Chapter 223: There Are Quite a Few Tails in the Dark
"James is living it up abroad. Being good-looking sure has its perks—he's always surrounded by beautiful women, and they're lining up to spend money on him!" The detective's smile was loaded with meaning.
Bianca knew that someone like James, who could be so easily sweet-talked by her, was likely to fall for other women’s charms too. But she hadn't expected him to find someone else so quickly. Did that mean she wasn’t attractive enough?
This was something Bianca couldn’t tolerate. Her extreme anger gave way to a chilling calm—like the calm before a storm.
"Fine, I get it. If you hear anything else like this, let me know right away. I want to know exactly where he is and what he's up to. As long as the info's good, I'll make sure you're well paid," Bianca replied, her eyes cold and composed.
The detective chuckled, a bit cheeky, "As long as the money's good, here's to a fruitful partnership!"
Bianca hung up and soon received James's address. James had been sent abroad by Daniel and wouldn’t be back anytime soon. She planned to finish the competition here, make a name for herself, gain some leverage, and then confront James. She believed that once James saw how successful she was, he would regret leaving her.
Pushing her emotions aside, Bianca began researching the big shots in her circle. She wanted to keep James hooked but was also preparing a backup plan, so she needed to find another valuable man.
Just as she was engrossed in her research, her phone buzzed with a text message. Assuming it was just another spam message, she almost ignored it until she caught a glimpse of Emily's name.
She quickly opened the message from an unknown number: "Emily's back in the country!"
Bianca frowned. Who sent this message? She tried calling the number, but it had already been disconnected. "So secretive, who knows if it's true?"
Aiden had assured her that Emily would be under surveillance and she would be notified immediately if Emily returned. Bianca hesitated, wondering if she should ask Aiden for an update.
Meanwhile, the message was indeed true. Emily and Daniel had returned. Emily needed to access her villa's underground lab for her medications, despite knowing many were watching her every move. She had no choice but to return to the villa.
Fortunately, York and Leopard were sharp. They noticed the surveillance and were ready to act. "Don't alert anyone else. Capture them and I'll deal with it later," Emily instructed, focused on Daniel's condition.
Daniel was pale but his strong will kept him conscious. Emily, both impressed and concerned, reminded him, "To avoid suspicion, you need to walk from the car to the villa with me."
Though exhausted, Daniel agreed without hesitation. As he tried to get up, he almost fell back, but Emily caught him just in time. With immense willpower, Daniel managed to get out of the car. Emily, close and supportive, helped him appear more natural as they entered the villa.
Oddly, the villa was empty. Atticus and Sofia's absence wasn’t unusual, but Violette and Liam being gone gave Emily an uneasy feeling. Despite her concerns, she had to focus on the immediate task.
Once inside, Daniel collapsed onto Emily, who struggled but managed to get him to the couch. His training kept him alert despite his condition. "Hang in there, stay awake for a few more minutes. I’ll get your medication!" Emily hurried to the lab, her actions swift and practiced.
"Finally!" she exclaimed, relieved as she grabbed the finished medication and rushed back upstairs. "Daniel, wake up! Take this and it’ll counteract the poison!" she called out, fearing he had lost consciousness.
Daniel, barely conscious, forced his eyes open at Emily’s urgent voice. "I’m... okay," he muttered, still trying to reassure her.
Even in such a state, his attempt to comfort her was touching. Emily, naturally kind-hearted, couldn’t help but feel moved. But she had no time for emotions now. "Good, take this!" she said, placing the pill at his lips. Her fingers brushed his lips, cold and soft. The touch seemed to revive him slightly.
"Open your mouth," she commanded. Daniel, surprisingly obedient, complied like a chastened child. Emily successfully got him to swallow the pill, which dissolved quickly. His Adam's apple bobbed, confirming he had taken it.
The medication worked fast. Daniel's color improved visibly. Emily, relieved, finally relaxed. York and Leopard entered, dragging two captives, but they looked troubled.
"Ms. Johnson, we caught two, but one got away. Apologies for our failure," York said, looking ashamed. Leopard remained silent, equally embarrassed.
"Escaping from you two means they’re skilled. We can still get useful information from these two," Emily reassured them. Leopard, though still downcast, explained, "These two don’t seem to be working with the one who escaped."
Emily frowned, realizing the escaped one must be backed by someone powerful. But she set that aside for now. "Lock these two in that room," she instructed York, pointing to a small room.
Turning to Leopard, she asked, "Check with Zander, where are they now?" They had split up after landing to avoid detection, each taking separate cars.