Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Wellington's POV

I stared fixedly at the red button under Caspian's thumb, my mind uncontrollably conjuring Matilda's face. She curled up in my arms, softly sobbing, drunkenly telling me about her struggles...

No. No! I absolutely couldn't let anything happen to her!

"Mr. Learmond! You can't let him go!" Hank urgently tried to stop me, pressing his gun barrel even tighter against Caspian's temple.

Caspian's bodyguards behind him raised their guns in unison. The basement instantly became a powder keg, tension thick enough to cut.

Through my rapid breathing, I clearly saw Caspian's thumb press down a fraction more. The red button depressed slightly.

"Nobody move!" I raised my voice sharply, stopping them. "Hank, lower your weapon. Let them go!"

"Mr. Learmond?" Hank looked at me in disbelief, completely unable to understand why I—usually so rational—had suddenly lost my composure.

But he finally gritted his teeth and lowered his gun first. Seeing this, the other men hesitantly followed suit.

Seeing this, Caspian smiled triumphantly. His thumb left the button as he casually slipped the miniature controller back into his pocket. "See? Wasn't that easier? Why make everyone so tense?"

He waved his hand, leading his people and dragging Milo—limp as a dead dog—swaggering through the path we'd cleared, leaving the basement.

"Mr. Learmond! You're just letting him take the guy?" Hank rushed up to me urgently. "That man definitely has important intel! And Caspian—"

"Shut up!" I growled, cutting him off.

The bomb... The bomb was still at the villa! The remote was in Caspian's hand. He could detonate it anytime!

"Contact the villa immediately! Increase security! Check every corner! And you all—go reinforce them right now! Move!"

"Mr. Learmond?" Hank looked even more shocked.

"Go!" I roared.

Though stunned, Hank immediately led everyone out at a run. The basement instantly fell silent.

I paced anxiously in place, but the suffocating panic in my chest wouldn't subside. I raised my fist and slammed it hard into the wall!

"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath, then turned and rushed toward the door.

"Mr. Learmond! Where are you going? It's too dangerous! Caspian might have backup plans!" Seeing me burst out, Hank hurried to stop me.

"Drive! To the villa! Now!" I commanded without looking back, yanking open the car door and diving in. "Drive!"

The driver floored the accelerator, speeding away. In the rearview mirror, Hank—left behind—froze for a moment before rushing into the following car and quickly catching up.

The car raced forward. My hands clenched into fists, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.

No. Nothing could happen to Matilda. Absolutely nothing.

The car screeched to a halt. Before it had fully stopped at the villa courtyard entrance, I shoved the door open and jumped out.

In the afternoon sunlight, that slender figure stood alone beside the European-style fountain in the center of the courtyard, her head tilted slightly upward—whether watching the spraying water or lost in thought, I couldn't tell.

The breeze stirred her cream-colored dress and long hair. In the misting spray, she looked beautiful as an angel stepped out of a painting. But I had no time to appreciate it.

The fountain... Last time at the Saunders Estate, one of the bombs I'd planted had been near a fountain.

For an instant, my breathing nearly stopped.

She heard the convoy screeching to a halt at the villa entrance and turned around in surprise. Seeing me, she instinctively took a step forward.

"Don't move!" Her movement nearly scared me to death. I quickly raised my hand to stop her while sprinting toward her.

She stared at me in bewilderment, completely confused about what was happening. By the time she'd steadied herself, I'd already reached her.

Before she could react, I threw my arms around her, pulling her tightly against me, then scooped her up completely and spun around, staggering several steps away from the fountain.

She cried out in alarm, instinctively wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Search it! Now!" I roared.

Hank and the others had already surrounded us, shielding me and Matilda in my arms as we retreated while several bodyguards with military backgrounds rushed forward, rapidly searching around the fountain.

Only after retreating to the safe clearing outside the villa did I finally stop, letting out a long breath of relief.

"Mr. Learmond? What's wrong?" A soft voice suddenly came from my arms.

I looked down, asking urgently, "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you feel anything wrong anywhere? Tell me quickly!"

She blinked, completely confused. "I'm fine? What could be wrong? Could you put me down first?"

My body stiffened slightly. Only then did I realize what a scene I'd just made. I quickly set her down but still gripped her wrist tightly, checking it over and over again.

Like a doll, she was turned this way and that in my hands until she finally couldn't take it anymore. "Mr. Learmond, what on earth is going on?"

I finally confirmed she was unharmed and let out a long breath of relief. Thank God. Thank God I'd gotten back in time...

I immediately looked up, ordering the bodyguards inside, "Search thoroughly. Don't miss any corner."

Just as I finished speaking, my phone buzzed in my suit pocket. I frowned, pulled it out, and looked down—a message from an unknown number.

Opening it, the malicious tone instantly told me it was from Caspian.

[How was it, Mr. Learmond? Did you like my little gift? But there's one thing I forgot to tell you—the bombs recovered from the Saunders Estate last time don't seem to be your family's custom models. The detonation program is really complicated. I tried cracking it for ages with no luck. So before leaving today, I just grabbed a random controller.]

I froze instantly. Caspian hadn't planted any bomb?

At the same time, Hank emerged from inside. "Mr. Learmond, we've thoroughly searched. The villa is clean inside and out. Nothing suspicious."

Caspian had dared to play me! But I felt no anger whatsoever—only the relief of having survived a disaster.

Thank God. The villa was safe. Matilda hadn't faced any threat.

Just then, her soft voice came from behind me again. "Mr. Learmond, could you let go of me first?"

I spun around abruptly, only then realizing her slender wrist was still firmly gripped in my palm—and had been for some time.

My face heated. I quickly released her hand. She staggered back a step, nearly losing her balance.

Instinctively, I reached to steady her. Looking down, I noticed her injured ankle seemed even more swollen.