Chapter 84: Kidnapped!

Calliope's voice wavered a bit as she tried to keep her cool, not wanting Amelia to pick up on her nerves.

"Because..." Amelia hesitated, like she was choosing her words carefully. "Because something happened to Matthew."

Calliope's heart skipped a beat, a bad feeling creeping in.

"What happened to Matthew?" she blurted out, her voice louder than she intended.

Could it be that Matthew lost in the end? Did Owen finally get the upper hand?

She couldn't even picture that.

"Actually, it's not him, but the company. I'll send you a news article; check it out."

As soon as Amelia sent the link, Calliope opened it.

The headline alone was enough to make her uneasy: #Ascend Global Group Linked to Corruption Scandal.

She quickly skimmed through the article.

It said that the manager of Ascend Global Group's product department had been faking product info for years to pocket company funds, dragging multiple departments into the mess. One of the names stood out to her—Lisa.

There was a photo of Lisa, handcuffed and with her head covered, being led out of the company building by the cops.

Lisa was still in a tight dress and high heels, making the whole scene look even more absurd.

Calliope felt a mix of emotions. Her old rival, the once smug Lisa, was now a prisoner, in a worse spot than her.

Even though she didn't like Lisa, she didn't want to see her like this, especially since Lisa had a kid with leukemia.

The scandal happened right after Matthew took over the group, which made her worry about him.

Whether Matthew was involved or not, it would definitely hit him hard.

Calliope admitted to herself that she was really worried about Matthew now. She tried to comfort herself by thinking this was somewhat related to her and started scrolling through her phone.

She wanted to find more info about Matthew, but his name wasn't mentioned in the news.

Her heart started racing, anxiety building up.

She scrolled to the end of the post but still found no mention of Matthew, not even in related trending topics.

There were two possibilities.

First, Matthew wasn't affected.

Second, Matthew was so deeply affected that it was beyond what the public could know, hence the secrecy.

Calliope took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

If she wanted insider info, she could just ask Amelia, but Amelia was busy with her own career. She didn't want to bother her.

Plus, Calliope didn't want Amelia to owe James because of her. Favors were the hardest to repay.

All she could do now was wait for more info.

Matthew's image in her mind had shifted from a cold boss to someone she actually cared about, making her feelings all the more complicated. She never thought she'd be so worried about Matthew, who used to be so indifferent.

Calliope closed her eyes, her mind filled with the image of Matthew's calm demeanor, a stark contrast to the current chaos.

Riding her bike home, feeling all agitated, Calliope didn't notice a black van creeping up behind her.

The van suddenly sped up and cut her off.

Three big guys, all wearing hats and masks and carrying a sack, jumped out, looking mysterious.

Even an idiot could tell this was a kidnapping!

They didn't say a word, and Calliope didn't either. They just stared each other down in a weird standoff.

When they finally lunged at her, Calliope pedaled like crazy, speeding away on her bike!

No way she was letting them catch her!

Matthew's warning flashed through her mind.

Lisa's downfall meant Owen lost this round. In his rage, Owen would definitely do something!

But she never thought Owen would come after her directly!

The Moore family was nuts!

Calliope cursed in her mind, wishing her bike could fly!

She weaved through the narrow pedestrian path, so the van couldn't cut her off and had to trail her on the main road.

Her breathing was rapid, heart pounding. She knew she couldn't stop, her eyes fixed on the alley ahead.

If she could get into the alley, she might shake them off.

But her bike started to slow down as her legs grew tired.

Seeing her slow down, the men ran over and surrounded her.

"You bitch, dare to run!"

"Keep running, and let's see if I don't beat you to death!"

"This job is really tough."

The three men cursed, closing in, making it impossible for Calliope to break through.

If she couldn't force her way out, she'd have to outsmart them.

"Who are you? Why are you chasing me at night? I'm really scared."

They didn't answer, just moved closer.

Calliope's voice sounded like she was about to cry.

"Did you get the wrong person? I'm just a regular convenience store employee. How could I have any beef with you?"

She tried to keep her voice calm while quickly thinking of a way to escape.

"Stop talking nonsense. We're here to take you to see someone." One of the men answered gruffly, clearly not planning to explain further. "If you know what's good for you, get in the van yourself."

He said it like they were doing her a favor.

Who were they taking her to?