เข้าสู่ระบบHer contacts with Andrew and Pete are careful enough. Nobody will trace it back to her.Then a voice sounded outside the door.“Gillian, open up. I know you’re in there.”Hearing Eric, Gillian froze for a second, then pressed her lips together and stayed silent.“Gillian, can we talk about us?” Eric forced himself to stay calm and patient. He kept calling, but there was no answer from inside. Andrew and the others went tense.Gillian, meanwhile, convinced herself it was a trick. Of course Eric was saying that for Nora’s sake, she told herself.Nora on the floor was at the end of her strength. Pain ran through her whole body. She felt feverish and dizzy. Even the blows Gillian had dealt felt dull and distant. Sounds blurred until Nora couldn’t tell if she was awake or slipping away.Then she heard Eric’s voice again, steady and certain. In that moment she didn’t doubt he was there to save her. Whatever he was saying outside, it had to be to help her.Gillian kept silent, waverin
“If we barge in recklessly, we could put the victim at risk,” the officer said.“If you can help us keep them occupied for a little while, the chances of rescuing her safely go up.”He looked at Eric and added, “Of course, there’s risk involved.”Eric didn’t hesitate. “It’s fine. It started because of me, so I should be the one to help.”The abandoned factory reeked of cheap kerosene. Gillian was already pacing, irritation written all over her face. She’d intended to teach Nora a lesson, to make her stop hanging around Eric. Now that Nora was in their hands, Gillian wasn’t sure what to do next. If she let Nora go now, she might not get another chance. Could she trust Nora to stay away from Eric for good? Probably not. But keeping her here indefinitely was miserable too.She pulled out a compact and a makeup bag and tried to touch up her face. After two quick swipes she felt even more uncomfortable. She threw the mirror against Nora in a fit of rage.Gillian hadn’t washed her ha
A few sealed waterproof bags arrived, each with a label. Nora’s phone was inside one of them.The tech team had already started cracking the phone, looking for any clue in her calls and messages. But the kidnappers were careful. They’d used untraceable prepaid SIMs and taken other steps to hide themselves.Eric scanned the items once, then froze when something small caught his eye. A decorative pearl had fallen into view. He stared at it for a long moment. The officer across from him noticed his reaction and asked, “Is there something about this?”“It looks familiar.” Eric rubbed his chin, thinking.The officer kept talking. “We found it at the scene. Compared with the surrounding dusty items, this one is much newer. We had our lab take a look. The pearl is genuine. It’s not top-shelf jewelry, but it’s good quality for a garment accessory.”Eric stared at the pearl until images started to form in his head. “Wait,” he said, pulling up his phone and searching a few keywords. A small
A battered, unlicensed van rattled into the courtyard.Andrew and his men pulled a black hood over Nora’s head and gagged her tightly before tying her up from head to toe.Seeing her completely restrained, Gillian finally felt the rush of satisfaction she’d been craving. The fury she’d been holding in for days finally began to ease.“Miss Lawson, this place isn’t safe. We should leave now,” Andrew said, his face full of sycophantic smiles as he gestured toward the van.The inside of the van reeked, an unbearable stench of oil, sweat, and old metal. Gillian’s nose wrinkled in disgust.“Where’s the sedan from earlier? I’m not sitting in this thing.”When she’d come, Andrew had arranged a stolen sedan, one less likely to be traced. It wasn’t as comfortable as her usual luxury cars, but it had at least been tolerable.Andrew’s grin tightened. “Come on, Miss Lawson, don’t be difficult. We’ve got someone to move this time, and the van’s just more practical.”“If we split into two car
Seeing how far gone Gillian was, ranting like a madwoman, Nora realized there was no point in trying to reason with her anymore.She closed her eyes and let out a faint, silent laugh, the corner of her lips curling in quiet defiance.That reaction was the exact opposite of what Gillian expected. She had assumed Nora, after being lured and trapped, would be terrified—crying, begging, and completely broken.But instead, this woman had not only fooled Andrew and his men but had almost managed to escape.Now that she was caught again, with no way out, she still had the nerve to act so calm, even mocking.The sight made Gillian’s blood boil. Her voice rose, shrill with fury.“No matter what happens, I’ll always be better than you!“I’m smarter, prettier, more capable, and yet Eric still chooses to stay by your side!“I don’t even know what disgusting tricks you used to keep him!”Nora slowly opened her eyes. The cold light in them carried a hint of scorn.“That’s all in your head,
Almost there. Just a little more.If she could get over the wall, there were several narrow paths beyond it. Once she got out, Andrew would have a hard time finding her.Shards of glass glinted along the top of the wall.Every movement sent pain shooting through Nora’s body, but she didn’t dare stop. Not even for a second.Gillian hated her too much.If Nora fell back into their hands, she couldn’t imagine what they’d do to her.The glass tore through her clothes, slicing her skin. Her legs stung from the cuts, but she forced herself on. She was straddling the wall now. One more push, one jump, and she’d be free.Then came the sound of footsteps, fast, heavy, and close.“There she is!” Andrew’s voice rang out, sharp with excitement. “Knew she couldn’t have gone far!”Gillian’s tense shoulders loosened when she saw Nora. She’d spent days setting this trap, all to lure Nora here and make her suffer. Letting her escape would have made it all for nothing.Her lip curled in disgus







