Chapter 256 Bizarre Prison Break
This incident was a complete wake-up call.
Stefan no longer dared to let his guard down for even a second. He brought in the most elite security team from the group headquarters, operating in 24-hour rotating shifts to protect the entire floor where Cecilia was staying.
Everyone entering or leaving, including doctors and nurses, had to pass through three layers of identity checks and security screening.
All food and items delivered were tested with specialized equipment to ensure they were safe and non-toxic before reaching Cecilia.
When Dione and Mabel returned and saw this setup, they were stunned. After hearing from Stefan that Rufus had actually broken into the hospital room, both women trembled with rage.
"That lunatic! How dare he!" Mabel was both furious and shaken, her eyes reddening.
Dione was even more blunt.
She clenched her fists, her usually elegant face twisting with anger. "Stefan, this cannot continue! That man is nothing but trouble. We need to erase him from the picture for good!"
Having lived through the life-or-death moment of being pushed down the stairs, and seeing Cecilia badly injured while saving her, Dione now held a deep hostility toward anyone who might harm Cecilia or Stefan.
Stefan could only reassure both mothers. "Mom, don’t worry. I know what to do."
For the next two weeks, Cecilia recovered under security on par with that of a head of state.
Stefan pushed aside almost all company business to stay at the hospital full-time. Feeding her, wiping her face, giving massages—he personally handled every detail.
Surrounded by such warmth and family affection, Cecilia’s body and mood improved quickly.
Yet there was always a thorn in her heart.
Rufus was an extreme man who could not be judged by normal logic. If he could infiltrate a heavily guarded hospital room once, next time he might do something even more reckless.
The thought left her unsettled, a constant sense that something bad was coming.
After another two weeks in the hospital, most of Cecilia’s injuries had healed, though her fractured arm still needed rest.
She disliked the smell of disinfectant and did not want Stefan and her family constantly running back and forth, so she insisted on being discharged to recover at home.
Stefan could not sway her. After confirming with the doctor several times that home recovery would be fine, he agreed.
He renovated one of his secluded villas, installing top-tier security systems and medical equipment, making the home even more comfortable than a luxury hospital suite before bringing Cecilia back.
Life at home was far more pleasant than in the hospital.
Cecilia could enjoy the sunshine and breathe fresh air every day, and her mood grew brighter.
That afternoon, Stefan was in his study handling backlogged business while Cecilia leaned on the living room sofa, watching Dione and Mabel enthusiastically flipping through wedding planning albums, with Robert happily making coffee nearby.
This was peace. This was stability.
Looking at the warm scene before her, Cecilia’s lips curved into an unconscious smile. If only it could always be like this.
Just then, Garth hurried in from outside, his expression grave.
He walked to Stefan’s side and reported in a low voice, "Mr. Hensley, we just got word from the police station—Anna has disappeared from the detention center."
In the study, Stefan’s brow furrowed tightly.
"Disappeared? What do you mean?"
"The situation is strange," Garth said, handing over a document. "They discovered she was missing during last night’s shift change. The surveillance was tampered with—the footage from that period is completely blank. They’ve searched extensively but found no trace of how she left. She simply vanished."
Stefan flipped through the report, his eyes growing colder.
Vanished?
That story might fool others, but to him it meant only one thing—someone had used special means to break Anna out of the heavily guarded detention center.
"The Clark family still has that kind of pull?" Stefan snorted.
The Clark family had been crushed by him—core businesses bankrupt and liquidated, key members imprisoned for various crimes. He could not fathom who would risk offending the Hensley family to rescue Anna, who had no value left.
"We checked the Clark family’s old network," Garth said. "Although they have fallen, they operated in Harmony City for many years—long-standing influence. Some loyal followers may still remain. We suspect these people might have joined forces and used underhanded methods."
It was a plausible theory.
Stefan thought for a moment and ordered, "Keep investigating. Whoever did this, dig them out. Also, notify everyone—citywide search for Anna. She cannot have gone far."
"Yes." Garth turned to leave.
"Wait." Stefan stopped him. "Increase protection for Amelia and her family, especially her parents. Double the security detail."
Though he doubted Anna could pull off anything major now, better safe than sorry.
After Garth left, Stefan took the documents and walked out of the study.
In the living room, Cecilia was chatting happily with the mothers. Seeing him, she asked with a smile, "Finished with work?"
Stefan sat beside her, naturally pulling her into his arms, then briefly explained Anna’s disappearance.
After hearing this, both Dione and Mabel’s expressions darkened.
"Anna escaped again?" Dione banged her hand on the table. "What does she want now? Failed last time, so she wants to harm Amelia again?"
"What are we going to do? Why is she so hard to shake off!" Mabel was worried.
Cecilia was calmer than Dione and Mabel, but unease still welled in her heart.
Stefan’s theory about the Clark family’s old followers made sense to her, too.
Yet somehow, she had a nagging feeling this was not so simple.
Sometimes intuition defies logic.
Unbidden, Rufus’s face with that sick smile appeared in her mind.
Was it him?
Once the thought emerged, she could not suppress it.
But she could not figure out why Rufus would rescue Anna.
To use against her and Stefan?
Even when the Clark family was intact, they were not much of a threat—let alone now, with only Anna left.
Cecilia could not make sense of it, but the unease in her heart grew stronger. She felt that Rufus, that lunatic, must be plotting something big against her and Stefan.
And the missing Anna was likely the most crucial piece in that scheme.