Chapter 105

Grace was locked in a room by the Miller family with a stranger—the family's fool. She desperately tried to remain clear-headed; escape was paramount. However, her weakened state made standing difficult. When her uncles carried her, she'd attempted to call for help, but her phone had been confiscated. Any chance of escape was gone. Why had she called Jay first? Jason, in Emerald City, was useless. And what could Jay even do? She should have called Lina, or the police… She realized, with a jolt, how reliant she'd become on Jay.

Her vision blurred. The strange man smirked and lunged. She dodged, but couldn't completely avoid him.

Outside, the Miller and Kelleigh families cheerfully settled accounts.

"Mr. Miller, we've delivered her," Grace's uncle announced. "Three hundred thousand dollars—no backing out."

"Excellent," Jeremy replied. "Once they're finished, you'll receive $300,000." He was willing to go to any lengths to ensure his son's marriage and the continuation of the Miller line.

Jeremy's wife worried aloud, "What if she tries to run?"

"Take pictures; blackmail her," the uncle suggested callously. "Lock her up. Once the baby's born, she'll be stuck. She'll be your daughter-in-law." He was only interested in the money.

"Exactly," chimed in her second uncle. "A mother won't run away. You understand, being a woman yourself."

Jeremy's wife, though still apprehensive, agreed. "But… will he… succeed? If she resists, our son…"

"She won't have the strength to resist!" her second uncle rushed to assure her.

Jeremy added, "Don't worry. I tutored my son last night. Even he knows what to do!"

Reassured, Jeremy's wife relaxed.

The four were eating and drinking in the yard when the sound of a car broke the night.

"Whose car is that, this late?" Jeremy mumbled, rising. Half-drunk, he approached the entrance and opened the door, only to be instantly stunned.

Police cars surrounded the building. Jeremy sobered up abruptly. "What… what's happening?"

Officers emerged, encircling the courtyard.

Seeing the police, Grace's uncles and Jeremy's wife were paralyzed with fear, unsure what was unfolding.

"Where's the woman you brought here?" a leading officer demanded.

They exchanged uneasy glances. Jeremy stammered, "What… woman? We don't know what you mean."

The officer didn't waste time. "Search!" The police began a thorough search of the premises.