Chapter 148 All Were Caught

Chapter 148 All Were Caught

The blinding glare of the overhead fluorescent lights hit the two intruders square in the face, forcing them to squeeze their eyes shut.

Instinctively, they raised their hands to shield their vision. But once their eyes adjusted, what they saw made their blood run cold.

Standing in the doorway were two young men dressed head-to-toe in black tactical gear.

One was tall and lean, his presence sharp and commanding, his expression ice-cold—it was Black Claws.

The other was slightly shorter but no less intimidating, his gaze locked onto the two people inside the room.

And Nova, who was supposed to be unconscious in bed, now had her eyes wide open.

Her gaze was clear and sharp, showing no trace of being drugged. She stared coldly at the two intruders before her.

"You… how are you…"

Kenna's eyes went wide. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

She had sprayed ether through the door crack—enough to knock out a grown adult in ten seconds and keep them under for at least half an hour. How was this old woman still conscious?

"You're wondering why I wasn't knocked out?" Nova slowly sat up, leaning back against the headboard, her expression calm.

"Because Eleanor gave me medication ahead of time. She knew you were coming for me, so she prepared for it. Every pill I've taken these past few days contained a compound that neutralizes ether. We were waiting for you to walk right into our trap."

The color drained from Kenna's face in an instant.

She whirled around, trying to bolt out of the room, but the two men in black blocked the doorway, unmoving.

Black Claws lifted his hand and grabbed her shoulder, his grip so tight it felt like he might crush her bones.

"Ah!" Kenna let out a scream as she was slammed against the wall.

Her accomplice—the thug she and Conard had hired—was already on his knees, trembling, his legs giving out beneath him. He banged his head against the floor over and over. "This has nothing to do with me! It was all her! She's the one who told me to do it! She paid me fifty grand to help her take the old lady. That's all I know, I swear!"

Black Claws cast him a cold glance, then waved at his men.

Two of them stepped forward, hauled the thug up from the floor, and dragged him out of the room.

Then Black Claws turned back to Kenna, still pinned against the wall.

His gaze was glacial, his voice devoid of emotion. "Kenna, you're not getting away."

Meanwhile, at the back entrance of the nursing home.

A black van sat idling by the curb, engine still running.

Inside were two men, waiting anxiously.

"What's taking them so long?" one of them snapped, checking his watch. "It's been twenty minutes. How hard is it to haul out one old woman?"

The other frowned. "Give it a few more minutes. Kenna said security's light at night. Shouldn't be a problem."

Just then, there was a sharp knock on the window.

Both men turned their heads to see a dark figure standing right outside.

Before they could react, the door was yanked open from the outside. Several strong arms reached in, dragged them both out of the van, and slammed them onto the pavement.

Black Claws looked down at the two dazed thugs sprawled on the ground. His voice was flat. "Take them."

At 3:00 a.m., the living room at Crestview Estates was flooded with light.

Eleanor sat on the sofa, holding a cup of hot coffee, her expression calm and cold.

Raymond sat beside her, his hand never leaving hers.

Black Claws stood in the center of the room, delivering his report to everyone present.

"Ms. Ramirez is safe and unharmed. All individuals who attempted to harm her have been apprehended, including Kenna and her two accomplices, as well as the two drivers waiting outside. All five have given consistent statements. The mastermind was Kenna. Her objective was to kidnap Ms. Ramirez and use her as a hostage to force Ms. Mitchell to leave the Mitchell family voluntarily."

The living room fell into dead silence.

Ryder's face was ashen. Serenity covered her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks.

And Wendy sat in the far corner of the sofa, her face ghostly pale, her entire body trembling.

Eleanor set down her coffee cup, lifted her gaze, and locked eyes with Wendy.

Then, in a quiet voice, she asked, "Wendy, is there anything you'd like to say?"

Wendy jerked her head up in panic. The moment she met Eleanor's icy stare, an involuntary shiver ran through her.

She shook her head frantically, her voice hollow. "I… I don't know what Eleanor is talking about. Whatever Kenna did has nothing to do with me. I didn't tell her to hurt anyone."

"Is that so?" Eleanor raised an eyebrow. She took a tablet from Black Claws, swiped the screen a couple of times, then held it up in front of Wendy. "Then take a look at this."

The screen showed surveillance footage.

The location was a hallway at Sunrise Assisted Living Center. The timestamp read 1:17 a.m. tonight.

In the video, Wendy stood at the end of the corridor, phone in hand, pacing back and forth anxiously. Every few seconds, she glanced down at her screen, clearly waiting for something.

A moment later, the call connected.

Wendy's voice came through the audio, crisp and clear. "What's taking you so long? What are you people doing? Can't even handle one old woman? Do I need to come in there and do it myself?"

The person on the other end said something, and Wendy's voice grew sharper. "Don't give me excuses. The nurses are switching shifts right now—get her out while you can. And don't leave any traces. Once it's done, get out of Sovereign City immediately. I've already wired the money to your account. Don't come back for at least six months."

The video continued.

The next segment showed Kenna entering the hospital room—and being caught red-handed by Black Claws.

Eleanor lowered the tablet and stared coldly at Wendy, whose face had turned the color of ash. "Tell me—is this evidence enough to convict you?"

Everyone in the living room was too stunned to speak.

Serenity stared at Wendy in disbelief, her lips trembling. "Wendy… you really tried to hurt Eleanor's grandmother? She's an innocent old woman who never did anything to you. How could you do something like this?"

Ryder's expression was dark as storm clouds.

He'd seen plenty of ruthless tactics in the business world. He knew how cruel people could be. But he never imagined that the child he'd raised with his own hands would be vicious enough to threaten someone's life—an innocent elderly woman, no less.

Wendy collapsed back onto the sofa, her lips quivering. She wanted to defend herself, but no words came out.

Her gaze swept across the room. All she saw was the same thing on every face—disappointment and fury.

Not a single person was willing to stand by her side.

Not a single person was willing to speak up for her.

At last, it hit her.

This time, she was truly done for.