Chapter 186 Perhaps I Should Let Go
Hearing Nora's crying, Steven's heart clenched. "What happened?"
"We found a real estate agent this afternoon. When we went to see the office, two people showed up. They came on two motorcycles and had us each ride on one. But that motorcycle kept heading toward a remote demolition area. I felt something was wrong and told him to stop. He wouldn't, so I hit him, and only then did he stop."
"I jumped off and hid in a breakfast shop, but Olivia disappeared. Steven, I can't reach Olivia on her phone. I'm worried they took her..." Nora's voice was tearful, panicked, and helpless.
She couldn't understand why the agents would try to kidnap them. In South City, this kind of safety issue was rare—she'd never encountered anything like it before.
Steven's face darkened. "Did you call the police?"
"Not yet. I called you right after hiding in the breakfast shop. Olivia's phone keeps going to voicemail."
Steven's voice was low and firm. "Send me your location now. I'll come get you right away. I'll report Olivia's situation to the police."
"Okay!" Nora quickly sent the location, then kept trying to call Olivia, but still couldn't get through.
Steven hung up and immediately called Clarence into his office. "Olivia's missing at Skyline Trade Center. Get people to look for her right now."
"Yes!" Clarence sprang into action.
Half an hour later, Steven followed the GPS to the breakfast shop.
Nora stood in the night with red eyes, looking especially helpless. The shop owner had been about to close, but kept the doors open for her, seeing how pitiful she looked.
"Steven!" As soon as Nora saw him, she rushed over and hugged him tight, tears streaming down again. "Did you find Olivia?"
The half-hour wait had terrified her.
"I've already called the police and sent people to look for her." Steven held her, comforting her. Then he said to the owner, "Thank you."
"It's nothing, really." The owner closed up only after they left.
"I don't know how Olivia is right now." In the car, Nora spoke in a jumble. "If we'd known these people were trouble, we never should have hired them. I can't believe agents we booked online would turn out to be criminals..."
Olivia was the most important person to her. She couldn't accept anything happening to Olivia.
Steven held her tight. "Bad people are impossible to guard against. We've done our best."
A minute later, Steven got a call from Clarence.
"Mr. York, we found Olivia. She's fine. The agents just took her phone. She's waiting for the police at Skyline Trade Center."
Steven's expression was cold. "Find those two agents for me."
"Yes!" Clarence got right on it.
Steven hung up and turned to look at Nora. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked extremely fragile.
Steven took off his jacket and draped it over her. "Olivia's fine. They just took her phone. She's still at Skyline Trade Center."
"Really?" Nora's eyes filled with hope.
"When have I ever lied to you?" Steven gently tapped her nose. "You just scared yourself. Come on, I'll take you to find Olivia."
"Okay." Hearing that Olivia was safe, Nora finally relaxed.
Thank goodness Steven was with her, or she really wouldn't have known what to do.
On the way to Skyline Trade Center, Nora kept holding Steven's hand tight. She drew strength from his presence, feeling that as long as he was by her side, she could face anything.
Steven glanced at her. "It's okay."
Nora sniffled. "I know."
When they arrived at Skyline Trade Center, Steven took Nora's hand as they got out of the car. Seeing Olivia safe and sound, Nora finally let go of her worry and rushed over to hug Olivia tight.
"Olivia, you scared me!" Nora hugged Olivia, tears flowing again.
Olivia hugged her back. "You scared me, too. When the agent took you away, I was so worried. I could only borrow a phone from someone to call the police."
"Did the police come?"
"Steven's friend got here first." Olivia glanced at Clarence. "Clarence said you were okay, so I told the police not to come."
"That agent took me to the demolition area. There wasn't a soul there—it was really scary."
"Those two agents were impostors—they're criminals posing as real estate agents. They took my phone." Olivia thought it was strange. Her phone wasn't a new model; she'd been using it for years. It wasn't worth anything. She didn't understand why they'd steal it.
Maybe they wanted her bank card, but the phone was password-protected, so they couldn't get in anyway.
The two of them talked while slowly calming down.
Then Clarence called again. He walked over to Steven with a serious expression and said quietly, "Mr. York, we caught the two agents."
"Lock them up first. I'll go see them myself tonight." Steven stood in the night, his expression cold.
He took the two women home first.
Since they'd both been frightened, they didn't cook dinner and ordered takeout instead.
After eating, Steven prepared to go out. Nora walked him to the elevator, reluctant to see him go. "Honey, be careful out there tonight."
After running into those two agents during the day, Nora was now worried about Steven's safety.
"It's fine." Steven knew what she was worried about and gently touched her head. "People like that aren't common in South City. Don't worry, I'll come back safe."
"Okay!" She nodded, looking at his face, and couldn't help standing on her toes to kiss him. "Come back early."
"Okay." Steven smiled and stepped into the elevator.
After Steven left home, he went straight to where the two agents lived.
They lived in a dirty, run-down small apartment. By now, they'd already been taught a lesson by Clarence's people. The two agents were kneeling on the ground with bruised and swollen faces.
"Mr. York, this is Olivia's phone." Clarence handed Olivia's phone to Steven. "We questioned them. They said someone gave them a hundred thousand dollars to scare Olivia and Nora."
"Did you find out who?" Steven's voice was ice-cold.
Clarence said quietly, "We checked. The money was transferred by Mr. Doyle York's first secretary."
It was obvious these two had taken Doyle's money. This was just a warning, not a real attempt to harm them. If he'd really wanted to hurt them, he definitely wouldn't have used outsiders.
Steven's brow furrowed, his expression dark.
Clarence advised, "Mr. Steven York, Mr. Doyle York is already warning Mrs. York. You should divorce Mrs. York as soon as possible."
Clarence hoped Steven would divorce Nora.
On one hand, it was for Nora's safety. On the other hand, they'd been laying the groundwork at York Development Group for three years. To abandon it now would mean all that effort was for nothing.
On the way home, Steven didn't say a word. The atmosphere was so heavy it was suffocating.
When he arrived at Riverside Apartment, it was past midnight.
The lights were all off at home. Nora and Olivia had already gone to bed.
Steven put Olivia's phone on the dining table, went to the balcony to smoke a cigarette, then slowly returned to the bedroom.
Nora was sleeping soundly, her long hair spread across the pillow, her sleeping face peaceful and beautiful.
Steven watched her quietly in the darkness.
Maybe he should let her go.
She didn't want to enter a complicated family, and he wasn't willing to give up York Development Group.
They should both return to their own lives and choose their own paths again.