“You don’t have to make up stories, Mia. I just stopped the car in the parking lot. In a moment, you will see me standing in front of you. I’m not a coward anymore, you know?” Julian said before unbuckling the seatbelt.
Hearing the CEO’s relaxed response, Mia was pushed closer into despair. With a narrow throat, she said, “It’s not about your bravery anymore, Sir, but Mrs. Evans’ life.”
Doubting the hearing, Julian didn’t budge and furrowed his brows. Slowly, he began to detect Mia’s sobs from the other side of the phone.
“I beg you, Sir. Save her …” the secretary sighed in a trembling voice. “I couldn’t tell Mister Max. He would panic if he finds out his wife is missing. I only found Madam’s bag and a pen that was covered in blood.”
Knowing the seriousness of the secretary, Julian suddenly gulped. With hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, the man forced his brain to think. “Where did you find Gabriella’s bag?”
“On the emergency stairs, Sir.”
“Have you reported to the hospital?” the man inquired while keeping his senses with the furrowed brows.
Getting such a question, Mia began to realize her stupidity. Trying to stop crying, she replied, “Not yet, Sir.”
“In that case, quickly report to security!”
“Okay, Sir,” the secretary answered, hurrying out of the emergency exit.
Meanwhile, Julian reached for his other cell phone to call the police. “How long has Gabriella been missing?” he investigated.
“I don’t know for sure, Sir. Maybe, about fifteen or twenty minutes ago,” Mia said in between gasping breaths.
“That means there’s a possibility that Gabriella is still in this hospital,” the man muttered, moving his eyes for ideas. He felt that he had hope to save his sister-in-law. “I will call the police. You hurry up and ask the security for help. Don’t hang up on me so we can keep an eye on each other.”
When he was about to change the cellphone, Julian’s gaze suddenly fell on a big man pushing a wheelchair. As soon as he saw a woman with a mask and blanket, he suddenly caught his breath.
“Gabriella?”
Carefully, he squinted, watching the woman who didn’t move at all. However, due to the increasing distance, Julian had a hard time observing.
“Is my vision correct?”
Feeling his suspicions needed to be proven, the man stopped calling the police and spoke to the girl again. “Mia, I think I saw Gabriella.”
Without making sure the secretary received the report or not, Julian got out of the car. Then, with hasty steps, he followed the big man.
“Is that really Gabriella?” Julian thought as he tried to keep up with the suspicious man’s speed.
Unfortunately, that person’s steps were wider and faster. Julian’s chance to check the woman’s identity was running out.
“Tsk, what should I do?” the pursuer thought while clutching the cell phone that was still connected to Mia.
Suddenly, the big man stopped and took off the wheelchair. As soon as he stepped toward the back door of a car, Julian’s eyes went wide. The white hair tie worn by the woman confirmed his suspicion.
“Isn’t that the hair tie Gabriella often wears?” the man who had been hiding behind a concrete pillar muttered.
With a rumbling breath, Julian picked up his phone again. “Mia, immediately send help to the parking lot. I found Gabriella,” the man whispered as he was afraid that his whereabouts would be discovered by the criminal.
However, instead of receiving an answer, he was greeted by the voice of the secretary arguing with the security guard. The girl seemed to have a hard time convincing them.
“Mia?” Julian sighed with cold sweat all over his body.
After a while, the girl still had not received the report, while the criminal had opened the back door and was busy arranging a board as the wheelchair path. Julian realized that the time remaining to save Gabriella was running out.
“What should I do now?” the man murmured in confusion. He knew that he couldn’t just stay still. However, fear had frozen his muscles.
“Come on Julian! You’re not a coward,” he thought to suggest. “This is your chance to prove that you have the courage.”
After gritting his teeth and closing the eyes for a moment, the new CEO finally put on loudspeaker mode and pocketed his cell phone. Then, with shaky legs, he came out of hiding and ran to the man who started to turn the wheelchair towards his car.
“Stop!” he rebuked before throwing a punch.
Unfortunately, Julian didn’t predict that the criminal had been watching his movements. In just one move, the big man was able to parry the blow. A second later, a counterattack sent Julian staggering backwards.
“Tsk, why are there so many nuisances around here? It’s troublesome,” No Name grumbled as he took a leisurely pace towards the opponent who had unconsciously started to walk backwards.
“Do you think I didn’t notice your presence? Tch …. All the Evans are really stupid.”
“Let go of that woman!” Julian exclaimed in a trembling voice.
“Why? She is the perfect key to suffering of Evans, too precious to let go. Through her, two people would fall into a very deep abyss. But apparently, now I have to count it three. You seem to care more about the woman’s safety than yourself.”
After laughing sarcastically, No Name took out a penknife and held it up to his eyes.
“Do you know that I’ve been holding back my anger because that woman managed to make my precious blood drip,” he grumbled while showing the blackened jeans on the thigh.
“I’m thinking and thinking, what is the right way to avenge her actions,” the man sighed intimidatingly. A second later, his gaze narrowed towards Julian. “Now I’ve found it. Isn’t guilt much more excruciating than physical injury?”
Hearing that bluff, Julian swallowed hard. “What are you after?”
Sniffing thick fear, No Name grinned happily. “What if I make her wake up in front of a lifeless body? Do you think she will be hysterical? The person who tried to save her, died instead. Isn’t that fun?”
Noticing the threat on the tip of his nose, Julian began glancing left and right, hoping there was someone else on the floor. But unfortunately, he only saw sparse cars. The CEO realized that visiting hours had ended. He couldn’t expect people to come to the top floor of the parking lot, which was rarely visited.
After a while, the big man suddenly stopped approaching. Tilting his head and squinting his eyes, that person swung the knife in the air.
“Maybe, I was wrong. It will only add to my burden. Why don’t I just kill that girl now? That way, my hiding place won’t be stained with blood and tears. I won’t have to bother covering the tracks and can sleep tight tonight.”
Nodding, the man turned to face Gabriella. After a snide snort, he started stomping forward with the knife tightly gripped in his hand.
Watching the danger approaching again towards Gabriella, Julian’s blood rippled faster. With a crazed heartbeat, he finally ran to block the criminal. “Don’t touch her!”
Unexpectedly, No Name turned his back. In just an instant, the blade sank into Julian’s stomach. The man who was about to attack, immediately gaped without a word. The pain had stung all his nerves.
“Arghhh!” Julian groaned. His body trembled even more violently.
As the criminal turned the knife like a key in the lock, Julian began to forget how to breathe normally. The pain on his face succeeded in making No Name laugh in satisfaction.
“Apparently, you’re brainless, huh? How could I let an eyewitness see too much?” the fierce man whispered while deepening the thrust.
“And since you’ve messed up, don’t blame me for killing that girl now. In fact, I wanted to have fun with her first. But, the time has come. I couldn’t possibly take her away. All the chaos must end here.”
After saying the message, No Name pulled out his knife. He didn’t care about the blood pouring out of the wound. The fierce man needed a weapon to finish off his next prey.