Chapter 78 A Test for Mr. Harrington
Audrey looked at the phone for a moment, then shifted her gaze back to the man. Slowly, she picked up the flat device carefully, hiding her unease. "I'm not that stupid."
"Hurry up!" Vincent urged, his eyes sharp as he watched Audrey's every move.
Hands slightly trembling, Audrey started typing Elliot's number into the phone. However, she deliberately slowed her movements, hoping to buy time to think. As the call started to connect, her heart pounded wildly. She prayed silently in her confusion, hoping for either Elliot to answer or for her to be rejected.
The pounding in Audrey's chest grew faster, accompanied by her rising panic, making her tremble and clench her fingers until they turned white. A cold sweat broke out.
Vincent's brow furrowed as his suspicious gaze intensified, seeing Audrey looking pale and nervous.
Audrey hurriedly ended the call. "I-I'll try again." Her voice was no longer as firm as before, making Vincent's face look even less friendly.
The man let Audrey try once more. After all, he also didn't want to waste the chance to drain Elliot Harrington's funds if what Audrey said was true.
Seeing Audrey's increasingly unconvincing and panicky behavior made the man feel she was deceiving him and stalling for time. He even suspected that the person Audrey was calling wasn't Elliot at all.
Not wanting to be strung along any longer, Vincent approached and snatched the phone from Audrey's hand, startling her. He quickly turned off the device and handed it to one of his men, never taking his piercing gaze off the now-shivering Audrey.
"So you tried to trick me, sweetheart?" Vincent's jaw tightened again, making Audrey instinctively step back while weakly shaking her head.
"No! That was really his number—"
"Shut up!" Vincent's voice was so loud. Audrey could see the clear anger on the face of the man looming over her.
"I told you not to try anything stupid with me," the man hissed, his dark eyes glinting as if they wanted to swallow Audrey alive.
As Audrey tried to give a futile argument, Vincent grabbed her arm tightly, making her let out a faint cry of pain.
"Let me go—"
"I said be quiet!" Vincent shouted again, this time with eyes wide in anger. Audrey was instantly terrified seeing him. "Since you've played me, you'll face the consequences!"
"Wait! I'm not lying!" Audrey screamed, her tone pleading. "Let me try one more time—"
Vincent snorted roughly, looking at Audrey with unbearable anger. "I've been patient enough with you," he said coldly.
With one swift motion, he shoved Audrey roughly toward his man. "Take her back to her room and lock the door tight! Don't let her out until I give the order!" Vincent commanded, his voice booming.
Audrey almost fell from the shove, but the man who caught her immediately grabbed her arm roughly.
"Move!" the man barked, dragging Audrey without mercy.
"I really wasn't lying!" Audrey cried out, her voice full of fear she could no longer hide. However, Vincent only glanced at her with a flat expression before completely ignoring her.
"I don't care," the man replied coldly.
Audrey kept struggling, but the man dragging her was too strong. With quick steps, she was hauled back to the basement and shoved into the small room. The door was immediately locked tight, leaving Audrey collapsed on the floor, her body trembling.
Meanwhile, Vincent walked to the living room. He sank into the luxurious leather sofa, rubbing his face in frustration. He lit a cigarette and exhaled the smoke slowly. Anger mixed with doubt haunted him. His instincts told him that Audrey wasn't completely lying, which was why he was still keeping her. But, her actions earlier made Vincent feel he'd been played.
Not long after, one of his men entered the room. The man carried the phone Audrey had been using earlier, his face full of caution.
"Boss, this is the number the girl tried to call," he reported, handing the phone to Vincent. "We've removed the SIM card she used."
Vincent took the phone and looked at the screen showing the last number dialed. "Did you check the number she was calling?"
His man nodded, and Vincent immediately raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"It is Elliot Harrington's number," his man reported with confidence. "We confirmed it through the database we accessed. It's his private line."
Hearing that report, Vincent narrowed his eyes, taking a deep drag from his cigarette before stubbing it out in the ashtray on the table.
"So, she wasn't lying," he murmured softly, a small smirk beginning to appear on his face.
"What's our next move?" his man asked cautiously.
Vincent fell silent, letting his mind analyze every possibility. He knew this was a complicated situation. If Elliot truly was as powerful as Audrey said, then reckless action could become a deadly boomerang for him.
"Keep watching the girl," Vincent ordered firmly. "Don't let her do anything we don't want. If she really is that valuable to Elliot Harrington, we'll see just how far that man is willing to go."
"Understood, Boss," his associate replied, then turned and left the room to carry out the order.
Vincent leaned back on the sofa, fiddling with the phone in his hand while turning ideas over in his head. He knew his next steps had to be taken very carefully. Elliot was no ordinary man, and dealing with someone like him required a solid strategy.
Yet, beneath the doubt, Vincent couldn't ignore the huge potential of this situation. Audrey, without realizing it, had become the key to unlocking a major opportunity for him. An opportunity that might not come a second time.
A sly smile returned to his face. "You're more valuable than I thought, sweetheart," Vincent murmured softly, his voice full of triumph. "Let's see just how far your Elliot Harrington is willing to go to save you."