Chapter 605: Begin Negotiations

Chapter 605: Begin Negotiations

The last location tracked by the drone was around here, so Melinda's gotta be close by.

They were being careful not to tip off Hugo.

Elmwood saw they were getting nowhere and yelled, "Stop the car!"

Leander looked confused. "Mr. Sanctuary, why are we stopping?"

Elmwood replied, "Park the car somewhere hidden. We need to split up and search. Sticking together isn't working, and watching from the car is giving us a skewed view."

Leander saw the logic. They'd already gone over some areas multiple times without finding anything. Searching on foot was their best bet.

"Mr. Sanctuary's right. Let's get out and start looking."

"The enemy might be armed, so be careful. If you see anything, let us know right away. Don't do anything stupid."

Leander nodded and followed Elmwood's instructions, parking the car in an abandoned storefront and covering it with metal sheets. Following Elmwood's signals, they all spread out to search.

It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, but it was their best shot.

Elmwood silently prayed that Melinda was safe and waiting for him to rescue her.

Just as Elmwood started moving, his phone rang. To avoid the ringtone being heard, he answered immediately without checking who was calling.

"Hello."

His quick response surprised the caller, who then chuckled.

"Mr. Sanctuary, you sure are quick. I hadn't even decided how to greet you, and you've already picked up. You must be holding your phone tightly."

Although Elmwood had never met this person, he already had a hunch about their identity.

"Hugo?"

"Impressive, Mr. Sanctuary. Even though we've never met, you guessed it was me just from my voice."

Elmwood wished he could reach through the phone and punch Hugo.

"Cut the crap. Why are you calling me?"

Hugo laughed. "Mr. Sanctuary, are you really going to play dumb? You know it's me, so you must know that Mrs. Sanctuary is with me."

Elmwood gritted his teeth. "How is Melinda? You better not harm her."

"Don't worry, I won't hurt a guest," Hugo said in a mocking tone, which only made Elmwood more anxious.

"What do you want? Just say it."

"Mr. Sanctuary, I like your Bach Farm and castle. I'd like to move in. What do you think?"

Elmwood couldn't believe Hugo's audacity.

"If you return my wife, we can discuss it."

"Mr. Sanctuary, that's not how negotiations work. I'll release her once I get what I want. You understand that, right?"

Damn it, this guy was deliberately making things difficult.

Elmwood said, "Fine, but you should know that the paperwork isn't easy. It'll take at least two weeks."

Hugo laughed. "I'm not in a hurry. As long as you're on board, that's fine. Of course, if you want her back sooner, you can speed things up. If not, she can stay with me a bit longer."

He added, "I'm bored anyway. Mrs. Sanctuary can keep me company."

Elmwood clenched his teeth. If only he had brought tracking equipment, he could locate Hugo.

"I can sign a legally binding contract. Return Melinda. She's not well, and if anything happens to her, you won't get anything."

"I know you're efficient, Mr. Sanctuary. If you want, you can complete the paperwork in three days. I believe that's enough time, and your wife will be fine."

Hugo wasn't willing to compromise. He knew that once Melinda was returned, he would lose his leverage.

Keeping Melinda captive was his only bargaining chip.

He knew Elmwood's deep affection for his wife. Elmwood would never abandon her.

"Let me speak to her to ensure she's safe."

Hugo agreed readily. "No problem. I'll let her take the call."

Hugo walked over to Melinda and handed her the phone. "Mrs. Sanctuary, I'm negotiating with Mr. Sanctuary. He's worried about you. Talk to him."

Melinda hesitated, but Hugo glared at her stomach and threatened, "If you don't want anything to happen to your baby, you'd better cooperate."

Elmwood heard this and called out urgently, "Mel, can you hear me? Pick up the phone and let me hear your voice."

Melinda hesitated for a moment before carefully taking the phone.

"Darling, it's me!"

Elmwood felt relieved hearing Melinda's voice.

"How are you? Have they hurt you?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

Despite her soft voice, Elmwood sensed something was wrong. "Your voice sounds hoarse. Are you feeling unwell?"

Hugo had hurt her throat, causing her voice to be hoarse. Melinda spoke softly to hide it, but Elmwood still noticed.

"I just caught a cold last night. It's nothing serious."

"Are they mistreating you? Don't worry, I'll rescue you."

Melinda sensed Elmwood might be nearby.

"Just cooperate with Hugo, and he'll let me go."

"I know. I'll give him whatever he wants, as long as he doesn't hurt you."

Hugo was pleased. Controlling Melinda meant controlling Elmwood.

Hugo took the phone back, laughing. "Mr. Sanctuary, you heard her. Your wife is safe, just waiting for you to bring her home."

Elmwood didn't believe the cold excuse. Melinda's throat was definitely injured.

"I'll start the paperwork right away. Don't harm Melinda, or I'll hunt you down no matter where you go."

Hugo wasn't worried. He reassured Elmwood, "Don't worry, Mr. Sanctuary. I'm only after money, not lives. Just get things done quickly, and I'll wait for your good news."

"Deal!"

Elmwood hung up. To keep Hugo calm, he had to act. He started arranging the transfer paperwork while speeding up the search.

Meanwhile, Hugo felt uneasy despite Elmwood's agreement. He called his men and instructed them, "Go out and check the situation. I suspect they've found us."

Melinda worried. Hugo was more cautious and difficult than she had imagined.