Chapter 332: A Dark Picture
In the photo, a girl’s eyes were blindfolded with a black cloth, and her limbs were bound; the background was a cluttered car. Victoria sneered wickedly. Ellis was in her grasp now! It wouldn’t be long before she was delivered to her location.
What good was Easton’s protection note? Ellis had been so proud, hadn’t she? How proud could she feel now? After her family’s downfall, she had gone from a haughty affluent noble to a debt-ridden defaulter, forced to flee to a poor country. I couldn’t touch Easton; surely, they could reach Ellis.
After sending a message to hasten Ellis’s delivery, Victoria pondered how to deal with Ellis, to vent all her resentment, then use Ellis’s life to blackmail Easton into paying her. She needed money, a lot of it, enough to secure her later years.
Reality, however, contrasted sharply with Victoria’s plans. Shortly after Ellis was knocked out and placed in the car, a bodyguard who had been secretly following her noticed something amiss. He immediately called for backup, and they intercepted the car.
As they were about to escape, their car was suddenly blocked by another. The driver rolled down his window and cursed loudly. “Can’t you drive? Go back to driving school! Damn it!” Before he could finish, four men stepped out of the blocking vehicle, each armed with a baton. Realizing the unfriendly approach, the driver panicked and tried to turn the car around. But it was too late.
The four men surrounded their car, smashing the windows with their batons and dragging him and his accomplice out, taking control of the situation. The girl lying across the back seat, whom they needed to ensure was safe, was indeed Ellis. The leader of the bodyguards carefully lifted her out while his team called Easton.
Upon receiving the call, Easton rushed to the hospital. The bodyguards couldn’t wake Ellis and had found she had a head injury, so they took her to the hospital. Arriving at the hospital, Easton’s heart sank at the sight of the pale girl lying on the bed. His brow furrowed with concern; he turned to the bodyguard, “How is she?”
“Mr. Hudson, the doctor just examined Ms. Harper. She seems okay, but she might have a mild concussion.” Even with a clear diagnosis, Easton was still worried. Seeing Ellis like this reminded him of her kidnapping last year; it was the second time in a year he had seen her vulnerable side. Alongside his sympathy and relief, there was also anger. His lips pursed slightly. “What about the two men?”
The reason they hadn’t called the police immediately was that Easton hadn’t given the order yet, guessing that before handing the culprits over, he might want to take matters into his own hands. Upon Easton’s inquiry, the bodyguard led him to the next room. The two culprits were being guarded by his men, kneeling on the floor.
“You!” Easton clenched his jaw and fiercely grabbed one of the men by the neck. The door was initially open, but the bodyguard leader quietly closed it. Those who commit evil deeds must anticipate the consequences. Easton wasn’t a man of extreme brutality, but anyone under his protection was clearly important to him. With Ellis unconscious, it was inevitable that he would be furious and want to personally seek retribution.
Waking up with a throbbing headache, Ellis opened her eyes to a white ceiling, disoriented. Where is this? Am I at home sleeping? As Ellis finally showed signs of consciousness after a whole night, Easton, who had been sitting, stood up and leaned over her, asking with concern, “Are you awake? Does your head hurt? Any other discomfort?”
The familiar voice and face helped Ellis regain her senses. I wasn’t sleeping! She had gone downstairs for dinner! Then, her head felt like it had been struck, causing pain that clouded her awareness. Seeing Easton so close, her nausea intensified, and she turned her face away, unwilling to look at him.
“Why am I here? And why are you here?” Everything around her confirmed she was in a hospital room. She might have suspected Easton of hitting her, but he had never laid a hand on her. Besides, he had been trying to reconcile with her; it would be insane for him to hit her.
Ellis spoke weakly but couldn’t hide her distaste for herself. Now wasn’t the time to care about these things, though. As she turned her head, Easton followed her movements, closely observing her expression. “Victoria hired people to kidnap you to Varnesh, but my men found out in time and rescued you.”
Hearing it was Victoria’s doing, Ellis straightened up, glaring at the man close to her. “What the heck did you say to Victoria to make her take it out on me?” The last time she encountered Victoria at the supermarket, Victoria had vented her frustrations on her. What did the issues between Easton and Victoria have to do with me?
“I’m sorry.” Easton sat down, somewhat sheepishly facing her.