In the car, Arnold's computer displayed various surveillance angles, keeping an eye on the movements around the small villa.As the night grew deeper, it had been over an hour since we left the Chandler residence, yet there was no sign of activity.Feeling a bit impatient, I looked at Atlas. He was calmly staring at the road leading to the villa."What if she doesn't show up?" I asked Atlas softly."She won't. That's her weakness. Right now, the only outlet for her frustration is Beatrice, especially after the provocation she received from us today. She's eager to vent the anger in her," Atlas confidently explained.Lauren also reassured me, "Don't worry, punishing her is just a matter of time."I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Just as I was about to speak, Arnold excitedly exclaimed, "She's here."I quickly looked at his computer screen. Simultaneously, lights suddenly illuminated the area not far from the small villa. On the computer screen, a car slowly entered throug
I hurriedly ran over, spotting a small figure curled up in the corner. I crouched down and softly called out to her. "Beatrice, don't be afraid. I'm Chloe Hartz. It's Chlo. I've come to rescue you, Beatrice."I saw the trembling figure in the corner pause, and I knew she had understood me."Beatrice... It’s Chloe! I know I'm late, but look at me! It's me, I'm Chlo!"I heard Hazelyn's arrogant laughter behind me. "Hahaha, she's just a lunatic! You can't save her. She’s lost her mind."Lauren couldn't bear it. She walked up to Hazelyn and slapped her again. "I told you to shut up! You're the crazy one!"I slowly reached out to Beatrice. "Beatrice, don't be afraid. Come on, look at me! I'm Chlo!"The frail figure continued to tremble but slowly raised her head.Only then did I see that she was still wearing a patient gown that was stained with blood all over. Some parts were torn, revealing her body. She clutched herself.The chains on her feet were still locked, and her exposed c
I continued to gently stroke Beatrice's back, and her trembling seemed to calm down.Finn quickly removed his jacket and wrapped it around Beatrice, looking at me. "Ms. Chloe, what do we do now?"I whispered to Beatrice nestled in my arms, trying to comfort her. "Don't be afraid. It's okay now. Nothing will happen. We’re going to the hospital."Don't be scared, Beatrice. This is Finn, my friend from Gerby. He's been working hard to save you. Don't be afraid. Let's leave now, okay?"Beatrice just clung tightly to me. Someone came over and forced open the iron chains on her feet.Finn reached out, wrapping Beatrice closely in his jacket. He lifted her up, tightly embracing her in his broad arms. Beatrice's head was tucked against his chest, and I continued to gently caress her body to comfort her.We quickly left the basement and the villa without a moment's pause, got into the car, and headed straight to the hospital.The entire process had been recorded. I didn't know when Atlas
Atlas continued, "We can't use this hospital's experts. The last diagnostic report was suspected to be forged, and all the doctors involved were from here. We need more authoritative and convincing opinions. The local doctors can only observe. We'll invite a team of specialists to consult."Nathan nodded immediately. "Got it!"When Beatrice was brought back to the hospital room, she was still unconscious, but she was now in a clean hospital gown.Her hair had been attended to and looked much neater. Thick bandages were wrapped around her ankles, and her delicate face was pale without a trace of color. She appeared frail and petite in the hospital bed, beautiful even in her emaciation.I couldn't control the welling tears as my gaze fell upon her. Was this still the Beatrice I knew?I knew Finn was wondering the same thing.Mr. and Mrs. Bullock rushed to the hospital when they heard that we had successfully rescued Beatrice.It was early morning by then.When they saw Beatrice
Nathan grabbed the documents from the staff member beside him and slammed them onto the table in front of Byron with a resounding thud. The papers contained photos depicting Beatrice's current condition and reports detailing her injuries."Take a look... How did you see her? Look at these documents carefully before saying a word!" Nathan shouted at Byron.Byron's tension escalated as he slowly reached out to grab the papers in front of him. When he saw the photos, his eyes widened in disbelief as he carefully studied each one."I...""You’d better tell me the truth. Does she really have mental issues?" Nathan's ominously stern eyes bore into Byron, his gaze intensely scrutinizing. "She's been enduring inhumane abuse and violence for an extended period of time in a psychiatric hospital. Did you know about this?"Byron seemed on the verge of breaking down as he looked at the documents. "I... Who could have done such a thing? Who?"He frantically picked up one photo after another. I
Nathan looked at the bewildered Byron with a disdainful smile, his voice cold as he said, "I'm afraid neither of your daughters will want to see you. Beatrice definitely wouldn't. As for Hazelyn, she's been involved in serious crimes, so chances are, you won't be seeing her."With that, Nathan left the room with determined strides.Byron was left in the chair, his face devoid of color.His clenched fist on the table gradually tightened and the muscles in his jaw protruded. I wondered what was going through his mind.After a long while, he stood up and left the room, leaving the documents on the table untouched. That disappointed me.In a cold tone, Atlas remarked, "He doesn’t deserve to be a father."At that moment, Nathan pushed the door open and walked in, his face still dark."He's determined to resort to extreme measures," Atlas said."How so?" Nathan looked at Atlas inquiringly."He’ll probably try to request custody of Beatrice and find a way to harm her before the psych
My eyes welled up with tears, and everything became blurry."Don't be afraid. You’re safe now. No one will dare to torture or hurt you again," I reassured her.As soon as she heard the word 'hurt,' her body suddenly trembled, and she let out a sharp scream.The nurses rushed over, trying to restrain her.I quickly told them, "No, let go!"I immediately bent down and embraced her emaciated body, patting her gently. "Don't be afraid. It's okay now. Everything is over."My voice choked. "Beatrice, you have to get better quickly so we can be together again. Do you know how much I blame myself? I neglected you all these years. Otherwise, you wouldn't have suffered for so long."She wailed loudly, full of anguish.Doctors also hurried in. After all, this was a direct order from the highest-ranking official in the province, a patient requiring special attention. No one dared to slack off.But seeing her in this state, the doctors quietly stopped the nurses from intervening.She need
"That's good. Out of sight, out of mind," my mom grumbled."Did you receive any mail for the house over there?" I intentionally changed the subject."Mike called last night and told us not to worry. He said there have been quite a few people interested in the house lately. It might be sold soon. Anyway, we've set the price high, so if it sells, great. If not, it can wait. You'll always have a place to stay if you go back."I chuckled. "You're always worried about not having a place to stay when you already have houses everywhere. Last night, Atlas even mentioned investing here in Gerby. He plans to buy a house for us to stay in when we come for inspections. He also said you guys can travel around and stay in different places! Why are you still worried about having nowhere to stay?""Did he really invest in Gerby? Is that place even worthy?" My mom asked.I laughed. Any place was worth investing in. Projects done by Atlas were bound to be prosperous. He tackled things others couldn