Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
However, he wasn’t expecting her call and was taken aback. “Why are you calling me out of the blue, Elspeth? I’m not busy now. I have time to talk.” He thought she was moved by his actions and was ready to accept him as her father.
“Did you deliver jewelry to my mom recently?”
After hearing that, Welson sounded helpless. “I don’t even know where your mom lives! How would I deliver jewelry to her?”
Contrary to her expectations, it wasn’t him, so Elspeth was a little flustered. “Do you mean that you haven’t contacted her recently?”
“Yeah. Without your permission, I wouldn’t dare lay a finger on her.” It was clear to him where the line was drawn. If he contacted Helia without Elspeth’s knowledge, his daughter would feel uneasy. If a grudge were formed, she might find it difficult to accept him. That was something he was well aware of.
“Do you know where my mom is?”
Taken aback by her question, Welson asked, “Your mom? I don’t know.”
“I can’t think of anyone besides you who would take her away.” Elspeth took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. “If you were the one who took her away, please tell me.”
With an anxious voice, he explained, “I didn’t take her. What happened? Your mom has been kidnapped?”
“Yes.”
She could tell he was anxious because she heard him accidentally knock into a chair. Soon, the doubt in her heart dissipated slightly.
“Don’t worry, Elspeth. I’ll get my men to search for her.”
Elspeth hummed and hung up the phone. There’s a good chance he is telling the truth. After all, who else could have delivered the jewelry if it wasn’t him? However, the perpetrator sent my mom jewelry and then kidnapped her. They obviously came for a specific reason and likely intended to fish in troubled waters by deflecting attention away from themselves and placing the blame squarely on Welson. Otherwise, he must be lying to me!
On the other hand, Elspeth was perplexed. She wasn’t sure what had happened, so she left her mother’s house first. In addition, she also decided against calling the police for the time being. If she accidentally offended that person, they might hurt Helia.
When she arrived home, Welson was already there with a few men. He was still wearing his off-white shirt and suit pants but with a coat draped over his shoulders. The anxious look on his face made him look like he had rushed over. His palm was icy cold, and when he placed it over hers, she shuddered from the piercing coldness. “What happened to your mom? What on earth is happening?”
He sounded edgy, and he didn’t seem to be faking it. Therefore, it’s unlikely that he’s the perpetrator. She figured he would’ve looked awkward if it were all an act. Pursing her lips, she tried to not let her hatred show. “My mom… She might have been kidnapped.”
Hearing the mention of ‘kidnap,’ he frowned. “Could it be done by an enemy?”
So, who else could have a grudge against me if he didn’t kidnap my mom? Elspeth took a deep breath. “I know who it is. I’ll call her right now.” Then, she pulled out her phone and keyed the number.
“What do you want?” On the other end of the phone, Jasmine didn’t sound friendly. Her voice was even tinged with rage.
The relationship between the two was consistently antagonistic. How could they possibly converse with tranquility?
“I have no time to bicker with you. Tell me what you’re calling me for, or I’ll hang up.”
Although Elspeth could hear the impatience in Jasmine’s voice, she also detected a hint of anxiety. “Where did you take my mom, Jasmine?” Her question sounded more like a demand.
Taken aback, Jasmine went silent for a moment before blowing up. “Who knows where your mom is? Why are you asking me that?!”
“I’m asking you one last time. Where is she?” Based on Jasmine’s response, Elspeth was almost confident it was her. If it isn’t Jasmine, it is probably written by Old Mr. McGrath.
“Have you gone nuts? I told you it wasn’t me!”
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll find Old Mr. McGrath.”
“Whatever!” Jasmine murmured. After saying that, she hung up the phone.
Since Elspeth put her phone on speaker, everyone could overhear their conversation.
On the other hand, Welson, seated next to her, inquired, “Is it really her? Why does she sound innocent?”
“Jasmine is a terrible liar.” Then, she took a deep breath and decided, “I’m going to look for Old Mr. McGrath.”
Unable to hide the uneasiness in his eyes, he offered, “I’ll come with you!”
“You will be of no help if you come.” Elspeth had reservations about bringing Welson along. She wasn’t sure what might happen later, and if something did happen, she wouldn’t be able to protect him.
However, he was unfazed by her response, so he stood and announced solemnly, “You’re my daughter. If you save your mom in such a dangerous place, how am I supposed to feel at ease about letting you go alone? Bring me for extra protection.”
When she heard that, she was taken aback by his self-proclaimed willingness to assume the paternal role. “Sure.”
Half an hour later, Elspeth and Welson arrived at McGrath Residence. The residence’s gate was locked as if they anticipated her arrival and were intentionally avoiding her. Still, she recalled that Old Mr. McGrath had told her about a hidden passageway the last time she was there.
After that, she and Welson discussed their plan and decided that he would wait at the entrance while she would sneak into the secret passage to check on the situation. However, he was apprehensive about allowing her to take risks. Still, he had no choice but to let her leave after failing to convince her during the argument.
