Chapter 500
“Ms. Miller, is this the bracelet you were looking for?” the staff member asked.
“It was found near the dining table. Benji saw it and left it with me.”
“Oh, no need to thank me, it’s my duty.”
Aubree had asked the estate manager and recovered her bracelet.
“Bree, didn’t you leave with Nina earlier?” Just after finishing his talk with Darius and coming down the stairs, Bowen saw Aubree.
She lifted her wrist. “It was crowded just now, and the bracelet fell off. I came back to look for it. Are you done with your business?”
“Yeah, all wrapped up. Let’s go back together.” Bowen naturally reached for her hand. “Kelvin, drive yourself.”
Kelvin thought, ‘So I’ve just been ruthlessly abandoned, huh?”
Aubree stifled a laugh. “I told Nina to bring the car around to the front. She should be almost there by now.”
The Wilson family had already received news of the plan’s “success” before Aubree returned to the Walton family’s estate, and had left first to avoid suspicion.
The three of them walked out of the estate. The gate was deserted.
“Is Nina delayed?” Aubree murmured, pulling out her phone to call.
The phone rang twice, then was hung up. When she tried calling again, it wouldn’t go through.
Bowen noticed her sudden change in expression. “What’s wrong?”
Aubree replied, “Nina didn’t answer… no, now it won’t go through at all.”
Bowen’s brow furrowed sharply. The two exchanged a glance. Something had happened.
“The parking garage. That’s where I last saw her.” Aubree immediately let go of Bowen’s hand and ran toward the garage.
Kelvin was still trying to process what was happening.
Bowen thought deeper than Aubree. If something happened to Nina right after she split up from Aubree, and hardly anyone here knew who Nina even was, it made no sense for someone to target her. She wasn’t valuable enough to make a move against.
Which meant this wasn’t about Nina at all. She might’ve been mistaken for someone else. The real target could’ve been Aubree from the beginning.
He said, “Kelvin, contact Mark. Tell him Nina is in trouble. Get in touch with Mr. Walton and request surveillance footage from the garage.”
After giving instructions, Bowen quickly followed Aubree.
When they reached the garage, they found only the car keys lying on the ground. There were no signs of a struggle.
Nina had vanished…
“Was Nina kidnapped?” Aubree’s expression shifted. She thought, ‘Who would want to kidnap Nina? If anything. I’m the one they’d want to kidnap!”
“Don’t panic. Nina has a tracker on her. And with her skills, if she was taken that easily, there must’ve been unusual circumstances.” Bowen tried to
calm her.
Aubree had been through a lot lately and matured significantly.
“Then hurry. See where Nina’s signal is!” Aubree grabbed his arm anxiously.
Her mind was already spinning. She wasn’t sure who did it. Maybe it was the Wilson family or the Diamonde family. Or it might be someone else.
Aubree clenched her fist. “I don’t think the Wilson family is innocent in this.”
She added, “From the moment I ran into them today, Carmen’s attitude was strange. No matter what I said or did, she didn’t show any strong reaction. Of course, it’s possible she’s just gotten better at hiding her emotions.”
The Diamonde and Lawson families, as problematic as they might be, likely wouldn’t go as far as kidnapping. The Wilson family was the most suspicious.
Alice and Ronald likely wouldn’t act directly. Trevor wasn’t even in Rithol City right now. Carmen and the others had left the party later than Aubree. And there was no point for them to kidnap Nina.
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2:42 PM
Chapter 500
Just as Aubree finished her thoughts, a blinding flash of white light suddenly burst in front of her. The glare made her turn her face away instinctively. When her vision finally adjusted and the brightness dimmed, a sharp voice rang in her ears. “Aubree! Why are you here?”
That blinding light had come from the headlights of their car. Aubree’s eyes watered reflexively. She squinted and saw. It was Carmen
Bryan and Daxton got out of the car right after her. Well then, they’d basically just confessed.
If there had only been suspicions before, Carmen’s outburst confirmed it. They had something to do with this.
Bryan and Carmen clearly knew about the kidnapping. Daxton only had a rough idea. He knew something was supposed to happen to Aubree today
“Carinen!” Bryan’s voice was low and warning.
No matter what had just happened, Aubree was clearly fine. Now was not the time to talk carelessly.
Carmen realized she had misspoken and tried to recover. “Aubree, I thought you already left. Why are you still here?”
Aubree had no more patience for their false politeness. “You better hope I don’t find out this was your doing.”
Bowen had already located Nina’s position. “She’s been taken into the city, and from the route, they’re deliberately circling around. I’ve notified Mark. He’s on his way. Let’s go.”
Finding Nina was the priority. Aubree ignored Carmen and the others, got in Bowen’s car, and left with him immediately.
“Bryan, Carmen, what the hell is going on?” Daxton frowned, confused. “Mom and Dad… what exactly are they planning?”
Carmen knew it wasn’t just a kidnapping. They wanted Aubree dead. But she couldn’t say that. She bit her lip. “Let Bryan explain.”
Bryan had thought the plan was to kidnap Aubree, cause turmoil in Bree Technology, and use that as leverage to force her back home. That was what he told Daxton too. “So it was all arranged by Mom and Dad. The message earlier said the mission was accomplished… but why is Aubree fine?”
Not only was Carmen stunned, but Bryan had nearly given himself away when he saw Aubree.
Carmen also didn’t understand. “The people Mom arranged should’ve been reliable…”
Her murmured words were caught by Daxton, and his eyes flickered in surprise. It seemed Carmen was disappointed that Aubree wasn’t kidnapped.
Daxton subtly frowned. That wasn’t like Carmen. She was supposed to oppose their parents doing things like this.
But he quickly came up with an explanation. Bryan and their parents supported the plan, and Carmen probably couldn’t stop it. Plus, this was just an act. Aubree was never really in danger. The whole point was to make her return. Carmen was probably just happy that Aubree might come back home.
Daxton said, “I remember Aubree was with another woman all day. Judging from the way she and Bowen acted just now, that woman is likely the one who’s missing. Did you guys give the attackers a photo of Aubree?”
Bryan looked awkward. “We did… it was a photo we quickly took at the banquet and sent over.”
Daxton asked for the photo and, as he expected, it included both Aubree and Nina. “Is it possible they mistook this woman for Aubree?”
He pointed at Nina’s face.
Bryan was dumbfounded. He hadn’t imagined such a stupid mistake would derail their entire plan.
“I think I’ve seen this woman before… around Mark.” Daxton narrowed his eyes. Nina looked familiar.
“Then this is going to be trouble…” Bryan furrowed his brow, looking increasingly agitated. The King family wasn’t the kind of force you could provoke lightly. They were like a mad dog that would bite back viciously.
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