Hutton lay on the plush bed, his body still aching from the battle but his mind sharp as ever. Bandages wrapped around his torso, reminding him of his injuries. Despite the soothing atmosphere of the room, his instincts told him this place was far from ordinary. Turning his head slightly toward the others, he asked, "Where exactly are we? This place… it doesn’t feel like just any house."
Ling Fei, who had been seated by the window sipping tea, set her cup down and gave him a calm smile. "This is one of my family’s penthouses," she said nonchalantly. "I took the liberty of requesting permission from my old man to use it. So don’t worry about it—you’re safe here."
Hutton’s eyes widened slightly at her casual tone. The opulence of the room and the luxurious feel of the bed now made perfect sense. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, his phone suddenly vibrated on the bedside table.
The unexpected noise made everyone glance at the device. Vivian was the first to react, quickly grabbing the phone. "Let me see who’s calling," she said, her curiosity getting the better of her. But after a few moments of studying the screen, she furrowed her brows in confusion. "I don’t recognize this number," she said, handing it to Hutton.
Hutton hesitated for a brief moment before taking the phone. As he answered, his casual demeanor instantly shifted. His expression hardened, and his brows furrowed deeply. "Who is this?" he demanded, his voice cold and sharp.
What followed was a tense silence as the person on the other end spoke. The more Hutton listened, the darker his expression grew. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the phone tightly, and then, without warning, his aura exploded, filling the room with an oppressive energy.
Everyone in the room froze as the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Ling Fei immediately rose from her seat, her eyes wide with concern. "Hutton! What’s going on?"
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Hutton didn’t answer immediately. He was too focused on the caller’s words, his mind racing. When the call ended, he lowered the phone slowly, his jaw clenched in fury.
"They’ve crossed the line," he muttered, his voice low but filled with venom.
"Who?" Vivian asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Hutton’s eyes burned with resolve as he finally looked at them. "Everlyn, Jake, and Lily… they’ve been kidnapped."
Not long after Hutton’s aura exploded, the door to the room swung open, and Bob, Kenneth, and Veronica rushed in with alarmed expressions. Bob was the first to speak, his tone sharp and urgent. "What’s going on? Why did your aura just explode like that?"
Hutton sat on the bed, his fists clenched tightly, his gaze shadowed with fury. "They’ve taken them," he said grimly, his voice like ice.
"Who’s been taken?" Kenneth asked, stepping forward, his usually calm demeanor replaced by a deep frown.
"Lily, Jake, and Everlyn," Hutton replied, his tone cold and resolute.
The room fell into a tense silence as the weight of his words sank in. Kenneth’s frown deepened, and an air of solemnity seemed to wrap around him. "If Jake has been kidnapped…" Kenneth muttered under his breath, his voice trailing off as his mind worked through the implications. "Then this isn’t the work of ordinary people. Whoever did this must be powerful."
But Hutton didn’t care for the logic. His eyes burned with unrelenting determination. "They’ve made a mistake," he growled. "A mistake they’ll regret for the rest of their lives—however short that may be. They wish they never encountered me in this lifetime."
Veronica looked uneasy, her hands wringing together nervously. "Do you know who’s behind this?" she asked cautiously.
"Not yet," Hutton admitted, his voice dark. "But it doesn’t matter. We’ll find them, and when we do—" His words hung ominously in the air, the promise of retribution clear.
Bob nodded, his expression deadly serious. "What’s the plan, then?"
"We’re going to Houston," Hutton declared firmly, standing up from the bed despite his injuries. His tone left no room for argument. "Everyone, get ready. We’re leaving immediately."
Kenneth placed a hand on Hutton’s shoulder, his expression filled with both concern and solidarity. "You’re injured, Hutton. Are you sure you can manage this?"
"I don’t have a choice," Hutton replied, his gaze unwavering. "This isn’t about me anymore. It’s about them."
