“Richard, that bastard is back. He’s still alive. If anything happens to me, please do as we discussed. Please protect Grace and Emily.”
Daniel’s words echoed in Richard’s head. His heart pounded, fear creeping into his being. Emily’s disappearance felt strange, as if it was connected to Daniel’s former driver.
Richard slammed his foot on the gas pedal, his car speeding down the road. He had to get to the hospital immediately. He needed to know what happened, what caused Emily to vanish so suddenly.
Moments later, the hospital came into view. Richard parked his car, his emotions in turmoil.
Richard rushed to Emily’s hospital room, his heart pounding. There, he saw Maria, her face pale and filled with worry. Several nurses stood nearby, whispering seriously, none of them noticing Richard’s arrival.
“What happened?” Richard asked.
“Mr. Richard, Mrs. Emily… she’s gone,” Maria said, her voice choked with emotion.
Richard felt a chill run down his spine. He immediately approached the nurses. “Did any of you see what happened?”
The nurses looked at each other, their faces filled with panic. They shook their heads, none of them had seen anything.
Richard hurried to the reception desk, inquiring about the CCTV footage. The receptionist quickly showed him the recording. There, it was clear: a man dressed as a nurse had entered Emily’s hospital room. Richard questioned the receptionist and the nurses, “Do any of you recognize this man? Is he one of the nurses here?”
Everyone shook their heads. No one knew the man. Richard felt increasingly confused. He tried to call Daniel again, but his phone went straight to voicemail. Fear and uncertainty gripped him.
“What are we going to do, sir?” Maria asked, her voice frantic.
***
The cold, damp air of the abandoned warehouse enveloped Daniel and Sean. Several men dressed in black dragged them along, rough hands gripping their bound arms. In the corner of the room, a man stood, only his back visible. The dim light from a broken window illuminated a fleeting, sinister smile on his lips as he slowly turned around.
Daniel and Sean stumbled, their bodies forced to kneel before the man. Pain coursed through their bodies, the aftermath of the fierce battle they had just endured outside. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, their hearts pounding wildly.
“You’ve arrived,” the man said, his voice cold and piercing.
“Anthony,” Daniel hissed, his jaw clenching, his blue eyes blazing with anger.
“It’s been a long time, Daniel,” Anthony said, a cruel smile etched on his face. “I almost died after the police arrested all my men. But God is still on my side. I missed you so much, I couldn’t wait to see you again.”
Daniel just snorted, his blue eyes still burning with anger. “We’ll see how long God stays on your side,” he hissed, his voice cold and threatening.
“Where’s my mother?” Sean hissed, his voice trembling with rage.
Anthony shrugged, his cruel smile widening. “Relax. Why the rush? I’ll keep my promise to you,” he said, his voice sounding cold and mocking.
Daniel chuckled softly, his smile mocking and piercing. Anthony turned, his eyes narrowed. “How pathetic you are, having to kidnap others to bring me here,” Daniel said, his voice cold and laced with sarcasm.
Anthony responded with a wide grin, his white teeth prominent behind his thin lips. “Pathetic? We’ll see who’s pathetic in the end, Daniel Winston.”
Anthony nodded coldly to his men, an unspoken signal. Soon, they dragged an elderly woman into the warehouse. The woman’s face was pale, her eyes filled with terror. Her hair was disheveled, and her hands trembled violently.
“Sean?” the woman gasped, filled with panic. She looked at her son, her eyes filled with hope and despair.
“Mom!” Sean shouted, his body writhing in an attempt to break free. But the rough hands held him back, gripping his shoulders tightly.
Anthony chuckled softly, his voice cold and mocking. “Relax.”
“You bastard!” Sean yelled, anger blazing in his eyes. “This isn’t part of our deal. Let me and my mother go!”
“I will let you go as promised,” Anthony said, a cruel smile etched on his face. “But it won’t be easy to let you go. I’ll make it interesting. Be patient.”
Anthony then shifted his gaze toward Sophia, Sean, and Daniel, his eyes revealing sadistic satisfaction. “Look at this Winston family reunion, so heartwarming.”
“Is this amusing to you, you bastard?” Sean snarled.
Sophia, her face pale, huddled in the corner of the room. “Please save us,” she pleaded, her voice trembling with fear. “What do you want? I can give you anything. Please let us go.”
Anthony burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the room, cold and mocking. “Interesting. What if I want W Company? Can you give it to me?”
Sophia froze, her eyes widening in shock. W Company, the company her father had built with so much effort. She would never give it up, especially after Sean had reached this point, becoming the leader of the company her father had founded.
“Why are you silent? Can’t you give it to me?” Anthony asked, his cruel smile widening.
“A bastard like you doesn’t deserve that company,” Sean said with a mocking tone.
Anthony burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the room. He reached for a glass of wine and took a sip. But suddenly, with a swift movement, he slammed the glass onto the floor, shards of glass scattering and making Sophia scream in surprise.
“Even though I was never acknowledged as his son, Jake Winston is still my biological father,” Anthony said. “So I still share the same blood as you, the Winston family blood.”
Sean and Sophia were stunned by Anthony’s words. The truth that had been hidden for so long was revealed, and they couldn’t believe what they had just heard. Meanwhile, Daniel, who had known this for a long time, remained calm with a cold and piercing gaze at Anthony.
“What do you mean?” Sophia asked, her voice trembling, filled with disbelief.
Anthony smiled cruelly, his eyes revealing a hidden pain. “I am Jake Winston’s son, the one he abandoned to marry a woman from a prominent family. Because of him, my mother and I have suffered all this time,” His gaze was cold and deadly, piercing the souls of Sophia and Sean.
“It’s impossible for Grandpa to have a bastard like you. Don’t talk nonsense!” Sean shouted, anger blazing in his eyes.
Anthony just smiled cruelly, unfazed by Sean’s anger. He ignored Sean’s words, his eyes cold and sharp. With an unreadable nod, he signaled to his men.
“I have a special gift for you two,” Anthony said, looking at Sean and Daniel. “This gift will mean a lot to you both. Guess what it is.”
Daniel felt his heart pounding, his mind filled with worry. “What are you saying?” he asked, his voice trembling.
As Daniel feared, Emily was dragged in by several men dressed in black. Emily struggled, her small body fighting with all her might to break free, but she was powerless against the men’s strength. Daniel’s eyes reddened with anger as he saw the woman he loved, captured by Anthony.
At that moment, Daniel and Emily’s eyes met. Emily gasped, her eyes widening in shock as she saw Daniel in the same warehouse as her. As if in disbelief, her eyes immediately turned red, holding back tears that were about to fall. When she looked beside Daniel, she saw Sean, who was just as shocked as she was to see Emily in the same place as them.
“Didn’t I tell you earlier, Daniel?” Anthony laughed, his voice echoing through the room, cold and mocking. “Who will be pathetic in the end?”
Daniel’s eyes blazed with anger. “Let Emily go!” he shouted, his voice trembling with emotion. “You want me, you’ve got me. So let her go!”
“You’re truly a monster! You’re not human!” Sean yelled, his face red with anger. He tried to get up, ready to charge at Anthony if he wasn’t held tightly by his men.
“Alright,” Anthony said, his cruel smile widening. “Let’s begin this game.”