Chapter 66
Emily couldn't care about hiding anything now. She pulled out her phone and opened the watch's location tracker.
But it seemed everything about Nina had been stripped away. The watch's location stayed fixed in one spot without moving.
William didn't waste time questioning or investigating either.
He immediately took out his personal phone and quickly dialed a number.
"Pull up all available real-time surveillance and drone thermal imaging for the Jade Ridge area in Silverlight City. The target is a little girl, four or five years old, wearing a pink top, denim overalls, with two pigtails."
After hanging up, he looked at Emily, whose face was pale and her body slightly trembling.
William walked over quickly and stood beside her, saying in a low voice.
"Don't worry, we'll have results soon."
His words somehow helped Emily relax a bit.
Emily clenched her fists, looking at Jade Ridge ahead. "I need to search myself."
William thought for a moment and nodded.
The production crew couldn't worry about the live broadcast anymore. They cut the equipment and headed in with a large group of people.
They walked a short distance and met up with Oscar and Aiden.
"Oscar, what happened? Wasn't Nina staying close to you guys?"
Emily rushed forward. After confirming that Aiden and Oscar had no injuries, she let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Mommy, this is where the watch last appeared."
Oscar didn't waste time. He took Emily's phone, and after some operations, a red dot appeared on the screen.
The red dot's location wasn't far from them.
Everyone followed the trail and found only a watch and a pile of grass there.
Emily looked at the scene, lowered her head slightly, hatred surging in her eyes.
William stood beside her and made another call with brief commands.
"Send more people. Block all non-main entrances and exits of Jade Ridge. Check suspicious vehicles and people. Pay attention to anyone acting alone, looking rushed, or carrying large luggage."
He hung up and looked at Emily.
"My people will be here within ten minutes. They have professional search equipment and experience. Nina is smart - she'll definitely find a way to leave clues."
Emily nodded firmly and picked up the watch, handing it to Oscar.
Oscar operated on his phone, and a recording played.
"Little girl, your mom twisted her ankle at the production site. She sent me to pick you and your brothers up."
This was an unfamiliar voice, followed by Nina's hesitant, guarded voice.
"I don't believe you. I want to call Mommy."
She had just come out alone to use the bathroom. Aiden and Oscar couldn't go into the women's restroom, so they waited outside.
Now, looking at this strange woman, she was completely on guard.
"Look."
The strange woman pretended to take out her phone from her bag, but instead quickly covered Nina's mouth with one hand.
Before Nina could struggle or call for help, she was knocked out and taken away.
The recording stopped abruptly there.
"The voice has been processed, but it should be a young woman."
William said, forwarding the recording to his people. "Run voice analysis and comparison immediately."
Before long, William's private search and rescue team arrived and began working efficiently.
Time passed second by second, each one feeling especially long.
Fortunately, good news came soon.
"Mr. Brown, about three hundred meters to the northeast, near an abandoned ranger's temporary cabin, thermal imaging shows a small life sign, suspected to be the missing child."
Hearing the voice on the phone, Emily immediately perked up.
She rushed forward in a hurry but was pulled back by William.
"Follow me. Stay safe."
The group quickly rushed toward the indicated location.
As they approached the cabin, they heard faint sobbing from inside.
William made a gesture, and two bodyguards silently circled to the back of the cabin.
The cabin door was suddenly kicked open. Emily immediately covered her nose and mouth.
Inside the room, Nina was tied up with her hands and feet bound, tape over her mouth, huddled in a corner.
And besides her, there was no one else in the cabin.
"Nina!"
Emily rushed over, carefully peeling the tape off Nina's mouth with trembling hands, then untying the ropes.
Nina threw herself into Emily's arms, shaking, holding tight to her neck.
"Mommy, I was so scared!"
She burst into tears, crying so hard that everyone present felt their hearts clench.
Emily didn't say anything, just held her and gently patted her back.
Tears slid down Nina's cheeks - clearly, Emily's emotions weren't calm either.
Only after both Emily's and Nina's emotions had settled somewhat did Emily check Nina's whole body.
Besides marks on her wrists and ankles from the restraints and being frightened, Nina showed no other obvious injuries.
Emily quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, Sophia hadn't been too harsh, or she might never have seen Nina again.
News that Nina had been found spread quickly.
The production team's official account posted an emergency announcement, confirming Nina was safe, strongly condemning the illegal act, and stating they would cooperate with the police investigation.
But after all this chaos, the show couldn't continue.
The program quickly ended filming. Those who needed to cooperate with the investigation went to the police station, while others went home after giving their statements.
Emily held Nina, with Aiden and Oscar standing on either side of her.
"Mr. Brown, thank you so much for today."
She stood before William and thanked him quietly.
William shook his head. "It's nothing. This is what I should do."
He looked at Emily with deep, meaningful eyes.
There was so much meaning in that look that Emily couldn't figure it out at the moment, and didn't have the energy to.
She just wanted to take the kids home to rest quickly.
"Mr. Brown, I'll treat you to dinner another day."
After speaking, Emily left directly with the children.
Watching her deliberately distance herself from him, William felt uncomfortable.
But he also understood that his initial concealment of his identity and his sudden departure might have affected Emily's life.
She might be blaming him.
But William didn't mind.
In a place they hadn't noticed, in the shadows, a camera lens was quietly flashing a red light.
Although the production crew had stopped live streaming after Nina went missing.
Someone had secretly followed them and recorded video. All of William and Emily's interactions were captured and posted online.
"Thank goodness Nina was found, or everyone would have been worried sick."
Online discussion was constant. Some celebrated the child's safety, while others started shipping them as a couple.
"I have to say, Mr. Brown looked so cool like that. And he and Emily look so good together. The moment something happened to the child, he solved the problem and stood by Emily's side, firmly staying with her."
Either way, Emily and her three children became the focus.
Their outstanding performance was replayed constantly online. Emily and her children's popularity soared, and various endorsement and show invitations came flooding in.