Chapter 40 Elizabeth Is Missing

Chapter 40 Elizabeth Is Missing

Emily's POV

"Joshua, call Christopher and see where he arranged for you to stay."

Joshua shrugged. "I called him ages ago. Can't get through. No idea what he's up to. If that jerk hadn't stolen my stuff, I'd already be at the hotel."

I felt helpless watching him.

He was the president's son, for crying out loud. Shouldn't he take his own safety a bit more seriously?

I glanced at the rearview mirror. As expected, several cars were already tailing us.

My expression darkened as I pressed harder on the gas.

So there were other forces involved. Had I been targeted all along?

My thoughts drifted back to that cargo ship.

It looked like the root of all this trouble was still that damn ship.

Bruce, that idiot, had actually provoked these people.

Forget about him—even I couldn't get out of this unscathed, and I still had to deal with this scumbag. It was infuriating!

The angrier I got, the harder I pressed on the gas pedal.

After making sure I'd shaken off the tail, I took Joshua to Harmony City, not far from Emerald City.

It was about a two-hour drive from Emerald City—underdeveloped, with a mixed crowd. Perfect for hiding.

Halfway there, I switched cars to throw them off our trail.

I found a small motel to check into. After settling Joshua in, I went downstairs and cautiously looked around to make sure there were no suspicious people.

Then I bought some water and food and went back up.

Inside the room, I stared at him. "So tell me, what's the real purpose of your visit to Silverlight City?"

"Didn't Christopher tell you? If he didn't say, then I can't either."

"He only told me you came to meet Abigail on your father's behalf."

Joshua looked at me with a smile. "Yeah, that's exactly it."

I rolled my eyes, completely speechless. What was this big secret they were guarding so carefully?

They kept things so tight-lipped, yet acted so carelessly...

Speechless. That's all I could say.

Sure enough, anyone connected to Christopher was bound to be abnormal.

With Christopher unreachable now, all I could do was hide with Joshua and take things one step at a time.

The sky gradually darkened.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from Douglas.

Douglas: [Joshua has arrived in Silverlight City.]

I was about to reply that I'd already picked him up, but then I thought better of it and responded: [Do you need me to go meet him?]

Douglas fell silent and didn't respond.

My expression darkened further. What was Douglas up to? Why would he randomly tell me this and then not reply?

What was his scheme?

Just as I was puzzling over this, my phone rang again. Seeing the caller ID, my expression grew even darker.

It was Zara calling. What did she want? To humiliate me?

I answered anyway, wanting to hear what she was up to.

"Hello, this is Emily."

"Emily, where are you?"

I could tell something was wrong from her tone. "What happened?"

"Emily, the police just came. Bruce's cargo ship is missing, and everyone on board is dead. They were all dumped on an island. He's been taken away by the police now. Before they took him, he told me to call Elizabeth. She's already on her way here."

What?!

I was shocked. The ship was out at sea, after all—it should have taken many days for news to reach anyone.

I'd assumed the Shadowmoon Council would dispose of the bodies cleanly, but instead they'd just left them on the island.

They probably even tipped off the police themselves.

Now the cargo ship was missing and so many of Bruce's men were dead—of course he'd be arrested.

The only problem was—what about Elizabeth?

She was already old, and she had cancer. She didn't have much time left.

And this damn Zara had called her about it. Wasn't this just making her worry?

What if Elizabeth got upset and it affected her health? That would be terrible.

Even if she didn't get upset, it was raining outside—what if she fell?

I couldn't worry about anything else. I had to call Elizabeth right away.

I called several times, but no one answered.

I figured she must be driving and didn't have time to pick up.

My mind was in chaos. How could I still worry about Joshua?

"Joshua, just stay here quietly. This place is hidden enough. As long as you don't go out, no one will find you. I'll come back for you when I'm done."

"Okay, go ahead. Family matters come first."

I nodded without further delay and rushed to my car, heading for the police station.

Now that Bruce had been arrested, Elizabeth would definitely go straight to the station.

I needed to get there fast. On the way, I called Zara again to ask which station it was.

When I arrived at the police station, I didn't see Elizabeth's car outside.

My heart sank for a moment. I went to ask the officers, but they all said they hadn't seen her.

I tried calling Elizabeth again. Still no answer.

By all logic, Elizabeth lived in Emerald City, much closer than me. Even if she were driving slowly, she should have arrived long ago.

And she still wasn't answering her phone. What if something had happened to her?

Damn it!

Bruce, that bastard.

I got in my car, planning to drive back and see if I could find Elizabeth along the way.

My phone screen lit up.

A message from Douglas.

[Trade Joshua for your Elizabeth. You have 12 hours. After that, you can prepare to collect her body.]

Damn!

The moment I saw the message, I understood everything.

I should have realized it earlier.

I stared at the message, my mind racing.

Douglas had been after that code from the start—I should have figured that out. When he asked me about Joshua before, I thought it was just casual conversation. Now I realized that was his last chance for me.

I chose to hide the truth, so he changed tactics: using Elizabeth to threaten me. As long as he had Joshua, that technology would naturally fall into his hands.

I cursed under my breath and tried calling Christopher, but there was still no answer.

I had no choice but to turn around and go back for Joshua.

Compared to Elizabeth, anyone could be sacrificed—including myself.

Wait. A thought suddenly flashed through my mind—Douglas, the Shadowmoon Council, and that mysterious organization—could they all be the same people?

Could this mysterious organization actually be the Shadowmoon Council?

What was their goal?

This was so frustrating. Whatever, I'd save Elizabeth first and worry about the rest later.

And Christopher—why had he suddenly gone silent? What the hell was he doing?

When I got back, my worst fear had come true.

Joshua was gone!