The bodyguards stood straight, their fingertips trembling with fear at the tone.
“Daddy! I snuck out on my own! It has nothing to do with the uncles!” The little girl, seeing the scene, struggled desperately to break free and rushed towards the masked man.
The man seemed to hear nothing, casually tossing a sharp dagger to the few who had stepped forward. “According to the rules, handle it yourselves.”
“Sir…”
Sullivan glanced at the man’s expression and signaled with his eyes. “Hesitate any longer, and it won’t be just a finger.”
Callie’s heart pounded as she watched.
She averted her gaze and saw the little girl being taken into a room, crying at the window with tears streaming down her face.
“Daddy-no!”
Her cries, though muffled, were still heart-wrenching.
The next second, the sound of a man’s painful grunts filled the air.
The pain of losing a finger was unimaginable.
Callie’s heart raced, her body stiffening involuntarily.
Blood was everywhere, a horrifying sight.
The room was opened, and the little girl had stopped crying. She stood still, staring at the familiar yet strange man.
The masked man took the handkerchief Sullivan handed him and carefully wiped his hands. He still looked gentle, as if the bloodshed had been a bad dream.
“Have someone clean this up. I’m tired. Don’t make me worry again for a while.”
He tossed the handkerchief to the ground without emotion.
Then he walked over to the girl, squatted down, and tried to touch her hair, but she slapped his hand away.
The man wasn’t angry. “Did you see? I won’t punish you for sneaking out. The ones who suffer are those uncles who take care of you.”
Using the gentlest tone, he left deep scars and shadows in the little girl’s heart.
“Will you dare next time?”
He gently wiped away her tears. “As my daughter, you don’t need tears.”
With that, he stood up and left.
Sullivan held the girl to comfort her, then said, “Safe travels, Owen.”
It was really Owen!
Callie didn’t dare breathe. She couldn’t believe she had stumbled upon him, even though she hadn’t seen his face clearly.
She wanted to ask him about Reuben and how much he knew.
If Reuben fell into his hands, it would be disastrous.
Owen led his men out of the basement. When he passed Callie, they were only a meter apart. She didn’t dare move.
She smelled the scent of pine on him.
“Where’s Jaquan?” he asked in a low voice.
A subordinate reported, “Still looking. He hasn’t left Anbusea with that woman.”
“Reckless. Find him and bring him to me alive.”
“Understood!”
This reminded Callie that Jaquan had angered Owen so much that if found, he wouldn’t just lose a finger; he might die.
Callie was anxious and needed to find a way to get him out.
They walked away, their voices fading. “Nelson is still pressing hard on the project. It’s troublesome.”
“A self-righteous dog. Annoying.”
Nelson? Callie almost wanted to follow them to listen more.
But they moved further away until they disappeared into an elevator. Everything returned to calm, except for the lingering smell of blood reminding her of what had happened.
Callie looked for an opportunity to leave when a voice rang out. “Who’s there!”
A flashlight shone directly at her.
She instinctively shielded her eyes, her heart pounding.
“Who’s there!”