Felicia’s gaze darted between Stephan and Imogen before settling on Scarlet, who looked at her knowingly. Scarlet pulled Felicia aside and whispered, “Boss, don’t you think this is aimed at you?”

Before Felicia could respond, Imogen’s phone rang. The call was from an unknown number. Imogen, still comforting the crying Caleb, was too distraught to answer. Stephan took the phone, accepted the call, and activated speaker mode.

Immediately, Johanna’s voice filled the room—soft, seemingly polite, yet dripping with malicious satisfaction. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, everyone?” Her tone was sweet and condescending, brimming with a gleeful sense of control. Then, she uttered words that froze everyone: she mentioned Felicia.

“With Felicia present, you must know Caleb has been implanted with a venomous creature. It’s irremovable. It will slowly torment him, inflicting unbearable pain until he succumbs… and dies.”

The blatant cruelty made Imogen want to reach through the phone and attack Johanna. But, given the circumstances, Imogen could only suppress her fury and ask, “What do you want?”

A mocking laugh echoed from the other end. Silence followed before Johanna spoke again, her tone eerily calm and calculated. “I want you to pay with your life. I want you to take a knife, cut yourself, and trade your life for your son’s. Are you willing?”

“Fine!” Imogen agreed instantly, her only thought being Caleb’s safety.

Johanna seemed to expect this. Without pause, she responded. It was unclear what she did, but Caleb’s cries weakened, his sobs turning into hiccups, though his face remained flushed. Soon, he fell into an exhausted sleep.

Just as Imogen felt a sliver of relief, Johanna’s voice cut through again, cold and unyielding. “This is only temporary. Felicia should know exactly what kind of venomous creature this is. It has no cure. If you want the child to survive, let Felicia take the call.”

There was no apparent problem with this request; Felicia was the only medically trained person present. Without hesitation, Imogen handed the phone to Felicia, her expression pleading.

Felicia was about to take it when a strong, slender hand intercepted, effortlessly taking the phone. It was Stephan.

Felicia turned to him, noticing his other hand deftly tapping on a tablet, entering lines of code. His clean, well-defined hand, with its visible veins and precise movements, was mesmerizingly efficient. Data streamed across the tablet screen; he was actively tracking the call.

Felicia understood: he was trying to pinpoint Johanna’s location. Forget the threats; once they found her, they would have plenty of ways to make her talk.

With that realization, Felicia decided to cooperate. She leaned in and said into the phone, “I’m listening. Go ahead.”

A moment of silence followed before Johanna’s voice returned, accompanied by an unsettling laugh. “Felicia, you should know why I’m looking for you, shouldn’t you?”

Felicia chuckled softly. Oh, she knew. Of course, she knew. This elaborate setup was clearly aimed at her.