Bob’s eyes hardened with resolve as he nodded in agreement. "Then let’s move. The sooner we act, the better chance we have of finding them."
Without further hesitation, the room was filled with purposeful energy as everyone began preparing for the journey ahead. There was no doubt—this was a rescue mission, and failure wasn’t an option.
–––––
The grand throne room of the Franklin family estate was shrouded in an uneasy silence. Franklin sat on his elaborate throne, his expression twisted in fury. Beside him, the woman with tattered robes sat cross-legged, her unsettling aura subdued for the moment, while the boy, who looked no older than fifteen, leaned casually against the armrest of his chair, his deathly aura permeating the air.
Franklin slammed his fist on the armrest, his voice echoing throughout the chamber. "All my plans, meticulously crafted, have been dragged through the mud! That damn Chinese-looking girl! I don’t even know her name, yet she ruined everything!"
The woman raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a faint smirk as though she found his rage amusing. But before she or the boy could respond, the atmosphere in the room changed drastically.
A suffocating darkness filled the throne room, and a hazy, dark figure began to materialize in the center of the room. Its presence was so oppressive that Franklin, the woman, and the boy found themselves frozen in place, unable to move even a finger.
The figure’s aura was like the embodiment of dread itself, and when it spoke, its calm yet bone-chilling tone sent a shiver down their spines. "Has the job been done?"
Franklin struggled to find his voice, beads of sweat forming on his brow. With all the strength he could muster, he managed to croak out a single word. "No."
For a moment, there was only silence, a silence so profound it felt as though the air had been sucked out of the room. Then, without warning, the boy beside Franklin exploded in a violent burst of black energy. The detonation was instantaneous, leaving behind nothing but a dark stain on the throne and shards of bone that clattered to the ground.
Franklin’s eyes widened in sheer terror, his body trembling uncontrollably. Even the woman, who usually exuded a cold and unbothered demeanor, looked shaken as her gaze darted between the spot where the boy once sat and the hazy figure.
The figure’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. "If you fail again, you will be in that boy’s position."
The ominous warning lingered in the air as the hazy figure began to dissipate, its oppressive aura receding. The throne room was left in eerie silence once more, but the weight of the figure’s presence still hung heavily over Franklin and the woman.
Franklin slumped in his throne, his breaths shallow and rapid as he tried to regain his composure. The woman, now unusually quiet, glanced at him with an unreadable expression.
"Don’t even bother to ask, that figure is from the upper echelons" Franklin suddenly said with beads of sweat still on his forehead. Hearing this, the woman then shifted her gaze away from Franklin.
But for the first time, Franklin—despite all his power and influence—felt the cold grip of true fear as he sat slumped on his throne, his fingers gripping the armrests tightly as if they were the only things anchoring him to reality. His breath was uneven, and his mind raced as the horrifying encounter with the hazy figure replayed in his head.
Suddenly, one of his subordinates appeared behind him, dropping to one knee in respect. "My lord," the man began, his voice cautious, "I must report—Lady Veronica is nowhere to be seen. We’ve searched—"
Before he could finish, a violent burst of black energy engulfed the subordinate, reducing him to ash in an instant. The remains scattered to the floor, leaving a faint, acrid smell in the air.
Franklin didn’t even flinch. His cold, empty eyes stared straight ahead as he muttered bitterly, more to himself than anyone else. "I am not blind. All of this... is already part of the plan I am formulating."
"Wait so you intentionally let your daughter go?" The woman asked with a probing look on her face. "Precisely" Franklin replied "They have no clue that her being with them just made it impossible for them to hide from me"
His voice was hollow, his words carrying a sense of grim determination. For a moment, the throne room was filled with an unnerving silence, the echo of his subordinate’s demise still lingering.
Franklin’s gaze hardened as he leaned forward, his mind clearly working through some dark and twisted calculation. "Let them think they’re gaining ground. It will make their fall all the sweeter."