At that moment, Stuart's fingers stopped typing on the keyboard. He looked up and said, "It's done."
Rufus got excited, and Melinda felt the knife at her neck loosen a bit. She took a deep breath and suddenly grabbed Rufus's wrist, twisting it upwards to move the knife away from her throat.
She quickly ducked under Rufus's arm, the knife grazing the edge of her ear.
Melinda felt the sharp sting of the blade cutting her skin.
She gritted her teeth as Raymond swiftly pulled her into his arms to check on her.
He growled, "Are you out of your mind?"
Melinda clutched her ear, relieved that it was still intact, with only a few thin cuts.
Both sides sprang into action almost simultaneously.
Within minutes, Raymond's bodyguards and Rufus's men were locked in a fierce brawl.
"Give me the shares, give me the contract," Rufus screamed, lunging at Stuart to grab the laptop. He only wanted the stock contract.
Stuart kicked him away, clutching the laptop tightly to his chest. Rufus roared, "Give it to me!"
Under the protection of several bodyguards, Raymond led Melinda to the car outside.
He pulled out a first aid kit and used some gauze to stop the bleeding from her ear.
His voice trembled uncontrollably, "I'm telling you again, don't do anything reckless."
This wasn't a warning; it was an order.
Just moments ago, his heart had nearly stopped.
In the back seat, Melinda appeared much calmer.
She had been terrified, afraid she might die and leave her child alone.
"Rufus is the one who kidnapped you years ago. My father died because of him too."
Melinda looked up, gripping Raymond's arm, her eyes red and pleading, "Help me get him to the police. He needs to face justice."
Raymond's eyes darkened with suspicion. He had always found the kidnapping case from years ago to be strange.
He had been too young at the time, his memories fragmented and incomplete. Rufus's subsequent actions were even more baffling, cunning and ruthless, as if hiding some unknown secret.
By the time he tried to investigate further, all the clues had been wiped clean.
"Alright, I'll make sure he gets to the police and we'll get to the bottom of your father's case."
Raymond nodded, bandaging her injured ear.
He thought she would collapse into his arms.
But Melinda just shrank back, saying nothing. Raymond forcibly pulled her close.
Seeing the wary look in her eyes, he froze, his hands suspended in mid-air.
"Please have the driver take me back to the lab first."
With that, Melinda closed the car door. Through the window, her profile was cold and distant.
Raymond's heart ached sharply.
It had only been a day.
Why did it feel like an insurmountable chasm had formed between them?
What had Rufus said to her?
Raymond glanced at Stuart, instructing him to take Melinda back to the city while he stayed behind to handle things.
Rufus hadn't expected a simple kidnapping to escalate into such a complicated situation.
Raymond's men had subdued all of Rufus's henchmen, and Rufus himself was pinned under Raymond's foot.
Raymond exuded the aura of a leader, looking down coldly at the man on the ground.
"Raymond, let me go. I'm your uncle! Your elder."
Rufus shouted, trying to use their family ties to escape.
"What did you tell Melinda? Were you the one who kidnapped me years ago?" Raymond demanded angrily.
Rufus sneered, "What does your kidnapping have to do with me? If you have proof, show it. Stop slandering me."
Raymond's gaze grew even colder. "I'll make sure you never leave prison."
For now, Melinda's kidnapping was enough to get Rufus sentenced to several years.
In the car, Rufus showed no signs of panic. He knew that even if he went to prison, he had a trump card—Celestia. As long as he could get close to Raymond and have a child with the Thomas family, the Thomas Group would eventually fall into his hands.
Melinda sat in the car, trying to call Kathy. Fortunately, Kathy had been found by a good Samaritan and taken to the hospital, where she had regained consciousness.
"Ms. Sharp, you scared me to death. I'm so glad you're okay."
Kathy's voice trembled on the other end of the line, clearly shaken.
But she had already called the police.
Melinda promised to take her out for a meal once she was discharged, as an apology.
Sitting in the back seat, Melinda's mind kept replaying Rufus's words, her emotions in turmoil.
She began to wonder if Scott's death was the Thomas family's fault.
She questioned whether Scott had been forced to save Raymond or if he had chosen to do so willingly. Either way, Scott had sacrificed his life for Raymond.
No matter what, her Scott had died because of Raymond.
Now, as Scott's daughter, Melinda had developed feelings for Raymond, and she was overwhelmed with guilt.
Stuart escorted her back to her doorstep.
"Ms. Sharp, take care," he said calmly.
"Thank you, Mr. White," Melinda replied gratefully, then closed the door.
Stuart didn't leave immediately. Raymond had instructed him to wait until he arrived.
At the police station, Rufus was detained for kidnapping. Raymond's bodyguards had recorded all the evidence, ensuring Rufus couldn't escape justice.
Raymond also requested a new investigation into the old kidnapping case, naming Rufus as a key suspect and linking it to Scott's death.
The police took it very seriously.
After leaving the police station, Raymond headed straight to Melinda's apartment.
He called William, informing him of the past events and instructing him to protect Sam at all costs.
On the other end, William was shocked and quickly went to pick up Sam from kindergarten, personally taking care of him in the days to come.
Sitting on the couch, Melinda was filled with fear and complex emotions.
From Larry's perspective, it was understandable that he would do anything to save his only grandson.
But his moment of madness had led to her tragic childhood, losing the people she loved most.
She hadn't felt such a deep longing for Scott in a long time. Tears streamed down her face as she clutched her chest, her heart pounding—the only warmth she felt.
She didn't hate anyone. All she wanted was to sever ties with the Thomas family and never see them again.
That was the only way to honor Scott's memory.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
She didn't need to guess who it was. Melinda didn't get up or open the door.
Outside, Raymond's voice carried a hint of pleading.
Melinda listened to his urgent calls, seemingly unwilling to give up, knocking a few more times.
She wiped her tears, calmed herself, and washed her face before walking to the door. When she opened it, she didn't look at the person outside. She simply said, "Leave. I don't want to see you."
Raymond's heart sank.
Whatever Rufus had told her, it couldn't have been good. Otherwise, she wouldn't be avoiding him like the plague.
"Why don't you want to see me?" Raymond asked hoarsely.
Melinda's eyes reddened. No matter who had died back then, she would have been heartbroken.
She planned to pick up Sam later and wanted to cut all ties with the Thomas family.
She just wanted to live her life with Sam, without any involvement from the Thomas family.