Chapter 939: The Most Worrisome Thing

Oscar was on high alert in the heavily guarded Capital castle. Numerous guards and reconnaissance troops worked tirelessly to locate Lillian. Two days of reviewing surveillance footage yielded no leads, though Oscar knew Lillian was adept at evasion, having easily bypassed Una Wells' micro-tracking device.

"Commander," the guard troop leader said, concerned by Oscar's relentless work, "you should rest."

Two days had passed without sleep for Oscar. While others rotated shifts, he refused to rest, meticulously scrutinizing the surveillance footage.

"Where's Theodore?" he asked, noticing the Captain's absence.

"Captain left this morning and hasn't returned," a guard reported.

Oscar nodded absently, his intense focus blurring everything but the need to remain vigilant. He believed that as long as Lillian existed within their reach, they would find her; it was merely a matter of time.

He remained focused until Theodore's return. Theodore's grave expression, his heavy steps, spoke volumes before he even reached Oscar. No one dared interrupt his silent approach.

"Commander has been looking for you," a guard announced as Theodore entered.

Theodore sat beside Oscar, who remained engrossed in the video feeds. Theodore's distraction was palpable, unlike anything seen since Lillian and Una Wells' disappearance.

"Oscar," Theodore finally said after a long pause.

"Hmm?" Oscar, anticipating a plea for rest, responded.

"Hannah…" Theodore hesitated.

The name agitated Oscar, though his expression remained unchanged.

"...is back," Theodore finished, shocking Oscar.

Oscar finally looked up, recognizing the gravity of Theodore's demeanor. "Hannah is back in the Capital. I brought her back," Theodore confessed.

Though unexpected, Oscar understood Theodore's motivation. Fear of facing Una Wells had driven him to bring Hannah back; he'd prepared for the worst, as had Oscar. However, Oscar believed Lillian wouldn't have died without contacting him; she wouldn't have succumbed to misery without voicing her pain. Hope remained.

"But I lost her," Theodore murmured, disappointment evident in his tone.

Oscar's tired eyes sharpened, fixing intently on Theodore. Theodore, anticipating anger, hadn't foreseen Hannah's actions. His voice trembled as he explained, "I've sent people to look for her, but they haven't found her yet."

Theodore believed Hannah's departure stemmed from a desire to avoid Oscar, and that Oscar's anger arose from Hannah's perceived unforgiveness. He hadn't planned to reveal this, the secret weighing heavily on him.

Just as Oscar was about to respond, a voice interrupted, "Commander! We've received a signal from Madam's phone."

Oscar sprang up, a similarly anxious Theodore close behind.

"The signal originated from the base station," the reconnaissance soldier explained. "Madam's phone was used there."

"Lock down the location! Send someone there immediately!" Theodore ordered.

"Yes, sir."

Oscar remained silent, knowing Lillian wouldn't wait for them in the same place.

"What did she do after turning on her phone?" Oscar asked.

"She received a message," the team confirmed.

"Retrieve all received messages!"

Ten minutes later, the team presented the information. Most were messages from Oscar, but one stood out.

Oscar's voice trembled. "Retrieve all information related to that last message's phone number, NOW!"

Five minutes later, the information arrived. "Commander, it's a new card, sold to a woman in her twenties around 6 pm at X Store."

"Retrieve surveillance footage from that store!" Oscar's voice was anxious, trembling.

This was only the second time Oscar had panicked so severely since Lillian's disappearance, and he seemed even more flustered than before. Theodore sensed something was wrong, unable to comprehend Oscar's agitation.

The footage revealed a familiar figure, sending a shock through Oscar. It was Hannah. She had contacted Lillian Collins.

Theodore's earlier revelation about Hannah's return and disappearance had foreshadowed this moment. Now, Oscar felt certain of Hannah's actions: her return wasn't to be with Oscar, but to negotiate with Lillian, to save Una Wells herself.

Hannah knew Lillian's hatred, making another confrontation highly probable.

Oscar's eyes reddened with exhaustion. His greatest fear had been realized.