After going one round in McGrath Residence, Elspeth noticed a stone slab at the corner of the wall. The stone slab appeared relatively new, and its color did not match the surrounding wall. She took a little effort to remove it and saw the secret passage. Ultimately, she decided to enter after much deliberation.
It was a long walk, and it took her some time before she finally saw a glimmer of light at the end of the passageway. As soon as she climbed over, she heard an old man’s voice. “Long time no see. You’re finally here.”
As her gaze landed on Old Mr. McGrath, who was not too far away, she asked icily, “Where did you take my mom?”
Haris chuckled without answering Elspeth. Then, he replied, “After making it this far, the only thing you’ve asked is that serious question?”
Based on his response, I’m convinced he has kidnapped my mom. Suddenly, she shuddered at the memory of the bloodstain on the ground from earlier. “I don’t want to waste time with you.”
His eyes welled up with compassion as he sighed. “You’re still as disobedient as before.” Following that, he felt a cold light flashing before his eyes. The next moment, a knife was held against his neck. “Are you trying to kill me out of impulse? Don’t you want to know where your mom is?”
Haris showed no signs of alarm and instead stared at Elspeth calmly as if he knew she wouldn’t dare to take a step further.
Nevertheless, she tightened her grip on the knife. “Of course, I won’t kill you easily. If you don’t tell me where my mom is, I will make sure you suffer a miserable death.” Although she rarely killed anyone, if anything happened to Helia, she would not hesitate to kill him.
Haris’ gaze gradually drifted to the house at the corner. “Alright. I’ll stop teasing you now. The person you want to meet is in that room.”
After hearing that, Elspeth quickly sheathed her knife and retreated, staring at him coldly. “If you lie to me, I won’t let you go!”
“Why should I lie to you? Tell me, what have I lied to you about?” He smiled and caressed his beard, looking like an innocent man.
Despite her reservations, she decided to go inside the house and check it out. So, she braced herself in her mind and stepped inside, where she discovered a wounded and unconscious person lying on a bed nearby. It was Helia!
Seeing the miserable state her mother was in, Elspeth quickly went over. Then, she put her finger to her mother’s nose to feel her breath. When she detected Helia’s faint breaths, she immediately carried her mother on her back and prepared to leave.
However, as she approached the door, the man outside smiled. “Do you believe you’ll be able to leave easily now that you’re here?”
As soon as Haris finished his sentence, she suddenly felt sluggish, and her mother also slipped off her back and fell to the ground.
“I’m so sorry. I thought you were smart, but you’re a reckless woman.” Haris initially believed that Elspeth would be at least well-prepared, but she did not even make it past the first line of his trap. I told her about this secret passage, and she came alone and unprepared because she took my word for it. A trace of disappointment flickered in his eyes, but it quickly faded.
“Did you drug this place?” She felt her strength ebbing away from her. Even though she could not raise her hand, her mind remained sober.
“You must have been too nervous to realize the scent of the drug wafting throughout the room.”
“What a sly man you are.” Besides cursing under her breath, Elspeth couldn’t say anything else.
“Do you know why I lured you here?” Haris chuckled nastily. “Your mom is ideal for the drug testing, and so are you.” As soon as he waved his hand, two men emerged from the corner of the room. “You two put that woman back into the room and tie this woman in the inner room.”
After hearing that, a trace of coldness flashed across Elspeth’s eyes. “I won’t let you go.”
“I’ll be waiting for you.” Haris sounded regretful. “I can stay here longer because I’m used to it, but I’m afraid you won’t.”
She knew that being a drug tester was harmful to the body. However, she appeared to have no choice but to devise another escape plan.
…
On the other hand, Elspeth was shocked when she was tied up in the inner room she had never been to before and discovered it was full of drug testers. All of them had mottled skin, sunken appearances, and thin figures. Some even looked as if they were taking their last breath. The few who seemed reasonably lively saw her bound and thrown in there, felt sorry for her, and closed their eyes.
Nonetheless, her hands and legs were tied up and pushed toward a corner. However, there was another woman in the corner who appeared to be her age, but her temperament appeared to be calmer than Elspeth’s. Elspeth could tell the woman had been tortured because her body was abnormally skinny. The only thing that set her apart from the others was that she wasn’t bound, and she didn’t appear to be plotting her escape; instead, she lay on the ground in a submissive manner.
“You look better than the rest physically. Have you recently been sent here?” Elspeth believed that the woman was her best chance or could at least gain a brief understanding of the situation by conversing with the woman.
“If you feel that everything here is new and interesting to you, you won’t feel so curious anymore after you’ve experienced certain things.” That woman obviously didn’t bother to entertain her. Then, she turned over and faced her back against Elspeth.
“Why don’t you escape when you’re not tied up?”
“You don’t have to know that.” The woman sounded even more unfriendly.
