Chapter 217 Provocation

Chapter 217 Provocation

Outside the Howard Manor ballroom, Matthew paced back and forth, his phone clutched tightly in his white-knuckled grip. He kept looking toward the distant intersection, hoping to catch sight of Olivia, but was disappointed every time.

Mason stood nearby, his expression equally grim. He pulled out his phone and tried calling Celeste again, but still couldn't reach her.

"That bastard Stanley! How dare he take Celeste and Molly hostage, and Olivia too!"

Mason's voice was filled with rage as he slammed his fist against a nearby pillar.

"Father, don't worry. The police are conducting a citywide manhunt. They'll find them," Matthew said, walking over to pat Mason's shoulder, though his own voice was thick with anxiety.

Just then, footsteps approached from the distance. Patrick and Jacob walked over, wearing smug, gleeful expressions.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mason and Matthew. What are you doing standing out here? Did something happen at home?" Patrick said with obvious mockery.

Jacob chimed in with a sneer, "I heard Stanley kidnapped Aunt Celeste and Molly, along with Olivia? Looks like you've really been making enemies lately."

Hearing this, the rage inside Matthew exploded instantly. He strode up to Jacob with a cold expression, grabbed him by the collar, and threw a punch directly at his face.

Jacob stumbled backward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"You dare hit me?" Jacob covered his face, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Damn right I hit you!" Matthew stepped forward, ready to strike again. "Not only do I want to hit you, I want to tear that filthy mouth of yours apart."

Patrick quickly stepped between them, shouting at Mason, "Mason! Look at Matthew! He's throwing punches! Aren't you going to do something?"

Mason looked at the father-son duo with a dark expression, his own anger boiling over.

He pushed Patrick aside and landed a punch square on his face.

"My family is in crisis, and instead of helping, you come here with your snide remarks. You deserved that!"

Mason's voice carried unmistakable authority.

Patrick hadn't expected Mason to get physical, too. After a moment of shock, he said angrily, "You dare hit me!"

Mason replied coldly, "My wife and daughter are kidnapped by Stanley right now. I'm in a very bad mood, so if you want to keep running your mouth, go ahead and see what happens."

Jacob clutched his face, looking at Matthew and Mason with a mixture of fear and rage.

The security guards nearby stepped forward with dark expressions, equally disgusted by Patrick and Jacob's behavior.

"You'll pay for this! This isn't over!" 

Patrick and Jacob supported each other as they slunk away.

Matthew watched their retreating figures and snorted coldly, then turned to Mason. "Dad, we'll deal with them later. Right now, the most important thing is finding Olivia and the others."

Mason nodded and took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.

At that moment, a police officer hurried over with a hint of excitement on his face. "We found the vehicle Stanley used to escape! Through surveillance footage, we've located the car and are dispatching units for pursuit!"

Matthew and Mason felt a surge of relief. Matthew quickly asked, "Where is the vehicle now? How far from here?"

"The car is currently on the highway outside the city, heading away from town. We've sent units to intercept it. We should catch up soon," the officer replied.

"Thank God!" Mason said excitedly. "Please ensure my family's safety!"

"Don't worry, we'll do everything possible to keep the hostages safe," the officer assured them before hurrying away to follow up on the pursuit.

Matthew and Mason exchanged glances, feeling slightly relieved. But they knew that as long as Stanley hadn't been captured, the women remained in danger. It was still too early to celebrate.

Meanwhile, the vehicle carrying Stanley was speeding down the highway. Scarlett's proposition had made the atmosphere inside the car extremely tense.

Stanley frowned, looking at Scarlett, then at the three women in the back seat, rapidly weighing his options. He knew he was cornered—the police would catch up soon. If he didn't accept Scarlett's offer, he'd likely be arrested and face death anyway. But if he agreed, he'd have to kill these three women, especially Celeste and Molly, who were his family.

Seeing Stanley's hesitation, Celeste grew increasingly panicked. "Stanley, don't listen to her! She's using you! If you kill us, you won't escape either!"

Molly cried out, "Uncle! You held me when I was little! How could you kill me? Let us go and we'll surrender together! I'll beg Dad to forgive you!"

Olivia remained silent, watching Stanley intently with wariness in her eyes. She knew that no amount of pleading would help now—she could only wait for Stanley's final decision.

Seeing Stanley's hesitation, Scarlett grew anxious and pressed on, "Stanley, stop wavering! The police will catch up soon. If you don't agree, we'll all die here! Just help me kill these three, and I guarantee I can get you safely out of this country. Then you can live comfortably without worrying about police pursuit."

Stanley took a deep breath, the hesitation in his eyes slowly disappearing, replaced by ruthless determination. He knew he had no choice but to gamble everything.

"Fine. I agree," Stanley said coldly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Hearing this, the three women in the back seat went deathly pale. Molly screamed in terror, Celeste froze in shock with tears streaming down her face, and Olivia's body stiffened as despair filled her heart.

Scarlett's face lit up with a triumphant smile. Looking at the three women in the back, her eyes gleamed with vengeful satisfaction. "Don't worry, I'll make sure your deaths are quick."

The atmosphere in the car became even more oppressive. No one spoke except for the sound of the vehicle moving and Molly's suppressed sobs. Everyone knew that what awaited them next was likely death.

And Stanley had already prepared himself to kill—his hand gripped the gun tightly, his eyes filled with ruthless intent, ready to turn the weapon on the three women in the back seat at any moment.