Chapter 139
When Lisbeth entered the security office, Anna was frantically peppering the guard with questions.
"Why haven't you found anything yet? The surveillance cameras are right here! Someone just walked off with my child!"
The security guard tried his best to soothe her. "Ma'am, please try to stay calm. The footage does show someone taking your son, but we can't see their face. Right now, our only option is to have the police check the street cameras and see if they can track him down."
The person on the surveillance video wore a mask and a hat, completely covered up. The footage showed that after Anna left, Dennis waited by the restroom entrance. Since there weren't many people around and it was right outside the women's restroom, Anna hadn't been worried. Plus, she'd only be a minute. The whole thing took less than five minutes.
In those five minutes, the man said something to Dennis. Dennis hesitated, glanced back at the restroom, then left with him.
"You really need to teach your kids not to go with strangers," the security guard couldn't help but add.
Anna felt absolutely awful.
Lisbeth walked in just then. The moment Anna saw her, tears streamed down her face.
"Lisbeth... I'm so sorry."
Dennis was Lisbeth's baby. Sure, she doted on Anne, but she loved and protected Dennis just as fiercely. Dennis meant something different to Lisbeth, though. He'd been there for her through the hardest times—during his own illness, through those grueling days when Lisbeth gave birth to Anne alone in Vesperia. Dennis had been by her side through it all.
"This isn't your fault." Lisbeth comforted Anna, then turned to the security guard. "Haven't the police arrived yet?"
"They're here. They're pulling the footage now."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ralph walked in with the police.
"Mr. White," Lisbeth acknowledged him.
Ralph was a man in his forties with steady, gentle features. Even with something this serious happening, he remained composed. "I've explained the situation to the officers. Now we just have to wait for their investigation. Don't cry, don't panic. We will find Dennis."
His voice alone seemed to calm everyone down.
Anna wiped her tears. "This is all my fault. I should have let Dennis go with you."
She felt like she'd failed to protect the child. Earlier, Ralph had gone to meet an old friend. Anna wanted to take Dennis to find Lisbeth, so they'd split up.
"I never imagined something like this could happen in such a crowded place."
Ralph paused. This kind of thing wasn't rare at all. In this world, some people were sick enough to profit off children's suffering.
He'd been a victim once, too.
He looked at Lisbeth. "Take your mother home. I'll stay here."
"But—"
Ralph's tone left no room for argument. "Go home."
Lisbeth hesitated, then glanced at Anna. Her mother looked like she was about to collapse. She quickly steadied her. "Mom, let me take you home."
Anna knew she'd just be in the way if she stayed, so she didn't refuse.
After getting her mother home safely, Lisbeth left.
Anne quietly pushed the door open. "Grandma."
When Anna saw Anne, tears welled up in her eyes again. Anne and Dennis had different fathers, but they'd both inherited certain qualities from Lisbeth. Like those beautiful eyes they both had.
"Anne..."
Anne immediately threw herself into her grandmother's arms. Seeing her grandmother's red-rimmed eyes, she felt helpless but gently patted her back, just like Grandma did when comforting her.
"Don't cry, don't cry. It's okay. Everything's okay."
...
Sitting in her car, Lisbeth opened the surveillance app on her phone. Seeing that tender scene brought her some relief.
With Anne there, Anna would be alright.
The urgent priority now was finding Dennis.
...
A car was parked not far from the police station entrance.
Elora sat inside. A man pulled open the car door and climbed in, immediately reaching for her hand.
Elora jerked away. "Don't touch me."
The man smirked. "You sure didn't say that when you were in my bed. As I recall, you used to cling to me every day... wouldn't let me go home. Even said you wanted me to divorce my wife so you could marry me..."
At those words, Elora's expression turned ice-cold. "Wasn't it you who refused to marry me?"
"I wanted to marry you, babe, but your background, your history, your... reputation. There was just no way I could. My parents would never agree." The man was in his thirties, unemployed, living off his parents' money. They had some cash, though.
He'd genuinely liked Elora once. But that's all it was—just liking.
"I heard you've been with Leopold for three years now, and still no ring. Face reality, sweetheart. Someone with your past isn't getting into high society."
Elora stayed silent.
When she was young and reckless, she'd thought she could bury all those things she'd done. But nothing stays hidden forever. Her ordinary family background wasn't the real problem. The real stain was how she'd been with man after man, all in pursuit of marrying into wealth. Married, single, young, old—as long as they had money and status, she was willing.
She didn't think she'd done anything wrong, but in everyone else's eyes, that history was dirty. Unacceptable. Especially to those elite families, already so judgmental and prejudiced against regular people.
Elora didn't want to relive those painful memories. "I brought what you asked for."
She pulled a small case from the back seat. Inside was exactly five million dollars.
The man picked up the case and hefted it. "This is way less than what I asked for."
"It's all I have."
Elora gripped the steering wheel, her voice cold. "Take the money or don't. Either way, stop threatening me. Give me all the negatives."
"What am I, a charity case?"
"If you don't want it, give it back. There's a police station right there. I could drive straight in and tell them you're blackmailing me with photos. How long you think you'd get?"
"Oh, so now you're threatening me?" The man hadn't expected Elora to have the guts, and he laughed bitterly. "Aren't you afraid I'll leak those photos? You'd be the star of the show. Hell, you might even become famous."
"Go ahead and try. We'll go down together."
Elora was done being threatened. "Five million dollars is every cent I can scrape together. I'm buying my peace. If that's not good enough for you, then we both die."
The man backed down a bit. He only wanted money—he didn't actually want to die, and he didn't really want to release the photos either. Once they were out there, he'd lose his leverage over Elora.
But five million dollars... it was less than he wanted.
Still, remembering how ruthless Elora could be, she might actually drive into that police station. "Fine. Five million it is."
He tossed the box containing the negatives to Elora.
Elora reached for it, but he grabbed her hand, squeezing hard enough that she couldn't easily pull free. She lifted her head and stared at him coldly.
"What do you want?"
The man looked at her with lecherous eyes. "Sure, you don't want to relive some of those good old days?"
He kind of missed Elora. Young, but she knew her way around.
Elora's jaw clenched. "Get out."
The man found it boring and got out of the car.
Elora immediately checked the box for the negatives, confirming all the photos were there before finally breathing a sigh of relief.
At least that nightmare was over.
She glanced up and spotted a familiar figure. She cracked the window open just a sliver.
Why was Lisbeth here?