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Elowen pressed her ear against the door, listening intently. When she heard nothing, she cautiously tried to open it.

There was a soft click.

The door was unlocked.

Those two must have thought the Wilson family was going to kill her, so they didn't bother keeping her locked up. They let their guard down.

Elowen's heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst out of her chest.

She couldn't afford to mess with the Wilson family, and Alice's relatives were even more ruthless.

If she didn't escape now, she was as good as dead.

Seeing no one at the door, Elowen tiptoed out, trying not to make a sound. She moved carefully, looking for an escape route and staying alert to any noise around her.

Maybe they all thought she couldn't escape, because the hallway was completely empty.

She crawled out of the basement and slipped out the back door, disappearing from sight.

A bodyguard pulled out his phone and reported, "Mr. Wilson, phase one is complete. Elowen has successfully escaped."

Ezra's voice was low on the other end, "Follow her discreetly. Report any developments immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

Moments later, the Wilson family issued a citywide manhunt for a woman named Elowen.

The reason given was that Elowen had stolen the Wilson family's secrets and must be found.

This was all part of Ezra's plan.

According to Emily's suspicions, if Elise was really Olivia, then Elowen would definitely try to find Elise once she escaped.

The manhunt was just a ruse to flush them out. The more desperate they became, the more likely they were to reveal themselves.

Ezra was waiting in the background, ready to catch both Elowen and Elise.

As expected, Elowen's first move after escaping was to flag down a car and head into the city.

This was all part of their plan.

On the way, Elowen borrowed the driver's phone to call Elise.

Since it was an unknown number, it rang for a while before Elise answered coldly, "Who is this?"

Hearing Elise's voice, Elowen was on the verge of tears.

"Olivia, it's me! The Wilson family caught me. They were going to drug me and lock me in a mental hospital. Where are you? Please come save me..."

Elise's eyes welled up at the sound of Elowen's voice.

But she kept her cool and asked, "Mom, where are you? I hear car noises. Didn't the Wilson family catch you? How are you calling?"

Elise's first thought was that this was a trick by the Wilson family.

But then she panicked.

She had just called her "Mom" in a moment of desperation. If this was a trap, her cover was blown.

Luckily, Elowen quickly explained.

"Olivia, don't worry. I escaped. I borrowed this phone from the driver. Where are you? I'm so scared. I just want to be with you."

Hearing that Elowen had escaped, Elise relaxed.

Given the Wilson family's hatred for Elowen, they would never let her go. If Elowen had escaped, it meant she had really slipped past them.

Thinking of Elowen's fear, Elise didn't hesitate to give her location.

"Mom, tell the driver to head towards Lustrous Glass District. I'll give you the exact location when you get there. You'll be safe."

"Okay, I'm on my way."

Elowen relayed Olivia's instructions to the driver, promising to pay him once they reached the destination.

The driver was reluctant at first. Driving to Lustrous Glass District meant he wouldn't get any passengers on the way back. But when Elowen offered double the fare, he reluctantly agreed and started driving.

They soon reached the location Elise had mentioned. After confirming the driver was trustworthy, Elise had him drive to the foot of a hill and personally came out to get Elowen.

She paid the driver five hundred dollars and sent him on his way.

The taxi turned around and headed back, but halfway there, it suddenly stopped behind a secluded house.

The driver pulled out his phone and dialed a number, his face serious. "The target has appeared. What's the next move? Do we go in now or wait?"

The person on the other end immediately went to get instructions from Ezra.

"Mr. Wilson, Elowen headed west and met up with her daughter in our car. Should we move in now?"

Ezra's eyes darkened. "Did you plant the devices?"

The subordinate nodded. "We placed a bug on her when she was taken from the interrogation room."

"Tell our people to hold off. Keep an eye on them and wait for my signal."

"Yes, sir!"

Ezra was playing the long game. Letting Elowen go wasn't just about catching Elise. He wanted to uncover the truth about how Elowen and Michael had conspired to kill his sister Alice.

It was too soon to make a move.

Meanwhile...

Elowen, finally free, was helped into a shabby house by Elise.

Looking at the dilapidated walls and furniture, Elowen wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Olivia, why did you pick such a dump? It's filthy. How can anyone live here?"

Elise had planned to have Elowen stay with her for a while, so she had cleaned up and bought new supplies.

But Elowen, used to a life of luxury with Michael, couldn't stand the sight of the place.

Elise was exasperated. "It's just temporary. If I can handle it, so can you."

They were in dire straits, yet Elowen still clung to her old ways. Even Elise was fed up.

"Besides, this place may be a dump, but it's better than being caught by the Wilson family. So stop complaining."

Elise couldn't stand the place either, but survival was more important. This was the best hiding spot they had.

If they were discovered, they could escape into the mountains.

Elowen's escape wouldn't go unnoticed by the Wilson Group. They would definitely send people after her.

Right now, staying alive was all that mattered.

Elowen, who had been about to complain more, shut her mouth at the mention of the Wilson Group.

The Wilson family were all lunatics.

She'd rather hide forever than deal with them again.