Chapter 425: Ruthless and Cruel

Chapter 425 Ruthless and Cruel

News was spreading like wildfire across major media outlets.

"Did you hear? Tessa was forced to confess! The Harvey family beat her up, and that's why she said those things."

"I knew something was off. Remember how the livestream cut out for a while at the beginning? They probably beat her up during that time."

"Looks like we were all fooled by the Harvey family. I was suspicious when she kept denying everything at first, but then after the stream resumed, she suddenly changed her story."

Wendy was walking through the hospital when she overheard a group of nurses gossiping. Her heart tightened.

Hearing the names "Tessa" and "livestream," she immediately connected it to the last livestream incident. Could something new have happened?

Wendy quickly pulled out her phone to check, and sure enough, a video had shot to the top of the trending list.

She clicked on the video, and Tessa's face appeared on the screen.

Tessa's eyes were swollen, and she was crying uncontrollably into the camera, looking utterly wronged. 

"It's all fake! Everything I said in the last livestream was a lie! Wendy had people beat me up, and she had two men standing by, threatening to ruin my reputation and livestream the whole thing if I didn't do as she said. How could I live with myself if that happened?"

She wiped her tears and continued sobbing. "That designer bag wasn't mine; she forced it into my hands. And all those things I said, she made me say them." 

"I'm just an ordinary person; how could I stand by and watch my friend die without doing anything? And as for embezzling hospital funds, I would never do something so heartless!"

After speaking, Tessa stood up, turned her back to the camera, and slowly took off her shirt.

Her pale back was covered in bruises.

She cried helplessly for a while before calming down a bit and shouted, "Wendy had people do this to me! She's a monster! Mr. Turner broke off his engagement with Ms. Russell because of her, and she still won't leave Ms. Russell alone. She's so vicious! I curse her to die a horrible death!"

The video had already been shared over a hundred thousand times, and the comments were overwhelming.

[So the feud between the Russell family and the Turner Group is really because of Wendy? I thought she was the victim, but it turns out she's the culprit.]

[How cruel! Tessa's back is so badly beaten.]

[She looks so innocent, but she wanted to ruin Tessa. The affairs of the rich are so complicated. Ordinary people should stay out of it; who knows what the next twist will be.]

Wendy finished watching the video, not expecting Tessa to pull such a "surprise" on her.

She was about to call Gilbert when his call came in first.

"Wendy, I saw the video online," Gilbert's voice sounded anxious.

Wendy was slightly taken aback and said, "I didn't get ahead of it. But Gilbert, you didn't call just for this, did you?"

Gilbert replied, "You're right. Tessa is missing."

Wendy recalled the bruises on Tessa's back in the video and couldn't help but mock, "That video was probably forced out of her too."

Gilbert let out a cold laugh. "People only believe what they see. Even if there are doubts, they think they're like Sherlock Holmes, uncovering the truth, not realizing they're just being manipulated."

But now, saying this was pointless. Wendy's expression grew serious. "Gilbert, I need you to find out where Tessa is."

"I've already sent people to investigate. Also, Sophie will likely be released soon."

Wendy sighed softly. "I knew this day would come. We underestimated the Russell family and Sophie. She's been a force in Aurora City's business world for so long; she's not to be taken lightly."

The video stayed at the top of the trending list for over an hour.

Gilbert had people trying to suppress the buzz, but it was clear the Russell Group was using even greater resources to keep it trending.

In a hidden room, the dim light flickered.

Tessa looked at the old man in front of her with terror, her voice trembling. "I've said and done everything you asked. Can I go now?"

She was tightly bound with ropes, her body covered in bruises.

Since being kidnapped, two days had passed. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything, only endured beatings.

These injuries, now highlighted in the video, had become a powerful tool to evoke public sympathy.

Tessa didn't know who the old man was, but she knew it had to be connected to Sophie.

Liam's eyes were cold, and he wore a chilling smile as he stared at Tessa. His voice seemed to come from the depths of hell. 

"You can go, but you'd better remember what you said in the video today. If I can kidnap you once, I can do it again."

He paused, his tone even colder. "But next time, you might not get off so easily."

Tessa clenched her hands, trembling uncontrollably, and nodded quickly. "I know, I know. Everything in the video is true. Wendy forced me to do it."

Liam nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand. Someone immediately stepped forward to untie Tessa.

In the oppressive atmosphere, Tessa felt like she had been granted a reprieve and scrambled to escape the terrifying place.

When she stepped out of the room and into the sunlight, she realized she was in a desolate area.

The silence was eerie, with no one in sight.

Tessa ran desperately, feeling like eyes were watching her from behind.

On the deserted road, there was nowhere to hide.

She glanced back and saw a car slowly following her, coming from the direction of the hidden room.

She hadn't run a mile before the car caught up.

The car door opened, and three men jumped out.

Tessa screamed in terror. "That man said he'd let me go! What do you want?"

The leader sneered. "The boss doesn't waste words. He said he'd let you go, but he didn't say you'd leave in one piece. You made a mistake, and now you have to pay. Leave your tongue behind."

With that, the man pulled out a knife, the sharp blade glinting in the sunlight.

"No! No!" Tessa cried out in despair.

Two men quickly grabbed her arms. "Don't move!"

Tessa, weak from two days without food or water, had no strength left and was soon pinned to the ground.

The man with the knife approached her, the blade flashing.

Tessa let out a scream and passed out from the pain.

When she woke up, she found herself dumped at her doorstep.

The hallway was pitch black, and she realized in horror that her tongue was gone.

Using all her strength, she could only make a few indistinct sounds.

She burst into tears, struggling to open her door and rush into the bathroom.

In the mirror, she saw her tongue had been cut off at the root. The bleeding had stopped, but the brutal reality nearly broke her.

Tessa cried uncontrollably, knowing the Russell family wouldn't let her off easily. She would never dare mention the incident again.

Meanwhile, Alexander sat in his office, pondering the Russell Group's production line issues.

How could the Russell Group resolve their production line problems so smoothly?

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.

Liam, a seasoned figure in the business world, wouldn't fall into his trap so easily.

But solving the machinery and other issues in such a short time was no small feat.

Could the Russell Group have an ace up their sleeve?

Alexander never underestimated any opponent and never overlooked potential risks.

He called his assistant into the office, frowning as he whispered a few instructions.

The assistant nodded seriously, indicating he understood, and quickly left.

At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a notification from the relevant department and promptly submitted an invitation.

After finishing his work, Alexander looked at the unavoidable social engagement and rubbed his temples in frustration.

With his assistant sent to investigate, he had no choice but to drive himself to the event.

In the political and business circles, there were few common topics, so the event was filled with empty talk.

Everyone put on a facade of understanding, smiling and flattering each other.

Alexander always found such events incredibly dull but had to make an appearance.

After a few rounds, he couldn't avoid drinking a few glasses of wine and then pretended to be drunk to leave the room.

He didn't call Dean to pick him up and instead wandered aimlessly.

Alexander wasn't actually drunk; his mind was exceptionally clear.

But all he could think about was Wendy's face.

Her happy, gentle, and even cold expressions...

As he crossed an intersection, a bright light suddenly shone directly at him, and a car sped towards him.