Chapter 285

Chapter 285
Emily laughed when she heard those words.

When she first captured Elowen, she hadn't understood the meaning behind her frantic ramblings. But now, after the explosion incident, everything clicked.

Elowen's hands and feet were bound. Emily stood up, walked over to her, and slowly crouched down so Elowen could see her clearly.

A cold glint flashed in Emily's eyes. "Elowen, take a good look. Do I look like a ghost to you?"

Elowen was on the verge of a mental breakdown, staring at Emily standing there alive.

It was worse than killing her.

"No! You're not human. You should have died. There's no way you could have survived..."

Elowen, lying on the ground, started shaking her head wildly and screaming.

The person she had tried so hard to kill was standing right in front of her. How could she accept that?

Meanwhile, in a remote town near the Lustrous Glass District, Elise, under the protection of her entourage, entered an abandoned house.

The place was a mess. She wrinkled her nose and covered her mouth, disdainfully ordering her people to clean it up.

Elowen was supposed to meet her here soon!

She couldn't understand how they could be so careless. Even if it was just a temporary hideout, they should have found a livable place.

She couldn't stand this environment.

"Clean it up a bit. Go to town and buy some new supplies. Change into casual clothes before you go out. Don't let anyone track you."

After giving her orders, Elise found a clean spot to sit down and checked her phone for any calls from Lawrence.

As soon as she turned on her phone, news about the Bridge of Horizons explosion popped up.

Elise's interest was piqued. She quickly skimmed through the report, and by the end, she couldn't help but smile.

She had underestimated Elowen's methods.

She had thought Elowen would just hire some lowlifes to drug Emily, get rid of her baby, and humiliate her a bit.

Who would have thought Elowen would go so far as to orchestrate an explosion for someone as insignificant as Emily?

This time, Emily was definitely going to die!

And such a major incident would usually be chalked up to an accident. No one would suspect her or Elowen.

Ruthless and untraceable.

Elise couldn't help but admire Elowen's execution.

All she had to do now was wait for the news of Emily's death. Once everything settled, she would appear before Lawrence with a plausible excuse, playing the victim of the yacht incident. Given Lawrence's affection for her, he wouldn't question her too much.

By then, she would be Lawrence's wife, and all the glory of the Parker family would be hers.

Emily, being dead, wouldn't have a chance to compete.

Thinking about her imminent future as Lawrence's wife, Elise's mood brightened.

Even the dilapidated house seemed more bearable.

Just then, her phone rang.

The caller ID read Xanthe.

Elise frowned. Wasn't her facial appointment still a few days away? Why was Xanthe calling now?

But she had to answer. After all, she needed them to maintain her looks.

With that in mind, Elise answered, "What's going on?"

Xanthe's voice was tense. "Ms. Sinclair, something terrible has happened..."

Elise's irritation grew. Hiding out in the mountains was already annoying, and now this.

"What terrible thing? And why hasn't my mother arrived yet? What are you people doing?"

Xanthe broke into a cold sweat and quickly explained, "Ms. Sinclair, it's your mother. She was intercepted on the way here!"

"What?"

Elise shouted, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Xanthe tried to stay calm as she relayed the information.

"Our people were escorting Mrs. Johnson when a car started following them. They only realized the car's intent when they reached the town. To avoid exposing your identity and location, our people changed direction, but those people intercepted Mrs. Johnson and took her."

Elise took a deep breath, clenching her teeth.

"Incompetent fools!"

"Xanthe, my mother finally got out of the beauty clinic, and this is how you protect her? How do you do your job?"

"She was tracked as soon as she left. Don't you think there might be a mole among your people who leaked her whereabouts?"

In her fury, Elise wanted to reach through the phone and strangle Xanthe.

Her insults grew harsher with each word.

Xanthe couldn't argue. After all, she had lost Mrs. Johnson.

She could only respond truthfully, "Ms. Sinclair, Mrs. Johnson's identity is sensitive. We used the minimum number of people to avoid detection, but those people were too discreet. By the time we realized their intent, it was too late."

"Also, Mrs. Johnson insisted on bringing a lot of conspicuous luggage. Despite our repeated warnings, she wouldn't leave it behind. When those people confirmed her identity and came to take her, we were outmatched."

"As for the mole, I'll investigate and give you an explanation."

Xanthe's words were reasonable, and her attitude was neither humble nor arrogant.

Given the situation, she didn't take all the blame.

She would take responsibility for what was hers, but she wouldn't bow down unnecessarily.

She and Elise were not in a superior-subordinate relationship.

So she didn't need to be overly submissive.

Elise's arrogance stemmed from the powerful figure backing her.

Elise clenched her fists. She knew Elowen had likely taken all her valuable belongings when she left, attracting suspicion with her large bags.

But now, she couldn't worry about that. She needed to rescue Elowen.

"Did you see who took my mother? Who are they? Do they want money or something else?"

Xanthe answered decisively, "They were very efficient. Apart from a group of men in black, they left no clues."

Elise's heart sank.

Xanthe continued, "Ms. Sinclair, what should we do now?"

Elise was at a loss. She had no idea who could have done this.

But just because she was out of ideas didn't mean others were. If she could find the right person to help, Elowen could still be saved.