Chapter 48
The moment Joanns lost consciousness, she tried to glimpse her assailant, but before she could turn around, everything went dark, and the slipped
Soon, someone dragged her into a car, and they sped off toward the outskirts.
Back in the offer. Howell suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation. He tugged at his tie, trying to shake off the feeling, and walked over to the floor–to–ceiling windows. Something felt wrong, an unsettling sensation gnawing at him.
Earlier, there had been an issue with one of the company’s real estate projects, a problem that seemed insurmountable. That’s why he had rushed back to the office during lunch to help resolve it. He’d just come out of a meeting when the feeling hit him
Wait, has Joanna left the hospital yet? Howell pulled out his phone and dialed her number, but it rang for a long time with no answer
Strange, he thought. He tried calling again, but still no response.
This was odd, Joanna always answered his calls.
Frustrated, Howell dialed the hospital’s number, asking the nurse
rse about her.
“She left a little while ago. Maybe she’s driving,” the nurse explained.
Howell’s brow furrowed, but he rubbed his nose, a sign of the weariness he was feeling. He hadn’t been sleeping well lately.
In the past, even when he was exhausted, he never felt this way, especially with Joanna there to look after him.
But
now, she was being stubborn, refusing to come home, leaving him alone. Howell felt a strange loneliness creeping in
Just as he was about to sit back down, Hanley burst through the door, looking panicked.
“Mr. Buckley, something’s luppened. Hanley said, his voice tight, holding up his phone.
Howell sprang to his feet, has eyes narrowing. “What’s going on? What happened?”
unease grew, Something
Handry, usually calm and composed, was visibly shaken. Howell had never seen him like this before, and his unease grew.
Hanley didn’t speak, instead, be handed the phone to Howell. “Mr. Buckley. I don’t know who sent this, but… Miss Caldwell has been kidnapped”
Howell’s expression turned stone cold as he snatched the phone and played the video. It was disturbing, the footage edited to hide the identity of
The video showed Margot, her eyes covered, her mouth gagged, tied to a chair, uruggling her face filled with terror. She was clearly panicking, but there was no way but
Howell’s mund mustanrly flashed back to Margots suspicions of being followed. He barked at Handry, Handey, hnd out where she was taken. Imunediately Gould thus be the work of those obsessed, crazy fam?”
Handey nodded, las lips pressed tight. “Ill get on it right away”
“Also, keep an eye out for any calls,” Howell ordered sharply. “We need to know if they contact us
Hanley nokled and turned to leave Howell and foern, his hands gripping the phone tightly, his mind racing. He couldn’t shake the chilling Image of Margot’s terribed fæer from the scaven
before he could process everything, ilar phone buzzed again. Hanley qui kly checked, his eyes wiele with shock. “Mr. Buckley. Miss Chloe’s in
caroned to stop. In mond went blank, and hus pulse quickened
“Wharf in voer was nighur, full of a fury he could
phone over again. Ins hand shaking Tant believe it either, but
1/2
this was intolerabile.
erk medalize all the rewaurra of
be Hackley Group, and get in touch with people in the underworld,” Howell harked, making decisions in an
Η
Chapter 18
Hanley had never seen Howell so rattled before. He was usually a man of calm and deadly resolve, but after hearing about Margot’s accident hes managed to keep his cool. But after seeing the video of Joanna, Howell lost all composure.
In that moment, he was completely shaken.
It was clear to anyone around him–Howell was panicking,
“Got it. Mr. Buckley. I’ll handle it right away, Hanley replied, quickly understanding the gravity of the situation.
As soon as Hanley left, Howell stared down at his phone, his eyes filled with an unrelenting bloodthirsty rage.
still
The image from the video replayed in his mind: the dimly lit, crumbling room, the broken walls, and Joanna–disheveled, her hair hanging limply. tied to a chair. Her face was bruised, her head hung low, but even from the quick glance Howell had, he could see her pale skin was already red from the stap
At that moment, Howell radiated coldness, so intense that the temperature in his office seemed to drop several degrees. Anyone could feel his strong aura
He fixed his gaze on the phone, took a deep b breath to steady himself, and then dialed the number from the video.
The call connected almost immediately. The voice on the other end was distorted, clearly altered by a voice changer. These people knew exactly what they were doing.
“How rude of you to keep me waiting, Mr. Buckley,” the voice chuckled, unsettlingly casual. Tve been expecting this call for some time now.”
Howell’s brow furrowed. Could these people be after him?
Who ar
are you? What do you want? Howell’s voice was icy, h
his
tone as cold and sharp as steel,
On the other end, the voice suddenly burst into laughter. “Mr. Buckley, what a surprise! You, the ruthless, emotionless Mr. Buckley, are so sentimental after all I have to say, I envy you. Two beautiful women, both so delicate and lovely–your luck really is something, Mr. Buckley.”
Howell didn’t respond. He kept his composure, refusing to give them anything they could use against him. Patience was key here he knew better than to get drawn into a pointless back–and–forth. These were dangerous people, and he couldn’t afford to go head–to–head with them. Joanna and Margot were still in their hands.
After a moment, the voice on the other end seemed to grow bored with Howell’s silence, and its tone shifted to something far more menacing. “Here’s the deal: You prepare 20 million dollars in cash. I’ll tell you where to deliver it, but no police. If you do anything stupid, they both might not make it out alive The Lidnapper’s voice dripped with cold malice.
“Fine. But you better make sure not a single hair on their heads gets hurt, or I swear, I’ll hut every one of you down. Howell’s voice was like ice shards, sending a shiver through the phone line.
The kidnapper laughed again, almost too casually. “Don’t worry, Mr. Huckley. This game’s just getting fun. We’ll be in touch”
And with thut, the tall ended
Howell stared at the unknown
to save them?
number on his phone, his expression a storm of rage and calculation. His mind raced with plans–how was be going
