Chapter 119 Maybe Everyone Was Right

Chapter 119 Maybe Everyone Was Right
Jaxon’s POV:

I already knew not to expect anything from Austin Mitchell and his threats, because that man was all talk when he couldn't play smart, but that wasn't the case with Cruella. She was capable of doing whatever she said, which was why I quickly signed the documents so she would get the feeling of victory—for now.
They knew how to get to Elizabeth. They knew Vicky was the only direct family she had, so they used that against her. She was willing to die for her sister, and the same went for Vicky; so, I didn’t care what I was giving up if it meant Vicky was safe.
I ignored Cruella’s threat for the moment because my brain was a mess, and I had to think carefully when it came to her. She was no fool. She wouldn’t kidnap Elizabeth, bring her to the Mitchell home, and announce she was going to kill Vicky without a strong backup plan.
I felt like holding Vicky hostage was just a small part of her strategy. Holding Elizabeth’s hand tightly, we walked out of that suffocating Mitchell home toward my car, with Father and Talon following.
“Beth, did they hurt you and…” Talon was saying, but I let go of Elizabeth’s hand and hit my younger brother so hard across the face that he stumbled and spat blood. They all stared at me like I had lost my mind.
“You knew she was in trouble. You were at the company, but chose to go to the cops instead of letting me know?” Talon was pressing every one of my buttons, and he had no idea.
I had done my estimates, and I didn’t know why Beth had called him for help instead, but when she did, he was still in the Voltex building and could have let Father and me know. Instead, he chose to go to the cops, trying to play hero when my wife’s life was on the line.
“She needed me… I had to save her,” Talon replied. I tried to walk over to him and show him just how stupid he was, but Elizabeth grabbed my hand. When I looked at her, she shook her head in denial.
She was already exhausted and hurting; I didn’t want to be the reason for any of her pain at this moment, so I decided to let it go—for now.
“Did you ever think that by the time you were trying to play hero alone, they were hurting her?” I asked in a low tone, and Talon shook his head.
“I have always been the one to save her, and I was the one she called for help and not you, because she knows I would always show up.” He stood up and said it with a smirk. I couldn’t even recognize the little brother who used to peek through my bedroom door whenever we were kids and I came back home for the holidays—the one who desperately wanted me to play with him, but whom I was too scared to interact with, fearing I’d hurt him just like I did Jade.
“What? I… I didn’t call you,” Elizabeth said with an unsure tone, as if she were doubting her own words. She smacked her lips, pulled the passenger door open, and got in. I knew right now her only concern was finding Vicky, and I was going to make sure she got her sister back.
“You chose to risk her life because of the beef you have with me? Look at yourself in the mirror, brother; I hope it doesn’t scare you.” I shook my head in disappointment. Although I was upset with him, I was still grateful, because if anything had happened to Elizabeth, I wouldn’t have been having a conversation with him.
“Why don’t you spend the night at the mansion today, Beth?” Father said from the car window. I let Elizabeth decide because I was on her time and would do anything to make her feel better.
She looked at me. “Can I?”
I smiled and leaned forward, placing a kiss on her forehead. “Of course.”
Father got into the car, and I drove out, leaving Talon to find his own way home, even though I was sure he’d driven there himself.
I drove in silence for a while before Father called home to let Mother know what was going on. I heard her cry on the other end when Father told her the Mitchells had done something to Beth.
I avoided looking down at her body because I knew she was bruised; the entire Mitchell family was going to pay for this.
Halfway through the ride, Elizabeth started sobbing, and my grip around the wheel tightened. “Beth, everything will be okay… we will get your sister.”
She shook her head in denial. “Maybe everyone is right about the fact that I am naive.”
“Don’t you dare blame yourself for this,” I warned with a stern voice. I knew what guilt felt like, and I was never going to let her feel that way.
“I am not blaming myself; this is all Cruella and her family’s fault. But because I am naive, I still have hopes that Vicky will return to us.” She sobbed harder, and Father leaned forward, rubbing her shoulders.
“She will return. We will get her.”
Elizabeth shook her head in denial, which made me wonder why she thought Vicky wasn’t going to make it.
“What did you see, baby?”
She looked at me; her vision must have been blurred from her tears, her lips were pale, and her eyes were puffy. “She was barely breathing, Jax… she won’t survive another hour hanging there. I want my sister, Jax.” She hugged herself, and I felt helpless because I didn’t want to rush into anything today.
I had to figure out what Cruella was really planning. She hit us hard with this because she wanted us all focused on Vicky and not realizing what her real motive was.
“She was hanged?”
“Hmm. When I agreed to call you and say everything she asked me to, she called some men and told them to bring Vicky down and give her some treatment.”
Father couldn’t say another word to her and only continued rubbing her shoulder as she kept crying. I was suddenly relieved that we were taking her to the mansion so she could be with Mother, because I had no idea how to console her right now.
After another thirty minutes, I parked at the entrance of the mansion, and Mother was already waiting. Elizabeth had fallen asleep after crying for a while.
“Beth!” Mother hurried to the car, and I quickly placed my hand to my lips. She noticed Elizabeth was asleep and gave me an apologetic look.
“It would be good if she rests a little while we try to figure this out,” Father said before he got out of the car. Talon’s car drove in behind us.
I pulled Elizabeth’s side of the door open and gently lifted her out of the car. She snuggled into my arms. “Vicky Noel,” she mumbled in her sleep. I didn’t move until she was fully asleep again.
“I had the maids put up clean sheets in her bedroom,” Mother said as we walked in, but I ignored her. Instead, I brought Elizabeth to the bedroom that was considered mine. I knew it was clean because that was one of Mother’s hobbies—she always cleaned my bedroom even though I didn’t live here anymore.