Chapter 201: Jasper's Disappearance

The second floor of Evergreen Hospital's private ward reeked of disinfectant, the sterile smell hanging heavy in the air.

The corridor was quiet except for the soft footsteps of medical staff making their rounds.

Two bodyguards flanked Jasper's door, hands at their sides, eyes scanning every person who passed by.

The fire door to the stairwell suddenly burst open, five men in dark suits striding out, their black dress shoes echoing dully against the polished floor.

The guard on the left immediately stepped forward, extending his arm to block their path.

"This is a private ward. You can't enter."

The leader—a man with a crew cut and a scar across his temple—stared at the bodyguard's outstretched arm. His mouth twitched into something that wasn't quite a smile. Without a word, he pushed forward. The bodyguard stumbled back half a step, then planted himself firmly in their path again.

"Final warning. This area is off-limits."

The scarred man's expression darkened. He raised his right hand and gestured to his crew. Four men immediately spread out—two lunging at the left bodyguard while the other pair engaged the right one.

Both sides were clearly trained professionals. Fists connected with flesh in a series of dull thuds that echoed off the hospital walls.

The left bodyguard drove his fist into one attacker's ribs, earning a grunt of pain, but the man grabbed the guard's arm while his partner wrapped around the bodyguard's waist from behind, slamming him against the wall. The impact knocked the wind from the guard's lungs, his face paling.

The right bodyguard fared no better. He managed to take down one opponent with a swift kick, but the second man drove a knee into his stomach. The guard doubled over, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Within seconds, both bodyguards were pinned to the floor.

The crew-cut leader walked over and nudged the left guard's shoulder with the toe of his shoe.

"Pathetic."

He pushed open the door to Jasper's room, but his expression immediately soured. The room was empty.

He rushed to check the bathroom—nothing.

The curtains were half-drawn, the window standing open. Wind gusted through, making the curtains snap against the frame.

The leader moved to the window and leaned out. Below, in the hospital garden, numerous trees dotted the landscape. One tree caught his attention—fresh breaks in the branches, clearly recent damage from someone falling through or grabbing onto them during a descent.

He pulled his head back and barked at his men. "He's gone! Find him!"

Five figures rushed toward the stairwell, their footsteps echoing down the concrete steps before fading into silence.

At that very moment, Jasper crouched in a cluster of bushes, knees drawn to his chest, hands clamped over his mouth. When he'd heard the commotion in the corridor, he'd scrambled onto the windowsill and jumped. The second-story drop onto the trees had been terrifying and painful. Every bone in his body ached.

Jasper pressed his hands tighter against his mouth, not daring to make a sound. He could hear people searching for him, breaking branches as they moved through the garden.

Once the footsteps faded, he slowly raised his head, parted the leaves in front of him, and crept toward the exit in a low crouch.

He'd just passed the ornamental fountain when a man in a black mask stepped out from behind a willow tree. The stranger held a square of white cloth, moving swiftly behind Jasper and clamping it over his nose and mouth. A sharp, chemical smell filled Jasper's nostrils. He tried to struggle, but the man's grip on his arms was iron-tight, sending pain shooting through his bones.

Within seconds, Jasper's eyelids grew heavy and his body went limp. The masked man released him, letting Jasper collapse to the ground. Through half-closed eyes, Jasper watched the man hoist him over his shoulder and carry him toward a black sedan parked in the corner of the garden. The car door opened, and he was shoved into the back seat. As the door slammed shut, consciousness abandoned him completely.

The black sedan glided smoothly through the hospital gates. The security guard in his booth kept his eyes glued to his phone, never bothering to look up.

Back at the estate, Olivia sat cross-legged on the carpet with the Chihuahua sprawled across her lap, licking her hand. When her phone rang, displaying "Evergreen Hospital," she answered immediately.

"Hello?"

A nurse's panicked voice crackled through the speaker.

"Ms. Smith, something terrible has happened! Mr. Jasper Smith is missing! There was a fight outside his room, and when we got there, he was gone!"

Olivia's hand clenched into a fist, startling the little dog into scrambling aside.

"A fight? Who was fighting? How could Jasper just disappear?"

Matthew emerged from his study just then, taking one look at Olivia's face before hurrying over. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Olivia ended the call, her voice trembling. "The hospital says Jasper's missing. There was some kind of fight outside his room—it sounds like someone was after him."

Matthew's expression immediately hardened. He pulled out his phone and speed-dialed Red Fox.

"Get to Evergreen Hospital now. Find out who was involved in that fight and where Jasper is. I want answers in ten minutes."

After hanging up, he crouched beside Olivia. "Don't panic. Red Fox is already on it. We're going to the hospital right now."

Olivia nodded, scrambling to her feet and following Matthew outside. As their car pulled away from the estate, she sat rigid in the passenger seat, hands twisted in the fabric of her shirt.

"You think it was Stanley, don't you? When he couldn't find me, he went after Jasper?"

Matthew's knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel. "It's possible. We'll know for sure once Red Fox reports back."

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to the hospital entrance. Red Fox stood on the front steps, immediately approaching when he spotted them.

Matthew strode over quickly. "What's the situation? Did you find Jasper? Who did this?"

Red Fox's expression was grim. "Mr. Jasper Smith is still missing. The attackers were Stanley Howard's men. They injured the bodyguards, but when they broke into the room, Mr. Smith wasn't there. They searched the garden but came up empty-handed. I pulled the security footage—it shows Jasper jumping from the window and running toward the garden exit, but after that, he vanishes from all cameras. He might have made it off hospital grounds."

When Olivia heard Stanley's name, she swayed on her feet. Matthew caught her arm.

"It was Stanley! When he couldn't get to me, he went after Jasper!"

Matthew pulled out his phone and found Stanley's contact. His finger hovered over the screen for a moment before he pressed call.

Meanwhile, in Stanley's office, five subordinates stood with bowed heads while shattered glass littered the floor around their feet—the remains of the tumbler Stanley had hurled in his rage.

"You incompetent morons!" Stanley's voice dripped with fury. "I sentyou to grab one sick kid, and not only do you fail, you let him escape! Now he's in the wind, and you're asking me what to do about it?"

The crew-cut leader quickly raised his head. "Boss, we combed through that garden multiple times. No sign of him anywhere. He must've gotten off hospital property."

Stanley kicked a nearby chair, sending it crashing to the floor.

"Off the property? Then why aren't you out there looking for him? He's a patient. How far could he get?"

His phone rang, the display showing Matthew's name. Stanley hesitated, a flutter of anxiety in his chest, but he answered.

"Matthew? What do you want?"

Matthew's voice came through ice-cold. "Stanley, did you send your men to the hospital to grab Jasper?"

Stanley's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly denied it. "I didn't grab anybody! I just sent some guys to check on him. How was I supposed to know he'd run the second he saw them?"

"You think I'm some kind of idiot?" Matthew's voice rose. "Your men beat up his bodyguards and scared him into jumping out a window. You call that 'checking on him'?"

Stanley's frown deepened, his own tone growing defensive. "Look, I just wanted him to pass along a message—tell Olivia to return my dog. How was I supposed to know he'd bolt? Now he's missing, and I'm the one trying to find him!"

"Stanley," Matthew's voice carried a deadly warning, "If anything happens to Jasper, I will destroy you. Get your people out there right now and find him. After that, you call me."