Chapter 232

Chapter 232

"Mr. Hamilton, there's a call for you."

Edward clenched his fists, disbelief etched on his face. The technician quickly reminded him, snapping him back to reality.

Edward pressed the call button, half-expecting a prank. But the silence on the other end felt deliberate.

He knew it had to be Victoria.

He muted his side of the call, afraid any noise might tip off the kidnappers.

The line was clear, but no one spoke.

The technician nodded, satisfied. "Great, the location's accurate. It's in the ruins on the north side of town."

They had worried the kidnappers might have taken Victoria's phone to throw them off. But now, with the call coming through, even without words, it confirmed she was using it herself.

As time passed, various noises began to filter through the call.

Edward's grip tightened.

He heard a car door open, a man curse, and then the sound of someone being dragged out, followed by Victoria's gasp. Edward felt a murderous rage.

Victoria hadn't wanted to make a sound; she didn't want Edward to worry. But she couldn't help it.

Her mouth was gagged, so her cries were muffled.

She sighed in relief, but the next moment, she was dragged along, her clothes tearing and her skin scraping against the rough ground.

Victoria struggled to open her eyes and saw the man who had pretended to be sick. To her surprise, another man with him was Samuel.

Victoria suddenly understood. From the moment this man found her, it had all been a trap.

Seeing Victoria awake, the man took out the nurse's phone and said to Samuel, "This bitch is clever, trying to gather evidence."

He sounded like he was praising her, but then he smashed the phone to the ground.

"Let's see what you can record now."

The phone shattered.

Victoria watched as their evidence was destroyed, feeling a pang of disappointment but also a bit of relief.

The man seemed to think the phone was hers and didn't notice her phone still in her hand, already dialing an emergency number.

The man's drugs had initially knocked out Victoria. But after years with Lenora, she had developed some resistance, so she woke up halfway, though her strength hadn't fully returned.

She had managed to press the emergency contact button secretly.

Victoria wasn't sure if the call had gone through. If it had, someone as smart as Edward would surely understand her situation.

After smashing the phone, the man turned to Samuel, rubbing his hands together, and cautiously asked, "Samuel, I've brought her here. Can I..."

He trailed off with a smile.

Samuel's expression was grim. He squinted, pulled out some cash, and threw it at the man's feet. "Got it. Now get lost."

The man hesitated before picking up the money.

Victoria observed his expressions and actions closely. Something felt off. Given Samuel's attitude, he must have promised the man something significant to capture her. But the man didn't seem very interested in the money.

If she wasn't mistaken, there were only two possibilities.

One, the man wasn't short on money, which seemed unlikely given his appearance and behavior. They had clearly targeted her for money.

So, the only explanation was that someone else had offered more.

In fact, she was right. The man was eager to leave because he was waiting to get money from Thalia.

Samuel's payment didn't matter to him.

And Thalia wasn't as troublesome as Samuel, who insisted on having Victoria brought to him.

The man felt indignant just thinking about it.

As he left, he glanced back at Victoria, silently wishing her luck.

He had agreed to Samuel's request not for the money but because Samuel was too dangerous. He couldn't imagine what Samuel would do to Victoria once he left.

He didn't dare think about it, fearing he might hesitate. He left without looking back.

Samuel, seeing the man leave, sneered, "How should I address you? Mrs. Hamilton? Or Dr. Neville?"

"I heard you've been officially hired at the hospital?" Samuel asked deliberately.

Victoria sneered. "Why ask when you already know? Does it matter if I'm officially hired? I don't dare treat anyone now."

Samuel smirked. "Really? That's quite an achievement."

Victoria didn't want to engage with him.

Samuel wasn't pleased. "What's with the attitude? Do you really think Edward will come to save you?"

"I heard you were just a trade for Edward. Do you think he has any real feelings for you?" Samuel's smile was sinister.

Victoria found it amusing. Despite her injuries, she shook her head and said, "I always wondered how someone could be as bad at medicine as you."

"Now I get it. You're so bad because you spend your time gossiping instead of studying medicine. What skills could you possibly have?" Victoria didn't hide her disdain.

Samuel, already angry, was now furious and speechless.

"You... you... damn it..."

He was livid. He didn't think his medical skills were lacking. Over the years, he had treated many wealthy clients under the guise of being Anouk's student, without any issues.

If it weren't for Victoria, he wouldn't be in this mess.

Samuel thought about how he should be enjoying a vacation but was now hiding, fearing Edward's men would catch him.

It was all Victoria's fault.

He didn't plan to let her live, but before killing her, he wanted her to suffer as he had.