaining water.
Taking a deep breath, Hailey forced herself to sit up and looked at the impossibly high ventilation shaft.
Apart from the door, that ventilation shaft was her only connection to the outside world, but she couldn’t climb up to reach it.
What was this man’s goal in kidnapping her? If it was for ransom, who was he planning to contact? But if it was to silence her… Hailey’s thoughts raced. She wanted to know exactly who this man was.
Over the years, she had made a few enemies in both her work and personal life, but few people wanted her dead. Perhaps the person who had kidnapped her was someone she knew well.
As Hailey pondered, the door opened.
The masked man stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He walked toward her, towering over her, and sneered. His rough, gravelly voice sounded as unpleasant as the grinding of sand under wheels. “Hailey, you finally have your day.”
“Who are you?” Hailey demanded.
“We’re old acquaintances,” the man said with a malicious laugh. “Everything I’ve become, I owe to you. Don’t worry though, I’ll soon be out of this mess. I’ll become someone like Owen–rich and powerful. And you… you’ll no longer be the precious young lady.”
1/3
་
09:20 Mon, 14 Apr
Chapter 210
“You’re Mateo, aren’t you?” Hailey narrowed her eyes, her suspicions forming
At first, she had suspected it might be Selena, but this man’s imposing height and build, along with his words, made Mateo’s name come to her mind.
“You actually figured it out,” the masked man chuckled coldly before reaching up to remove his mask, revealing his face
It was Mateo, without a doubt.
Hailey let out a sarcastic laugh. “You don’t honestly believe your current situation is all my fault, do you?”
“Who else could it be?” Mateo crouched down, grabbing Hailey by the neck. “You ruined my future, ruined everything Hailey, if it weren’t for you, I would never have ended up like this. I could’ve had it all–billions, power. But now, all of it’s gone.”
His eyes were filled with rage, bloodshot with fury.
Hailey struggled as he choked her, her breathing becoming labored.
Just before it became unbearable, Mateo released her with a cruel, cold warning. “Let me make this clear: you’re in my hands now. You’d better behave, or if I accidentally kill you, don’t blame me.”
Hailey clutched her throat, coughing weakly.
Mateo stood up and turned to leave.
Hailey’s mind raced. She looked up at his retreating figure, then pulled a knife from under her.
With a cold, calculating expression, she shifted her posture and stabbed the knife into Mateo’s back.
He collapsed to the ground, the sudden pain almost making him choke. For a brief moment, he was paralyzed by the shock, his face pale and contorted with agony as he gritted his teeth and screamed Hailey’s name.
Hailey seized the opportunity and fled.
She hadn’t eaten in days, and the knife wound wasn’t deep–it would likely just keep Mateo in the hospital for a few days, but it wouldn’t be life–threatening. Still, Mateo was the type to fear for his life, so he wouldn’t chase her anytime soon.
As Hailey ran, she realized she had just escaped a crumbling church, and the basement where Mateo had kept her was hidden beneath it.
She stumbled out of the building and into an expansive golden wheat field that stretched far beyond what the eye could see.
Hailey stood there for a moment, lost in thought. Then, she recognized the place.
This was Densborough. She was still in the town, and this field was one she and Lydia had often visited during their childhood.
Sudden childhood memories rushed back, overwhelming her.
Hailey lowered her head, pressing her hand to her face as she closed her eyes for a few seconds before walking away in the opposite direction of Densborough.
Whatever Greg and Lucia’s reasons were for drugging her, she wouldn’t forgive them this time.
And she would never return to this place.
Her phone was gone, and her wallet was nowhere to be found. The road was desolate, and even the few passing cars refused to stop. Hailey wasn’t sure how long she had walked, but her legs were numb by the time she spotted a house as the sun set.
Uy:20 Mon, 14 Apr
Chapter 210
Exhausted, she knocked on the door, and before she knew it, she passed out
Luckily, the house was inhabited, and a handsome, kind–looking young man came out and carried her inside.
Hailey was missing.
It was something no one had anticipated.
The last time she disappeared was after a car accident, but back then, Raphael at least knew where the was. This time, however, no one knew where she had gone. Not even Mateo, who had kidnapped her.
Raphael privately sent out many people to search for her and only found Mateo in that crumbling church. The Henderson family secretly sent people to search the town as well, but still, no trace of her.
She had disappeared too suddenly, without a single clue. It was as if she had never existed in this world at all.
Today, the Calhoun family was abuzz with excitement.
It was the day of Owen, the Calhoun family heir’s, engagement.
The announcement had been made a month ago, and this was to be the wedding of the century.
The four great families and the Calhoun family were about to unite with Eleanor Jordan, the beloved daughter of the Bleevine Group. Eleanor, the youngest daughter of the Jordan family, was a beautiful mixed–race girl with striking blue eyes.
The engagement ceremony would be held the next day at noon in the church funded by the Calhoun family, and it was expected to be attended by high society guests.
The next day, in the bride’s dressing room, a young woman in a white mermaid gown was being made up.
Her best friend, Tilly Lawson, was her makeup artist.
Tilly asked, “Eleanor, are you sure you want to marry that man? I saw him earlier. He’s handsome, sure, but he’s so cold. You’re going to suffer if you marry him.”
