Zacharias tensed up and immediately stood up. He calmly approached the vice president, who was in the meeting, and requested assistance. “Mr. Vice President, I need help.”
The vice president nodded upon recognition of Zacharias’ urgent expression. So, they moved to a nearby lounge, where Zacharias briefed him on Shirley’s kidnapping. Zacharias knew they had to cooperate with local authorities since relying solely on their resources in such a vast territory in Flor would make rescuing Shirley challenging.
“What? Someone dared to kidnap your girlfriend?” the vice president was just as shocked because he never expected such an act damaging their mutual interests to take place on the day that the two nations formed a friendship.
Zacharias felt an overwhelming sense of urgency. He immediately ordered someone to bring Imogen over, instructing her to relate the entire incident and provide the specific location of the kidnappers.
Imogen was escorted to the lounge. She had been on edge in the car because when she initially planned this, she never expected Zacharias to collaborate with the vice president of Flor. The gangsters now not only had to face Zacharias but also the entire police force of Flor.
At this moment, her thoughts shifted. She decided to eliminate those gangsters and could gain recognition or even glory once she returned to her country. She couldn’t care less whether Shirley lived or died.
If Shirley survived, that would be great because she could continue to manipulate Shirley.
If Shirley died, then Imogen would feel more at peace because it meant that she would no longer need to be subjected to the continuous comparison of their lives.
Moreover, with Shirley’s death, Zacharias would be in unbearable pain. Perhaps there would even be an opportunity for Imogen to take advantage of the situation!
As for her association with the kidnappers, she had always remained incognito when dealing with them. So, if she killed them all, no one would know that she was in contact with them anymore.
When Imogen saw Zacharias, her hand had just been treated for the injuries, and visible marks of intense combat adorned her body.
“Imogen, quickly tell me what happened. Why was Shirley kidnapped?” Zacharias disregarded his status as he approached her, his gaze filled with intense concern.
“Mr. Zacharias, I’m sorry. I was incompetent, as I couldn’t rescue Shirley. There were seven or eight men, all of whom were mercenaries. I don’t know how they found out about Shirley’s identity, but it seems like she was their target,” she explained. “I’m sure it’s because of last night’s banquet where you and Shirley were together. It made those gangsters believe that you would pay a large ransom if they kidnapped her.”
His fists clenched instantly. Though he wished to tear those b*stards apart, he had to restrain himself and stay calm. Shirley’s safety was the utmost priority.
Imogen bit her lip, guilt evident in her eyes.
“Imogen, are there any distinctive features about those people? Where was the last place that Shirley disappeared?” he asked urgently.
“I’ve written it down. In this bar, there were five foreigners and two mixed-race individuals. They look like they are well-trained mercenaries. Mr. Zacharias, please hurry to rescue Shirley. I’m afraid if we delay any longer, she will be…” she trailed off deliberately, wanting to stoke Zacharias’ righteous anger. She hoped he would join forces with the Florian military to crush those gangsters, thus erasing any trace of her association with them.
Zacharias’ complexion rapidly darkened as veins bulged on his forehead. He handed the address of the said bar to the Florian authorities, who promptly mobilized all of their resources to track the whereabouts of these individuals.
The surveillance footage was quickly retrieved and showed Imogen and Shirley entering the bar. About fifteen minutes later, Imogen emerged from the bar in a disheveled state after escaping through a broken window.
She stood behind the investigators and observed the results of the investigation. At this point, everything she had done seemed flawless. Then, she explained, “I left my phone inside when I escaped. I could only return to the hotel to contact you.”
