Chapter 7

At the beginning of the following month, Jaxon arrived at the Zimmerman family villa with the invitation Yvonne had given him.

To his surprise, Yvonne was there, too.

She wore a custom-made evening gown. Her icy gaze swept over him from head to toe. “You actually came? Can’t wait to find yourself another rich woman to support you?”

She leaned closer and whispered in his ear with a cruel smile. “Everyone knows I’ve already had my fun with you. What rich heiress would want you now?”

Jaxon shot her a sideways glance. “Thanks to you, everyone knows I know how to please a woman. Your friends can’t wait to get their hands on me.”

Yvonne’s expression slightly changed. She grabbed the hem of his jacket and gritted her teeth.

“This is no place for you. If you’re really that desperate for money, I’ll give you more. Enough to keep you comfortable for the rest of your life. Now leave. Right now.”

Jaxon had a feeling that Yvonne knew something he did not.

“Yvonne, do you know something—”

“Yvonne!” Yulian’s voice rang out.

He hurried over, hooked his arm through hers, and pulled her away from Jaxon. “You promised me you’d have nothing more to do with him.”

Yvonne stiffened. “Yulian, I…”

His expression darkened. He turned and walked away.

Yvonne immediately chased after him, but she could not help glancing back at Jaxon. Her eyes held a mix of emotions.

There was even a hint of pleading beneath the warning in her gaze.

Once they were gone, Jaxon breathed a sigh of relief.

He did not want them getting in his way.

He quietly surveyed his surroundings. When no one was looking, he slipped onto the staircase that led to the top floor.

At the landing, two burly bodyguards stood guard in front of a heavy wooden door with elaborate carvings.

That only made things more suspicious. What could possibly be inside that required such tight security?

Jaxon pretended to be drunk and staggered toward them.

He was tall and well-dressed, so the guards did not stop him right away. One of them simply raised a hand.

“Sir, please stop here.”

Jaxon flicked his wrist, and a tranquilizer dart struck the man in the side of the neck.

The other guard stared at him in shock and opened his mouth to shout for help. Before he could make a sound, Jaxon struck the back of his neck with a swift, precise chop.

Both men collapsed without a sound.

Jaxon quickly searched one of them for a key, unlocked the heavy door, and slipped inside.

What he saw sent a chill down his spine.

Handcuffs. Whips. Iron cages.

There was also a massive screen.

He switched on the projector, and footage appeared on the screen.

Harsh white lights. Twisted bodies. Desperate cries. Frantic, depraved laughter.

At last, he understood.

This so-called gala was a hunting ground where one innocent girl after another fell victim to the guests’ cruelty.

Before midnight, it was just an ordinary gathering of the wealthy and powerful.

After midnight, Anna would invite her carefully selected members upstairs to abuse the helpless young women.

With things carried out on such a scale, it was inevitable that some victims would die.

Those without powerful connections were disposed of in haste, and their families were paid off.

Those with influential connections, such as actresses, had their deaths disguised as suicides or accidents to fool the public.

Anna had also recorded the abuse. The footage was probably meant not only to excite the guests but also to keep them under her control. That way, she could use their secrets to help the Zimmerman family gain even more wealth and power.

This was only the tip of the iceberg.

A criminal operation on this scale had to involve a vast drug supply network and a complex money-laundering operation.

Jaxon steadied himself and copied the evidence.

He had to get it out of there.

He could not let the Zimmerman family continue to get away with their crimes.

Once he had copied everything, he hurried out of the room.

But the moment he opened the door, an alarm blared.

Anna must have discovered the break-in.

Jaxon rushed downstairs, only to find that every exit from the ballroom had been sealed off.

The guests began whispering in alarm, and the room descended into chaos.

Anna appeared at the top of the grand staircase and raised her voice.

“Everyone, please remain calm. A priceless antique has gone missing. We must temporarily seal off the estate and search everyone before the item can leave the premises.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Yulian pointed straight at Jaxon from the crowd.

“It’s him! I’ve been watching him all evening. I saw him sneak upstairs with my own eyes. He must have stolen it!”

Every eye in the room turned toward Jaxon.

“Isn’t he the guy Ms. Sawyer used to keep as her boy toy? Has he resorted to stealing now?”

“She dumped him. He must be desperate.”

“I heard Ms. Sawyer gave him a huge breakup settlement. Is he still that hard up for cash? Maybe he’s gotten involved in something shady.”

The whispers grew louder. Disdain, curiosity, and cruel amusement filled the faces around him.

Anna fixed her cold gaze on Jaxon, and a sly smile curled her lips.

“Mr. Wilder?”

Yvonne was also watching him from the crowd. Her expression was complicated, but in the end, she let out a disappointed sigh.

“Jaxon, if you needed money, you could have asked me. Why did you have to resort to this?”

Anna slowly approached him. Her eyes fixed on him like a snake that had cornered its prey.

“Hand it over, Mr. Wilder. You know how important it is to me.”

Jaxon calmly met her gaze and patted the pocket of his suit jacket.

“I didn’t take anything. Go ahead and search me if you don’t believe me.”

Anna narrowed her eyes and reached toward his pocket.

In a flash, Jaxon slipped his other hand inside his jacket and pulled out a compact pistol.

He pressed the barrel firmly against Anna’s forehead.

He straightened his back and spoke in a clear, icy voice. “Anna, you’re under arrest.”

At that very moment, the villa’s front doors burst open.

Fully armed police officers rushed inside and quickly took control of the room.

The team leader strode up to Jaxon, stood at attention, and saluted.

“Officer Wilder, the special operations unit is in position. Awaiting your orders.”