Chapter 296
Aiden trembled, a rare look of panic on his face. He immediately began issuing orders. “Keep an eye on Monica. Don’t let her out of your sight.”
“Keep a close watch on Monroe in prison. Monitor him 24/7.”
“Keep digging into the Mystic Sect. Also, check if there’s a boy in the orphanage where Monroe grew up who looks like him.”
“Run a DNA test between Monroe in prison and Monica.”
They all looked helpless. With every order, the tension in the room grew so thick. Everyone’s face was grim, as if a storm was about to break.
What kind of group was the Mystic Sect? Could it be that Amelia and the kids have been taken away by Monroe?
The cabin of the private jet was so quiet that one could hear the engines humming, until Kayla’s phone started ringing with a video call.
“Who is it?” Landon asked nervously.
Before Kayla could answer, he craned his neck to see the screen–it was Daniel.
“Answer it!” Landon urged, his impatience obvious. He was practically jumping out of his seat, and Kayla was just as eager. With Amelia and the kids missing together, she was so scared she could cry.
“Kayla, I have some bad news…” Daniel began. But the moment he caught sight of Landon’s grim face, he immediately clammed up.
Landon’s heart was already in his throat. “Just say it!”
“Alright,” Daniel said, taking a deep breath. “Amy and the kids are gone.”
The already tense atmosphere in the cabin was electrified–everyone sat there as if they’d just been struck by lightning. After a brief, stunned silence, Landon and Kayla nearly lost their minds.
“Daniel, what are you talking about? How could they just disappear when they had bodyguards with them? The bodyguards’ phones are still connected…” Landon demanded.
“Landen’s smartwatch has a GPS tracker–did you try tracking him with it or not?” Kayla pressed.
Daniel rubbed his forehead. “Landen’s smartwatch was left behind at the mall. The bodyguards said they blacked out for no reason, and when they came to, they were already on the ground.”
“The whole thing happened right outside the Kingsley Group mall. I checked all the surveillance cameras but came up empty.”
“Passed out for no reason…” Landon muttered to himself.
Chapter 796
When Monroe paused time, he’d be frozen too, unable to do anything. So the one stirring up trouble in Norava was definitely Monroe. Landon was so frustrated that he wanted to smack himself. He’d calculated everything, but never expected Monroe to pull off a clone technique.
“As long as it’s Monroe, that’s enough,” Aiden said calmly. “Monica is his weakness–that gives us a fighting chance.”
Landon fell silent.
Kayla gently squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry, Monroe really cares about Landen. With Landen there, Amelia will be safe too.”
But just thinking about his wife and his son made Landon’s heart twist with pain. Not even a little bit of comfort. Landen was a child of the Kyle family, so as his great-uncle, Monroe would naturally go easy on him. But as for Amelia and Kimsey, he was afraid Monroe would take his revenge on them.
“What can I do on my end?” Daniel asked.
Landon felt completely lost. His wife and son were his greatest weakness. That’s why Monroe would rather leave Monica in prison for now, just to kidnap Amy and Amelia. If Monroe really demanded ‘a life for a life,’ Landon knew he wouldn’t be able to make that choice. Until he rescued his wife and son, he’d be completely at Monroe’s control.
“Go find Joanna,” Kayla said in a low voice. “And keep a close watch on Gloria and her daughter too.”
“Alright,” Daniel replied. After hanging up the video call, he turned to Maisie. “Has Joanna reached out to you lately?”
“No, but since this involves her, I’ll go find her,” Maisie said, brushing off some imaginary dust from her suit jacket. “I won’t go easy on her just because we’re close.”
“I know this isn’t easy for you,” Daniel said, patting Maisie’s shoulder, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions.
Truth be told, Daniel was pretty busy himself. Edith had run off right before their wedding, pregnant with his child. He’d planned to give her some space to cool off, and once Gloria was free from the charm poison, he’d go find Edith. But now, it looked like that plan was going to be put on hold again. He just hoped Edith would understand and wait for him…
In Pinecrest, Edith sat by the window of a café, cradling her juice in her hands, quietly watching the world go by outside.
Chapter 296
After everything, she always found herself back here. It seemed like every time she fell out with Daniel, this was the only place she could come to heal her wounds alone. The whole world was so big, but everywhere else just felt too strange. She hated that. In Pinecrest, she felt relaxed and safe. Especially on those gentle, breezy nights, when the streetlights and the soft glow from the little shops made everything feel so warm and tender, it seemed to heal most of the hurt in her heart.
“Miss, we’re about to close,” the waiter said gently as he walked over.
Edith paused, checked the time, then gave a small smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you.”
“It’s no trouble at all. You’re welcome to come back tomorrow,” the waiter replied.
“Alright,” Edith said. She finished her juice and took her time leaving the café. The night breeze brushed against her face, just a little chilly. She pulled her coat tighter, subtly covering her already noticeable baby bump, and whispered gently, “Baby, what do you think Daddy is doing right now?”
She was only three months along, and the baby’s kicks were still too tiny to feel. There was no way her little one could answer her yet.
Across the street, under the glow of a streetlight, a woman in heavy disguise stood watching Edith and her baby bump from across the busy road, separated by the stream of hurrying passersby.
‘Edith? Is she pregnant?”
The breeze played with the hems of her coat, but Edith had already melted into the surging crowd.
The woman took off her mask, revealing her face.
It was Joanna.