Chapter 551

“Take the money and go home!” Odalys shouted coldly.

The punk silently nodded, obediently took the three thousand dollars from Odalys, and stuffed it into his pocket. Then, he retrieved his motorcycle and rode away.

In fact, Odalys hadn't hit the punk. When she slammed on the brakes, he instinctively did the same. His motorcycle fell, but he wasn't hurt.

Odalys watched him go, a vague feeling settling upon her that his appearance had been accidental. He seemed more like an obstacle intended to stop her from chasing Lee.

She didn't waste time on this interruption and quickly accelerated. Beyond the upcoming intersection, she lost sight of Lee's car. Her eyes scanned the area, and she soon sensed Lee's aura to her left. Her car turned in that direction—a road leading toward the suburbs.

Just then, Odalys's cell phone vibrated. It was a call from Lee.

She answered without hesitation, speaking before he could. "Lee, pull over now. I have something to tell you." She gripped her phone so tightly her fingertips turned white.

Silence from the other end upset Odalys.

“I’m home. You may tell me next time. Come to my place if you have time. My daughter misses you.” Then, Lee hung up.

Odalys stared at her phone, her heart sinking. She called Lee back, but his phone was off. She slammed on the brakes, pulled over, and stared at the road ahead. Lee's aura had vanished; she could no longer sense him. It had been deliberately concealed, ending her pursuit.

“Odalys.” A car sped up and stopped a short distance away. A man exited, walked toward her, and found her lost in thought. He tapped on her car window.

Odalys snapped back to reality. She rolled down the window, her eyes meeting Percival's deep gaze.

“Percival, what are you doing here?” Odalys asked, puzzled. She hadn't expected to see him.

“I was hurrying home from work and saw your car. Why did you stop? Are you sick?” Percival asked worriedly. Her pale face and furrowed brow suggested something troubled her, as did her unusual stop.

“Lee is in trouble,” Odalys whispered.

She opened the door, leaned against the car, and looked Percival in the eye. He offered her a bottle of water. A few sips helped her calm down, and she explained what had happened.

Percival, hands behind his back, remained silent for a long time.

Neither Odalys nor Percival spoke, both lost in thought.

“The punk on the motorcycle was likely a pawn to prevent you from catching Lee. Lee was on the phone constantly, so you couldn't reach him, and he couldn't check your messages. After the punk left, you continued your chase and received Lee's unexpected call,” Percival summarized tersely.

Odalys nodded in agreement. Agitation filled her eyes; things seemed to be spiraling out of control.

“‘I’m home. You may tell me next time. Come to my place if you have time. My daughter misses you.’ That’s what he said,” Odalys added.

Percival rubbed his arm. “‘Come to my place. My daughter misses you.’ He wanted me to go to his home?” He exchanged a glance with Odalys, and they blurted out the same question simultaneously.

“Yes,” Percival said hoarsely.

Odalys anxiously held her breath.

“By the way, I found the punk suspicious, so I gave him a talisman and a large sum of cash. He's in a partial stupor. My talisman will take effect once he spends the money. He'll then follow my aura and come to me,” Odalys added. She had been prudent, giving him money while setting a trap. He'd fallen for it the moment he took the money. The talisman didn't harm him physically; it merely made him honest before her. He might offer clues to finding Lee.

“Let’s go to Lee’s place,” Percival suggested.

He took the driver's seat. Odalys pointed to her car and asked, “What about your car?”

“My driver will take it home,” Percival replied. He made a call, and his bodyguard arrived shortly. Percival tossed him his keys; the bodyguard drove the car toward the Stewart villa. Percival then drove Odalys’s car toward Lee’s house.

Odalys rubbed her temples; she had a splitting headache and worried about Lee. He was a good cop—responsible, upright, and kind.

“Don’t call the police yet. There might be spies within the force, and we don’t know if Lee is truly in danger. Without solid evidence, I could become a suspect in his disappearance,” Odalys said bitterly. She wanted to avoid police interrogation and wouldn't seek their help if possible.

“Let me make a call,” Percival said. He picked up his phone.

11:10 AM

Chapter 531 (Note: This should likely be Chapter 552, given the previous chapter number)

The person on the other end sounded humble. He respectfully listened to Percival and replied, “Leave it to me. Don’t worry. No information will be leaked. I will locate him immediately, block all highways, and prevent him from leaving the country.” Percival hung up.