She was kept locked up like this. No water or food was offered. Occasionally, she could hear the cries of a baby like the screams of abuse. Every time she heard it, she would curl up and hold her belly. She was afraid that such a thing would happen to her own child.
One day, two days…
She didn’t know how long she had been locked up, she didn’t know the time. She couldn’t see anything. She was like being placed in a world without time, without light. At first, she would knock on the door, but no one responded, only the echoing emptiness. Later, she realized that knocking on the door was useless, so she just stayed quiet, preserving her energy. But after a while, she became very thirsty and hungry. Freya was longing to see the light.
“Who can save me?” She curled up in the corner. Her thoughts began to blur. Sometimes, she even had hallucinations. And when she heard the crying, she trembled in fear.
…
Country D.
Elijah met with Wes in a seven-star hotel, a magnificent structure built with money that words couldn’t describe. The decoration, in line with local aesthetics, exuded the scent of wealth. Gold leaf, red, velvet, crystal, all elements infused with ethnic characteristics. If one didn’t know, they would think they had entered a palace. But the exterior design of the hotel also had a modern touch. As the owner of this world-renowned hotel, Mr Wes was undoubtedly a top-tier billionaire. He was dressed in a white robe, a head of black hair, a well-groomed beard, a distinct face, deep-set eyes. He had a cigar in his mouth, lazily reclining on a red leather sofa.
There was an open bottle of red wine on the table. This wine was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars per bottle. But in his eyes, it was just ordinary. He took a deep puff of the cigar, the wisps of white smoke enveloping his face. “I can’t understand what made you give up on this collaboration. You should know, our partnership…” Said Wes.
“I am very clear about it.” While Elijah may be slightly inferior to him in terms of wealth, he was not at all intimidated by him in terms of presence, even more powerful and mature.
Wes’ achievements were derived from his inheritance. While Elijah had earned everything on his own. The aura Elijah had honed in the face of storms and trials made him even more adept at dealing with people.
“This is the document.”
Elijah had already made up his mind when he came. Wes waved his hand, signaling the beautiful lady beside him to pour the wine. He straightened his posture and looked at Elijah, saying, “I really want to know why.”
“Country M, due to the wars in the other two countries, their oil supply has been cut off. Although they still have enough oil internally, their prices keep rising and won’t be sustainable for long. You control two oil mines, which is a huge temptation for them…”
“Businessmen always seize every opportunity. I want to know what could be a greater temptation than this, causing you to give up our collaboration and instead form an exclusive partnership with Lofic.”
Elijah and Wes had a good relationship. They had worked together before this incident. They were old acquaintances.
Elijah didn’t conceal from him, “I want to extract someone from the hands of the Country M government.” As he spoke, his gaze grew deeper.
Wes leaned forward, picked up the wine glass, and took a sip of the red wine. “Who is worth such sacrifice?”
At this moment, Elijah didn’t mention Freya’s identity to Wes, to avoid unnecessary trouble. He casually replied, “Someone from Country Z.”
Wes strongly disagreed with Elijah’s approach. “The leader of that country has always tried to hinder Country Z’s development. If they find evidence, they will surely make a big deal out of it. Unless it’s someone of utmost importance, I don’t think you should…”
“Wes, this matter is important to me.” Elijah was well aware of that. If he wanted Country M to release the person, he had to offer enough benefits. As the family controlling the oil in Country M, Lofic would definitely be willing to make this trade. Elijah believed that even if objections arose, they would find a way to persuade them.
“Why don’t you reach out to the ambassador in Country M…”
“It’s too late for me.” The reason Elijah didn’t rely solely on the embassy in Country M was because the process was too complex and involved considering various factors. With Freya heavily pregnant, could she afford to wait?
Facing a group of cunning and malicious people, he could only resort to a different method, a more circuitous approach. Of course, there would be some economic losses. But compared to Freya, these losses were insignificant for him.
Wes expressed his disappointment. While it didn’t matter to him which side he collaborated with, he disliked the people from Country M.
“I have a few nice ladies. Since you don’t come often, why don’t you relax at my private villa one night…”
Elijah declined directly, “Not interested.”
Wes chuckled, “You never play. Is there something wrong with your health?”
Elijah stood up, sounding somewhat resigned, “Can’t help it, afraid of my wife.”
“Elijah, you have a wife? How come I had no idea? When did this happen? Are you intentionally hiding it from me?”
The Elijah he knew had always been single. When did he get married? What kind of woman is she?
Elijah said he would introduce her next time. But for now, he didn’t have time to linger here. It was rare for Wes to see Elijah in a hurry, so he quickly signed the document that Elijah handed over, a transfer agreement.
…
Country M.
Sivin Peters was also here. He learned from Eric Lowe that Freya’s situation was quite troublesome, and it was all because of him.
Eric stared at Sivin as he asked, “How did this leak out? If HY got the data, they could have quietly used it for research. Why did they have to make it public and cause so much trouble for Freya? Until now, neither Elijah nor I have even seen her.”
Sivin felt deeply sorry, “It’s my fault. I trusted someone unreliable and that’s how this happened. I didn’t know he would go public without consulting anyone for his own benefit. He paid the price for it, but it had a huge impact. He’s done for…”
“What’s the use of him being done for?” Eric became angry. “Right now, we don’t even know where Freya is. It’s really worrying.”
“Ah, I know I made a mistake. I rushed over here because I was worried too.”
“Your presence won’t help.” Eric said. “In my opinion, you should go back.”
Sivin’s face immediately turned dark.
What did this mean?
“I made a mistake, so I shouldn’t be forgiven, is that it?”
“That’s not it. I’m afraid Elijah will blame you when he sees you. He’s on his way here, he must have found a solution…” Eric explained.
“I can’t leave without knowing if Freya is okay. I need to make sure she’s safe before I can go.” Sivin insisted. “I’m here, and I can at least help in some way, right?”
“Alright, if you insist, I won’t persuade you otherwise.” Eric said. “Just rest assured and stay with me.”
“I didn’t come here for a vacation. I came to lend a hand. Elijah must be in need of assistance, especially with his trusted subordinate-what’s his name again…” Sivin paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered, “Evan. He had a car accident and I heard he’s been left in a vegetative state. It’s truly a tragedy, such a young man. It’s really heartbreaking.”
“What did you say?!”
A voice filled with shock and devastation echoed from the doorway. Sivin looked over, and then he saw the person standing at the entrance.