The bodyguard stepped up and tied Raymond's hands with a rope.
"Mr. Thomas!" Sam broke free from the bodyguard's grip and ran to Raymond.
Raymond crouched down and gently wiped the blood off Sam's face with his free hand. "Hey, buddy, don't cry. I'm okay."
But Sam clung tightly to his neck, sobbing. "Mr. Thomas, I don't want them to take you away. You promised to help me find Mommy."
Raymond's heart softened, and his eyes reddened slightly.
He gently patted Sam's back. "I will help you find Mommy, I promise. But right now, you need to go with this man."
He signaled to the bodyguard, who immediately stepped forward and pulled Sam from Raymond's arms.
"No! I don't want to go! I want Mr. Thomas!" Sam struggled and cried loudly.
Raymond watched as Sam was taken away, taking a deep breath. "Celestia, I'm here now. Can you let him go?"
"Let him go?" Celestia chuckled. "Raymond, do you think I'm stupid? If I let him go now, you'll have people come after me immediately. So..."
She pulled out a phone from her pocket. "You need to drop the charges against Rufus and set him free. Then, I'll consider letting him go."
Raymond's eyes turned cold, but he didn't hesitate. "Fine."
He took the phone Celestia handed him and dialed the police station. "It's Raymond. Drop the charges against Rufus and arrange for his release in three days."
The officer on the other end was momentarily stunned but quickly complied. "Yes, Mr. Thomas."
Celestia retrieved her phone, satisfied. "Alright, Raymond, you can leave with your people now."
She waved her hand, and the bodyguards stepped aside, clearing a path.
Raymond gave her a long look before turning and walking towards the speedboat.
Melinda, watching the scene unfold on the surveillance screen, was instantly in tears.
"Stuart, hurry! Send someone to rescue Raymond!" She clutched Stuart's arm, her voice urgent.
Stuart patted her hand. "Don't worry, Ms. Sharp. I've already made arrangements. Raymond will be fine."
He turned and walked to the side. "Everyone, move out and rescue Mr. Thomas!"
But just then, an unexpected turn of events occurred. As the speedboat rendezvoused with the rescue team, the signal tracking Celestia's boat suddenly disappeared!
Celestia had cunningly sailed into the territorial waters of a country with a signal interception system, disappearing from the surveillance under the protection of that country's system.
Stuart stared at the darkened sea on his phone screen, frowning deeply. "Damn it! She got away!"
He immediately picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Hello? It's Stuart! Find out where Celestia's boat is and Raymond's whereabouts! No matter what, find them!"
A cold male voice responded, "Understood."
Stuart hung up and turned to see Melinda, her face streaked with tears.
Stuart's voice was urgent and panicked. "Raymond... he's been taken to a yacht in Vesperia's territorial waters by Celestia. His fate is unknown."
On the other end, there was a brief silence, then a voice as cold as ice. "Send me the coordinates and dispatch support."
Stuart quickly complied, his hands trembling as he sent the location.
Meanwhile, Celestia looked at Raymond, who was tied to a chair. She crouched down, her hand caressing his handsome face, her eyes filled with obsession. "Raymond, if you cooperate and give me a child, I'll let you go. How about it?"
Raymond glanced at her coldly, his lips barely moving. "In your dreams."
Celestia's eyes darkened. She stood up, looking at him coldly. "Then don't blame me for being ruthless."
She turned and left. Shortly after, a doctor in a white coat entered, holding a syringe filled with an unknown liquid.
Raymond's eyes narrowed. He knew what Celestia intended to do.
Celestia re-entered, her face smug. "Raymond, this is specially prepared for you. If you cooperate, I promise you'll feel very comfortable."
She signaled the doctor to proceed.
The doctor approached Raymond, ready to inject him, but Raymond suddenly broke free and kicked the doctor away.
Celestia's face changed dramatically. "You... you actually..."
"Celestia, did you really think I was that easy to handle?" Raymond sneered.
He flexed his wrists, his eyes cold as he looked at Celestia. "You want me to cooperate and give you a child? Dream on!"
He turned to leave.
Celestia, furious, shouted, "Stop! Do you think you can escape?"
As she spoke, a group of black-clad bodyguards rushed in, surrounding Raymond.
Celestia smiled triumphantly. "Raymond, you can't escape."
She turned and left.
Meanwhile, Melinda had just picked up her son Sam at the dock, noticing the scratches on his face.
"Sam, what happened to you?" Melinda asked, both shocked and angry.
"It was... it was the bad person..." Sam shrank back, speaking softly.
Hearing this, Melinda's eyes flashed with hatred.
Celestia! How dare you do this to my son!
She took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and gently comforted Sam. "It's okay, Sam. I'll protect you."
She took Sam's hand and left the dock.
Back at the hotel, Melinda treated Sam's wounds and put him to bed.
She sat by the bed, looking at Sam's sleeping face, filled with guilt and remorse. Tears streamed down her face.
Just then, her phone rang. Melinda wiped her tears and answered. It was Stuart.
"Hello, Stuart..."
"Ms. Sharp, you need to come to Vesperia! Mr. Thomas... he's been taken to a yacht by Celestia, and his fate is unknown..." Stuart's anxious voice came through the phone.
Melinda's face turned pale. "What? What did you say? Raymond..."
"Ms. Sharp, don't worry. I've already notified Mr. Baker and Mr. Gonzalez. They're sending people to rescue him," Stuart quickly reassured her.
Melinda took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. "Okay, I understand. I'll head over immediately."
She hung up and quickly packed her bags, preparing to leave for Vesperia.
Meanwhile, Celestia had taken Raymond to a secret lab. This lab was meticulously set up for her plan to have a child with the Thomas Group's heir.
She looked at Raymond, a smug smile on her face. "Raymond, you'll stay here and cooperate with me to have a child!"
Raymond stared at her coldly, saying nothing. He knew he had to find a way to save himself.
Just then, a commotion erupted outside. The lab door was suddenly kicked open, and a group of black-clad bodyguards stormed in.
Celestia brought a basin of water, carefully wiping the blood and dirt from Raymond's face. But as soon as her fingers touched his cheek, he forcefully pushed her hand away.
"Don't touch me."
Celestia didn't seem embarrassed. She spoke softly, "You have blood on your face. If you don't clean it, it will get infected. And your wounds need to be rebandaged."
"No need." Raymond turned his head away, his demeanor cold and distant.
At that moment, Celestia's friend Axel entered. Dressed in black, he stormed over to Raymond, his anger boiling, and punched him in the face.