Chapter 496: Something’s Off with His Condition

Chapter 496: Something’s Off with His Condition

David paused noticeably when he got to this point.

"I never expected this," he said, his tone thick with disgust. "To use such shameless methods... to actually snatch Bianca and pin her down like some animal!"

To him, Michael’s actions had stripped away any shred of noble dignity; he was no longer a leader of a prestigious house, but a common, despicable villain.

Andrew's expression was unreadable, his tone even calm, "It doesn't matter. The Johnson family broke the agreement. From now on, they no longer have any right to request visits with Bianca."

The weight of Andrew’s words finally clicked. David couldn't help but admire the sheer foresight behind the move.

Ever since the Johnson family kept pestering them, they'd guessed the other side might eventually resort to any means necessary.

Of course, what Andrew told Olivia wasn't just comfort. He had already steeled Bianca’s nerves, coaching her to stay calm and fearless if she ever found herself in the middle of a kidnapping.

He told Bianca that he'd hidden a tracking device in the necklace she wore.

It was really just a precaution.

Before the crisis hit, he’d taught her how to survive it. His words were her anchor—that no matter what happened, he was coming to get her.

Originally, these were preventive measures.

He never expected the Johnson family would actually do it.

Andrew had secretly feared that Bianca’s youth would betray her—that when the moment came, her promises of composure would crumble under pressure.

Until he saw her with his own eyes.

Bianca was much stronger than he'd expected.

Olivia hadn’t emerged since entering the Johnson Mansion, and Andrew’s instincts were screaming that something had gone wrong.

He wasted no time, ordering a tracking sweep on Olivia’s location. Every hit came back the same: she was still within the walls of The Johnson Mansion.

By evening, when Andrew still hadn't seen Olivia return, he immediately ordered his people to track her again.

Though it took some time, they eventually located Olivia's position.

David then asked, "Mr. Hamilton, what should we do next?"

Andrew's eyes turned cold, his expression showing no warmth as he said, "Break in."

"Alright."

David wasn’t surprised. He knew Andrew would never let anyone lay a finger on the person he cherished—not even the Johnsons could pull that off.

He first drove the car back to Maple Grove Villa to bring Bianca home.

Victoria and Vaughn had also rushed to Emerald City after they left.

They'd just arrived and were waiting for news at Maple Grove Villa.

At the sound of a car pulling into the drive, Victoria bolted from the villa without a second thought.

As she saw Bianca held tight by Andrew, the weight of the search finally broke. "My Bianca! We’ve found her at last!"

God knows how anxious she'd been all day.

She would never have forgiven herself if Bianca hadn't been found.

Vaughn scanned the group as they returned. Noting Olivia’s absence, he asked with a flicker of curiosity, "Where's Olivia? Why didn't she come back with you?"

Andrew chose transparency over secrecy, though his calm delivery acted as a shield for the family. "Listen," he said gently, "She's been detained by the Johnson family. I'm going to bring her back. Please take care of Bianca tonight. Don't worry about Olivia."

Victoria and Vaughn naturally trusted him.

Thanks to him, they were able to see Bianca so quickly.

Vaughn nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

"It's no trouble."

Andrew handed Bianca off and immediately turned his focus to the offensive. He reinforced the villa’s guards before leading a silent, grim procession toward Michael’s estate.

Late at night, Michael had already gone to bed, but the guards outside remained tight.

Short on patience, Andrew gave the order to strike.

He didn't send novices—his crew was comprised entirely of highly trained professionals.

The guards at the villa didn't expect anyone to force their way in at this hour and couldn't react in time.

By the time they realized the threat, it was too late to resist. The defensive line collapsed instantly, and the attackers were already at the door.

The commotion outside was so loud that even Michael upstairs was woken up.

He came out of his room wearing a coat, his brow deeply furrowed.

"What's going on? Why is it so noisy outside?"

Robert had also been woken up and had already learned about the situation downstairs.

He burst in to alert Michael. "Mr. Johnson, Andrew is forcing his way in. He’s definitely here for Ms. Smith."

"He's so reckless. Does he think this is Harmony City?"

Michael’s face clouded with rage. Harmony City was outside his jurisdiction, and he’d been chafing under Andrew’s shadow for far too long.

Emerald City was Michael's ground. Andrew’s arrogance here wasn't just a provocation; it was an open insult to the Johnson legacy.

His eyes lowered, his whole body radiating coldness as he said, "Go down and meet him!"

