Chapter 51
The news hit like a bomb thrown into a peaceful lake, sending ripples of shock in all directions.
Ethan rose from his seat in a rush, nearly tripping over the sofa. “Where? Where is she?”
Dominick, though silent, couldn’t hide the turmoil in his deep eyes. His grip on the sofa arm tightened.
His first reaction to the news wasn’t just happiness but also nervousness.
He was scared, fearing hearing some bad news, unsure if he could bear the strain of this month– long search.
His gaze instinctively sought out Henry’s expression for clues.
Henry, too, had been searching for a whole month, and his eyes couldn’t conceal his excitement.
Dominick breathed a sigh of relief. He knew it must be good news.
“Mr. Sinclair asked me to investigate the mental hospital, and finally, in a small county town 60 miles from here, we found her!”
Henry’s voice couldn’t hide his sense of achievement. “We’ve located her! At last, Mrs. Sinclair has been found! She’s under heavy guard now. After some digging, we’ve confirmed it’s indeed Ms. Mitchell!
“I was told that when they discovered Mrs. Sinclair, she seemed deeply traumatized, like she had suffered some shock, so she was taken to the mental hospital. The head of the hospital thought she
was a regular patient and planned to contact her family once Mrs. Sinclair regained consciousness.
“By sheer luck, they spotted our missing person notice and got in touch with our search team in the area!”
Ethan grew more excited as he listened, thinking that Lola’s physical condition must be okay now.
“That’s wonderful news! How is she doing mentally? If she hasn’t recovered, we’ll bring Heather with us!”
Henry spoke excitedly. “She’s stable now, finally calming down, but the doctor says the shock has slowed her reactions and she doesn’t remember your contact details. That’s why she hasn’t reached out yet.”
Ethan couldn’t wait to see Lola.
The anxiety of the past month was nearly unbearable. Now that Lola was safe, it felt like a miracle, a stroke of incredible luck!
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go now!”
Ethan glanced back at Dominick, and then he realized that Dominick hadn’t said a word all the time.
Something was off.
Ethan looked at him curiously. “What‘
Don’t you happy about this news?”
going on? We’ve been searching for Layla together for so long. I know you care about her.
Although Dominick was always composed and rarely showed much emotion, it was not proper to be so indifferent when he knew! the news of Lola.
Dominick’s deep eyes held a complex mix of emotions as he slightly furrowed his brow, looking up at Ethan,
“She is 60 miles away. Don’t you think it’s weird?”
Ethan was brimming with excitement. He couldn’t think of anything but the joy of seeing Lola again.
But now, hearing Dominick’s words, he let his rationality return.
“You mean…”
Dominick narrowed his eyes slightly. “When Lola was missing, she has gone crazy about that video. In such a state, how could she possibly have ended up 60 miles away?
“If someone had intentionally taken her, why abandon her where she’d be easily found by a mental hospital?”
Ethan’s face turned sullen, his joy replaced by grave concern. “You make a point.”
Dominick continued, “And we still haven’t found out who released the video. With our resources, tracking the source of the video
shouldn’t be hard..
“This mean the video wasn’t leaked accidently, and the person who released it is not an ordinary person.”
Ethan clicked his tongue. “Yeah, now you mentioned it, that’s a good point.”
He furrowed his brows and clenched his teeth. “Whoever it is, if they tried to do something bad to Layla, I won’t let them off easily!”
Henry, who had worked closely with Dominick for years, quickly caught on to what they were talking about.
“What’s our next move? What if this be a setup, a trap they’re baiting us into?”
Ethan looked towards Dominick as if waiting for his decision.
“Trap or not, we trust our own. If they’ve spotted Lola, then it’s got to be her. And whether this is a trap…”
Dominick’s eyes darkened as if making a certain decision. “If Lola is there, I’m going in, even there is a trap.”
Ethan nodded in agreement. “That’s more like it. Let’s set off now!”
Together with dozens of bodyguards, they headed straight for the small town.
By the time they arrived, it was already afternoon.
The town there was starkly different from Talondria. It was not very populous and had ordinary buildings. It seemed unremarkable, nothing out of the ordinary.
“This place seems normal. Why would anyone choose this place to set a trap?” Ethan studied his surroundings, finding nothing that stood out. Everything was plain.
16:14
INU, ZV JU
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Dominick, ever alert, surveyed the area with a penetrating calm. “The more ordinary a place, the easier it is for people to let down their guard. It’s a perfect setting for a scheme.”
Ethan didn’t realize when it started, but he had come to trust Dominick.
Their month together had cultivated a rare understanding between them. Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
Just one glance at each other, and they understood what the other was thinking.
“First, go to the psychiatric hospital to find Lola. Henry, keep your men in low. Protect her from the shadows and step in if anything seems off.”
Dominick organized his men and went to the hospital with Ethan.
The psychiatric hospital was located in a secluded area, surrounded by an abundance of trees but few buildings.
However, its decoration was strikingly out of place compared to the rest of the small county town.
While other parts of the town were unremarkable, the hospital’s luxurious decor was unmistakable.
The main gate was 10 feet tall and adorned with a golden lion’s head on the door. On either side of the gate stood a rare species of tree. These trees were uncommon, and Dominick’s only memory of this species was its expense.
It was pretty odd that even the trees at the entrance of a small town’s psychiatric hospital were extravagant.
“Be careful.” Dominick looked at Ethan in confusion and caution.
Ethan responded with a subtle nod, a sharp alertness flickering in his eyes. He also sensed something out of place.
The two made their way inside without any hindrance, noticing there was not a single guard at the entrance.
“Hello, who is this?”