Chapter 404 A Bold Attempt
Dalton nodded, noticing the gloom that had settled over Meryl recently. He hated to see her like this and realized that keeping her confined was only making things worse. He understood her passion for the cello, and he played the piano himself. They had that artistic connection, which was more than he could say for Chandler, who had grown up on a farm with no musical background.
Dalton was confident that his artistic sensibilities were far superior to Chandler’s. Going to the concert together could be a great opportunity to bridge the gap between him and Meryl. The concert hall was a gathering of sophisticated individuals, and he wanted to be by her side to prove that he was the right man for her.
After he gave her the green light to attend the concert, the atmosphere between them shifted. For the next few days, they got along much better. Meryl was looking forward to the concert, seeing it as a chance to interact with the outside world and maybe even a chance to escape.
As the days went by, her appetite improved, and Dalton felt…
One night, as Meryl lay asleep, a soft smile appeared on her face, as if she were dreaming of the freedom that awaited her. The night outside was dark and quiet, but Dalton’s gaze held a storm of emotions as he watched her. He gently brushed his fingers over her cheek, his voice barely a whisper. “Meryl, do you really want to leave me that much?”
In her dreams, Meryl was blissfully unaware, imagining herself breaking free. As Dalton stepped out of the room, a bodyguard waiting in the living room reported, “Sir, I’ve set up surveillance around the concert hall, just like you asked. Ms. Stone won’t be able to meet anyone else tomorrow.”
Dalton nodded, satisfied. If he was letting Meryl go out, he had to keep a close watch on her. For the last couple of days, while pretending to enjoy their time together, he had been working quietly behind the scenes. He asked, “What’s my uncle been up to lately?” Since he had shaken off Chandler with Zane’s help, things had been suspiciously quiet on that front.
Dalton felt that something was off. He expected Chandler to call the moment he learned Meryl was with him, yet his phone had remained silent. “It looks like he’s on a business trip and doesn’t seem concerned about Ms. Stone’s disappearance.”
Dalton frowned, sensing something was off. Deep down, he suspected Chandler was plotting something. This trip felt more like a convenient cover, a distraction to throw him off the scent. “Keep an eye on his place. If he comes anywhere near the concert hall tomorrow, I want to know immediately.”
The bodyguard nodded, acknowledging the urgency of the order. As the night deepened, Meryl pressed her ear against the door, straining to hear the conversation. She had woken the moment Dalton left her room, and the thought of escaping tomorrow weighed heavily on her.
About an hour later, once all the lights in the villa had gone out, she knew it was time to act. She crept into Dalton’s bedroom, her heart racing with a mix of fear and determination. Earlier, she had noticed him checking emails on his phone, and she remembered Chandler’s number. She needed to reach out for help.
Moving carefully, she spotted the phone lying beside Dalton’s pillow, still plugged into its charger. This was her first time attempting something like this, and she was terrified of waking him. But just as she unplugged the phone, Dalton’s eyes snapped open in the darkness…