Chapter 245 Agreed

Chapter 245 Agreed

Two men grabbed her arms, one on each side, and marched her upstairs.

The fourth-floor hallway was long, with dark carpet on the floor and a few ink wash paintings on the walls. Each one was worth a fortune, but in the dim light they only felt oppressive.

The room at the end of the hallway was opened. It had a bed, a desk, and a private bathroom. The windows were large, but iron bars covered the outside, and the glass was reinforced — impossible to break.

The curtains were drawn, with just a narrow gap letting in a thin strip of grey light.

The door closed behind her with a click, and the lock turned.

Susan stood in the middle of the room, looked around, then slowly walked to the bed and sat down.

Her bag and phone had been taken. She was completely cut off from the outside world.

She sat on the edge of the bed, hands clasped together, fingertips cold.

The sky outside gradually darkened. She didn't turn on the light — or rather, she couldn't. The power to the room had been cut.

No lights, total darkness, with only a faint sliver of moonlight leaking through the gap in the curtains.

Susan curled up on the bed, staring at the ceiling with open eyes.

At the same time, Sean brought Liam home from the office to find the apartment completely dark.

He turned on the lights and called out "Susan." No answer.

Liam pattered into the kitchen — not there. He ran upstairs — not there either.

"Ahhhh! Daddy, Mommy disappeared!"

Sean took out his phone and called Susan's number. It rang twice, then was cut off.

He called again. It went straight to voicemail.

His heart sank.

"Liam, did your mom say anything to you today about where she was going?"

Liam hesitated.

Mom had only said he couldn't go with her. She hadn't said he couldn't tell Dad.

"Grandpa called Mom to the old house today. Maybe she's still there?"

Sean's heart sank completely.

He called the landline at the old house — no answer. Then he called Julian's personal cell. It rang several times before someone picked up.

"Dad, is Susan with you?" Not a question. A statement.

Julian was silent for a moment on the other end. "Susan?"

Sean had forgotten — he hadn't told the family that Nina was Susan.

Julian let out a short laugh. "Didn't expect Nina to actually be Susan. No wonder she annoyed me just as much as that Nina did. But you found out fast."

"Why did you bring her to the old house?" Sean's voice had gone cold.

"I had some things to say to her." Julian's tone was flat. "What's the rush? I'm an old man. You think I'm going to eat her alive?"

"I'm coming over now." Sean grabbed his car keys and headed for the door.

"You don't need to come."

"I said, I'm coming over now."

"Shay." Julian's voice dropped. "You're not listening to me anymore? If you come back right now, I promise you'll never see her again for the rest of your life."

Sean stopped dead in his tracks.

"You know me. I'd suggest you behave yourself." Julian's tone left no room for argument. "Come back like a good boy, take care of what needs to be taken care of, and I'll make sure she's perfectly fine. If you insist on doing things your way, don't blame me for being ruthless."

The veins on Sean's hand stood out as he gripped the phone, his knuckles cracking. "If you dare touch a single hair on her head—"

"I have no interest in touching her." Julian cut him off. "I just want you to take responsibility for what you should. If you won't listen, I'll have to take more extreme measures. As long as you cooperate and do what I ask, I promise she won't be harmed."

The call ended.

Sean stood there, his arm dropping to his side, the vein at his temple pulsing.

Outside, a bolt of lightning suddenly lit up the sky, its pale white light making his face flicker between light and shadow.

Then came a deep rumble of thunder, and the rain that had been building all day finally came pouring down, hammering against the windows.

After a long while, he picked up his phone and called Julian back.

"Fine." His voice was rough, like metal dragged across sandpaper. "I agree."

Silence on the other end for a few seconds.

"Good." Julian said. "Friday morning, nine o'clock. Don't be late."

Sean hung up and leaned against the doorframe, slowly sliding down until he was sitting on the floor.

He sat on the cold ground, watching the storm outside, his eyes bloodshot.

Sean began openly going along with Julian's arrangements, working with Victoria on the wedding plans.

Julian moved fast. By the next day, he had the date set, the invitations printed, the venue booked at the most luxurious five-star hotel in the city, and a designer scheduled to come measure Victoria for her wedding dress.

Everything moved forward like clockwork — fast, like someone had hit fast-forward on a bizarre movie.

Victoria moved into the Miller family estate, taking the largest guest room on the east side of the second floor. A dedicated nutritionist planned all her meals, and two housekeepers took turns looking after her daily needs.

When she walked through the garden with her hand on her back, she would occasionally glance up at the fourth-floor window with its permanently drawn curtains, a barely noticeable smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Sean showed up at the estate every day right on schedule, sharing a meal with Victoria.

But each time he came, his eyes would quietly sweep over every corner of the place.

The hallways. The staircase. The servants' quarters. The storage rooms.

He had people search every possible hiding spot in the estate — the basement, the garage, the shed in the backyard, even the attic. All of it.

Nothing.

Susan had vanished without a trace.

On the surface, he showed nothing. Inside, it was like a pot of boiling oil churning in his chest.

The estate was enormous — over thirty rooms alone, plus various hidden rooms and storage spaces. If someone really wanted to hide a person there, you could tear the whole place apart and still come up empty.

He couldn't tip his hand.

Julian had made it clear — any unusual move on his part, and Susan would be transferred somewhere else. After that, finding her would be nearly impossible.

That afternoon, Sean sat with Victoria in the living room over tea.

She was across from him on the sofa, wearing a loose blush-pink maternity dress, holding a cup of warm milk, a gentle smile on her face.

"Shay, the bridal shop sent over three sample dresses today. Can you help me pick one?" She gestured toward the three gowns hanging on a rack nearby, her voice light and cheerful.

Sean glanced at the dresses and said flatly, "Doesn't matter. They all look the same on you."

Victoria's smile stiffened for just a moment, then softened again. "Then I'll go with the first one. The skirt is fuller — it'll hide my belly so people won't notice."

"Whatever you want." Sean stood up. "I have things to deal with at the office. I'm heading out."

As he turned and walked down the hallway, he ran into one of the housekeepers.

She was around forty, wearing a dark blue uniform, carrying a food container, and heading toward the staircase.

Sean's gaze landed on the food container. He slowed his steps.