Chapter 288

Chapter 288
【Max's Perspective】

As twilight descended, heavy footsteps approached from outside. Ryan Blake announced dinner had arrived, and I followed him to investigate.

Two heavily armed guards stood beyond the iron gate. One of them fixed his gaze on me, his expression contemptuous.

"Think carefully about your situation," he warned. "Trying to escape this place would be delusional."

Ryan immediately intervened, his voice conciliatory. "Gentlemen, please don't be upset. He's just been brought here and is naturally restless. I'll talk some sense into him."

The second guard snickered. "Even if you managed to escape this house, do you think you could leave this isolated private island?"

My expression darkened deliberately. The guards exchanged satisfied glances before departing.

"This godforsaken place doesn't even have a signal bar," one muttered to the other. "I've almost forgotten what civilization looks like."

"Hang in there," his companion replied. "A few more years of this high-paying job, and I'm out. This island truly isn't fit for humans."

After they left, Ryan closed the door and whispered a warning not to provoke the guards.

"Are the meal delivery personnel always the same?" I inquired.

"No," Ryan answered. "I've seen dozens rotate shifts. Sometimes a squad of armed personnel assembles outside the garden."

I noticed a surveillance camera in the corner. "On an island with no signal, how do these cameras transmit data?"

Ryan appeared stumped by the question. "Whether we're being monitored or not, there's no escaping this place."

Sofia added, "Indeed. No boats, no communications, no weapons—resistance means execution."

I returned to the table in silence, joining the family for dinner while carefully observing the structure of the house and potential weaknesses.

After the meal, Sofia washed the dishes and placed them outside the iron gate. She bathed little Matthew and put him to bed in my room. As arranged, I exchanged sleeping quarters with the Blakes, drawing the curtains to block the cameras.

Then I began executing my plan.

---

【Third Person Perspective】

In the Blake's bedroom, Matthew slept soundly while Ryan and Sofia whispered beneath their covers.

"Why did Max want our room?" Sofia asked quietly.

"I'm not sure," Ryan replied. "But he must have a plan, a reason."

"He doesn't seem to have amnesia at all."

"Keep your voice down. Walls have ears."

"I'm already whispering," Sofia insisted. "He called you 'Ryan.'"

"And he called you 'Sofia' directly too."

"He must have married Luna."

"I always liked him," Sofia confessed. "Even as a child, I thought he was a good boy. Never imagined he'd actually end up with our Luna."

"Life works in mysterious ways," Ryan murmured.

After a brief silence, they continued their hushed conversation.

"He looks physically strong, like he's been through rigorous training," Sofia observed.

"He's the CEO of Morrison Group at such a young age—of course he's exceptional."

"Do you think he deliberately got captured to rescue us?"

"Likely. Before bed, he whispered that no matter what noises we hear tonight, we should stay calm, not panic, and not leave the room."

"I'm too excited to sleep now. I wonder what he's planning."

"Darling, we must remain composed," Ryan cautioned. "Whether Max can get us out or not, we must ensure his safety first."

"You're right."

"Max is level-headed and strategic. Let's trust him and wait for the right moment."

"All right..."

The couple continued their intermittent conversation until exhaustion finally claimed them in the early hours.

At five in the morning, while darkness still blanketed the island and fog hung heavy in the air, the unmistakable thunder of helicopter rotors shattered the silence.

Sofia awoke with a start, immediately shaking Ryan awake. He rose and moved to the window, noticing the eastern sky beginning to lighten. Multiple helicopters hovered above the island as black-clad special forces operators descended on ropes.

Light footsteps pattered across the roof.

Ryan hurried back to the bed, excitement causing his hands to tremble as he gathered his son in one arm and embraced his wife with the other.

"Sofia, they're here—so many of them!" he whispered urgently.

"Who?" she asked.

"Military personnel. Many helicopters, and special forces fully armed—like Navy SEALs."

The couple held each other tightly, following Max's instructions to remain in their room. Gunfire erupted outside, causing Ryan to cover Matthew's ears protectively. Bullets struck the security door, producing sharp metallic sounds.

【Max's Perspective】

The security house was breached. Kevin Owen, weapon in hand, led armed personnel into the living room where I sat calmly holding a half-empty glass of water.

I glanced up at the newcomers.

"Mr. Morrison," Kevin acknowledged.

"You've arrived," I replied simply.

"I apologize, Mr. Morrison. We were delayed, leaving you in danger."

"Kevin, your timing is perfect. No apologies necessary."

"Mr. Morrison, we should leave now."

"My in-laws and brother-in-law are inside. Be polite and don't frighten them."

Kevin looked surprised as he realized I had come alone to rescue my wife's family. He knocked on the door courteously. "Mr. Blake, Mrs. Blake, I'm Kevin Owen, Mr. Morrison's assistant. We're here to take you home. Please open the door."

When the door opened, Ryan emerged with tears in his eyes. "Max, you really didn't lose your memory. You really came to rescue us..."

I stood politely. "Ryan, we'll talk in detail once we're home. You should evacuate first."

"Of course, of course..." Ryan took his wife's hand and carried his son, preparing to follow Kevin.

Sofia noticed the bloodstained bandage on my thigh. "Max, you're injured?"

"Sofia, it's just a minor wound. Please go quickly. It's not safe here."

Though concerned, Ryan and Sofia complied, swiftly leaving the room. Kevin arranged for his subordinates to escort them outside to board the helicopter.

I sat down again, looking directly at the surveillance camera. With a slight smile, I said, "Hiding behind cameras, attempting to control everything—your level is insufficient."

The camera rotated slightly before returning to its fixed position.

After escorting the Blake family aboard, Kevin returned. "Mr. Morrison, how did your leg get injured?"

"Kevin, shouldn't you be at the command center?"

"I was at headquarters handling crisis PR when satellite monitoring detected your position signal. We immediately mobilized special forces and helicopters, so I came along."

I nodded, rising slowly and allowing Kevin to support me. As he helped me toward the exit, the gunfire outside had ceased.

"Mr. Morrison, why keep this operation secret from everyone?" Kevin asked.

"You're my most trusted assistant. Had you known my plan, your excessive concern would have been noticeable to our enemies."

Kevin looked hurt. "So, to convince them you were truly in trouble, you deliberately kept everything from me, Mrs. Morrison, and everyone else. We all thought you'd met with disaster and have been searching, worried sick."

"Yes."

"What happened to your leg?"

"I had implanted a micro satellite tracker in my body. To avoid detection by hospital equipment, it remained dormant."

"You extracted and activated it yourself?"

"Without anesthesia. It was excruciating—I nearly bit through the towel."

"Mr. Morrison, next time such a dangerous mission arises, please assign it to me. I'm not Peter Hughes; I would never betray you."

"I never doubted you, Kevin."

"Thank you for your trust, Mr. Morrison."