"Alright."

Robert didn't say much and pushed Michael downstairs.

Andrew's people had already fought their way through.

He walked in openly, wearing a black trench coat that made him look very sharp.

His handsome features showed no obvious expression, radiating an icy coldness.

Though he remained still, Amelia’s bodyguards sensed he was the most lethal threat in the room.

His presence was that of a monarch looking down on his subjects; one move from him would mean the end of the fight before it even began.

Seeing Andrew like this, Michael's expression grew even colder.

He questioned rudely, "What does Mr. Hamilton mean by this? Breaking into a private residence like a thief? We could call the police for this behavior."

"Call the police?"

Andrew spoke softly, slightly raising his eyes. His calm gaze swept over Michael at the stairway, his lips curling in a merciless sneer. I’m the one with a grievance, yet I’ve kept the police out of this. What makes you think you have the standing to bring them in now? Don't play the 'thief crying thief' with me. Unless you want your entire family down at the station, I suggest you drop the act."

One look at Andrew was all Michael needed to know exactly why he was there.

Tonight, Olivia was resting upstairs.

For the first time in years, the distance between them vanished, grounding Michael in an unprecedented calm.

He'd been struggling with whether to just keep Olivia here.

It was a shameless plan, but it guaranteed Olivia would be his forever.

Seeing Andrew only hardened his resolve; he had no intention of letting her go.

Besides his selfish motives, there was also his pride.

This was his domain. He wasn't about to stand by while an outsider like Andrew ran riot.

Michael’s expression darkened. "Block them," he snapped to his men. "Nobody gets through without my word."

Andrew's eyes also grew colder. "Michael, you tore up the agreement first. The Johnsons took Bianca from Harmony City without authorization. Any visitation rights you were granted are over—Olivia is revoking them now. Taking Bianca without notice is kidnapping. Plain and simple."

"Holding Olivia against her will is a felony. Hand her over now, or I'll make sure the Johnsons never recover from this..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear.

The cold, noble aura emanating from Andrew completely overwhelmed Michael.



They should have stood as equals, but the wheelchair stole his stature, leaving him to look up at a man he was meant to match.

His expression grew even colder, but he also made his position clear.

He wasn't going to let her go.

"Go ahead and try, Hamilton. But don't mistake us for easy targets—the Johnsons are a different breed. We don't go down easy."

With Michael's order, the Johnson family bodyguards stepped forward again, blocking Andrew and his people.

Andrew showed no intention of backing down. He raised his hand to signal David to continue the attack.

He was prepared to tear the place apart to take her back. To him, the Johnsons weren't a threat—they were an inconvenience he was about to bulldoze.

The downstairs brawl dragged Olivia from sleep. Her consciousness was hazy, drowned out by a persistent, tearing pain that made focusing impossible.

She wasn't sure where she was, and held her head, looking quite pale.

The noise outside continued. She looked toward the balcony, stumbled to her feet, and walked toward it.

Opening the balcony door, she held onto the railing and looked down.

The moment she stepped into view, both men—each possessing a commanding presence—snapped their gaze toward the balcony.

"Olivia!"

Andrew's cold gaze suddenly softened when he saw Olivia appear, his tone unusually gentle. "I've come to get you."

A wave of nausea swept over Olivia. She swayed unsteadily, her vision fracturing as she struggled to focus on the figures below.

Questions swirled through her mind, each more elusive than the last.

Why was he here? Where would he take her?

The effort to find answers only sent a fresh, agonizing throb through her temples.

It felt like a large hand inside her brain was tearing at her nerves, as if trying to rip something out.

Olivia couldn't control herself and hit her own head with her hands, trying to ease the pain this way.

But it was useless.

She slumped against the railing, her balance gone. From the courtyard below, her staggering silhouette looked dangerously precarious—as if she might tumble over the edge at any moment. Everyone was shocked by this.

"Olivia, don't move!"

Andrew's pupils trembled slightly as he instinctively called out.

"Olivia, what are you doing?"

Even Michael hadn’t expected this. Panic flared in his eyes, and a sharp, frantic cry escaped him as he realized how close she was to falling.

The shouts didn't reach her.

Olivia remained locked in her own world of agony, clutching her head with an expression so pained it was clear to everyone—something was terribly wrong.

Startled, David pulled Andrew’s attention back. "Mr. Hamilton, look at her! Something is seriously wrong with Ms. Smith."