Chapter 259 She Is Kidnapped Again
Tobias agreed readily. "Let him go."
Atlas rose to his feet, casting a hesitant glance at Scarlett. "Ms. Mellon."
"I'm fine. You should go back now," Scarlett said, her tone calm, but her eyes conveyed a message he couldn't miss.
Atlas met her gaze, still unwilling to leave. It was only after Scarlett urged him again that he finally departed.
Once Atlas was gone, Tobias chuckled. "He's gone. Now you're coming with me."
Scarlett moved her feet slowly, her eyes scanning the surroundings. This wasn't a bustling downtown street, but there were still people walking about. She had to find a chance to escape.
"You said you wanted to be friends, but I don't even know your name," she said, probing as she walked.
"Tobias Reynolds. You can just call me Tobias." He slung an arm around her shoulder, guiding her forward.
A wave of repulsion washed over Scarlett at his touch, but she forced herself to suppress it. Her mind latched onto his surname. To have this much influence and be named Reynolds… could he be from the Reynolds family, the one above Indigo?
If it was that Reynolds family, they were indeed powerful and influential. The thought prompted her to ask.
"Your last name is Reynolds. Are you part of the Reynolds family, the one with the prominent figures who are always on TV?" she asked.
The mention of his family's status clearly startled Tobias, but his vanity was immensely gratified. "You even know about that?"
"I just guessed," Scarlett said, feigning an innocent deduction. "From the way you spoke, it was obvious your family has power, and then your name is Reynolds."
"Just as I'd expect from a woman I've taken an interest in. Smart." Tobias grinned, his pride swelling.
Scarlett lowered her gaze, her eyes turning cold. The Reynolds family was causing her trouble again.
Suddenly, she spotted a public restroom ahead. An idea sparked, and she immediately clutched her stomach.
"My stomach really hurts."
She stopped walking. Tobias's voice was unreadable as he asked, "Stomach ache?"
"I might have eaten something bad earlier. It hurts a lot. I need to use the restroom," she said.
With that, she made a dash for the restroom, but Tobias's hand shot out and clamped down on her arm.
"Even if it hurts, you'll have to hold it."
"It really, really hurts."
"Walk faster. Our car is just up ahead," Tobias said, yanking her arm as he strode forward. Seeing his determination, Scarlett quickly said, "I can walk by myself."
He finally released her. The moment he let go, Scarlett continued walking, still clutching her stomach.
They were getting closer to Tobias's car, and a sense of desperation rose in her. Once she was in that car, it would be all over.
She saw her chance and shoved Tobias hard. He stumbled, and she seized the opportunity to break into a run.
"Don't let her get away! Grab her!"
She ran fast, but the men chasing her were faster. Scarlett didn't get far before she was caught. Several of them began dragging her toward the car. Just as they were about to force her inside, another vehicle screeched to a halt beside them.
A group of men poured out and descended on Tobias's crew with a brutal efficiency, their movements swift and vicious. In moments, all of them were on the ground. Tobias himself took several hard blows before he collapsed, and one of the newcomers pulled Scarlett away and ushered her toward their car.
Scarlett assumed they had been sent by Ambrose. Before getting in, she tested the waters.
"Are you Ambrose's men?"
"Please get in the car, Ms. Mellon. My master means you no harm," one of the men said, gesturing for her to enter.
Scarlett sensed immediately that they weren't Ambrose's people. She didn't want to get in the car, but at that moment, she had no other choice. She was guided into the vehicle, which sped away as quickly as it had arrived.
Scarlett watched the route from the car window. Though she wasn't familiar with the layout of Luminous City, her memory was excellent; she could recall any path she had seen once. This wasn't the way back to the hotel.
"Who sent you?" She asked.
No one answered. Seeing that she wouldn't get a response, Scarlett stopped asking and silently committed the route to memory.
The car drove up to a villa perched on a mountainside and stopped. After she got out, she was led inside.
In the brightly lit living room, a man was seated. As Scarlett drew closer, she froze in shock.
Ulysses?
What was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be in jail?
"Surprising, isn't it?" Ulysses offered a faint smile. Without his glasses, he appeared more approachable.
Scarlett's heart hammered against her ribs. "why has he brought her here?"
The memory of the video documenting his dissociative identity disorder sent a chill down her spine.
This must be his second personality; he wasn't wearing his glasses. Phaedra had said Ulysses's second personality was in love with her.
"Why did you abduct me and bring me here?" She demanded, her voice tight with alarm.
"I abducted you? I believe the term is 'rescued.' Otherwise, you would have been taken away by Tobias. Do you have any idea what would have happened then?" Ulysses poured a glass of water and started walking toward her.
Scarlett instinctively backed away in fear. Ulysses stopped his advance and placed the glass on a side table.
"Have some water. Calm your nerves."
Naturally, Scarlett wouldn't drink it. She watched him with a guarded expression. "If you rescued me, you should have let me go back, not bring me here."
"I brought you here to confirm a few things," Ulysses said, his tone placid—so placid that he seemed like a different person from the one she knew. Which, of course, he was. This was his other personality.
By the time Ambrose's men found Tobias, he was already getting his wounds bandaged. Scarlett was nowhere in sight.
The moment Ambrose stepped off the plane, he demanded, "You didn't find her?"
His subordinate immediately reported that Scarlett had been taken away, and they were still investigating who was responsible.
Ambrose's temper flared. With Scarlett missing, a volatile agitation churned within him, and no one could predict what he might do.
"Mr. Boleyn, I'm currently contacting the Bourbon family, the most powerful family here. I've asked for their help with the search. I believe we'll have news of Ms. Mellon soon," Chase said, trying to soothe him.
Their primary base of operations wasn't in Luminous City, which made investigating here not only difficult but also risky, as it could alert the local powers. Borrowing the influence of a local family was the fastest approach.
"Make it fast."
Ambrose, flanked by his men, exited the airport and got into a private car headed for the hotel.
"As for Tobias," Ambrose's voice was laced with a murderous chill, "find an opportunity and cripple him."
It had beena while since Chase had witnessed this level of killing intent from Ambrose. It was clear how furious he was.
However, Tobias's identity was exceptionally sensitive; he wasn't someone they could touch casually. Doing so would mean offending the Reynolds family, which offered them no benefits and a world of trouble.
"Mr. Boleyn, we can't move against Tobias right now. The Reynolds family's power surpasses even the Mitchell family's," Chase advised.
From the shadows of the car, Ambrose let out a cold snort. "This period of peace has made you soft. Has your mind stopped working? Tobias has preyed on countless women and has already attracted a lot of attention. Keep a close watch on him. The next time he makes a move, we can act. He has plenty of enemies. As long as we do it cleanly, the Reynolds family won't be able to trace it back to us."
Two hours later, however, there was still no trace of Scarlett. Back at the hotel, Ambrose's rage erupted. Chase, finding the situation strange himself, ventured a guess.
"Mr. Boleyn, do you think it could have been the Mitchell family?"
"The Mitchells don't have the guts to make a move on someone from the Reynolds family. It must have been someone else." Ambrose knew that the Mitchell family currently relied on the Reynoldses for support. They would never dare to touch Tobias.