It was late at night and beside Rachel was a sleeping Justin. The sound of steady breathing was right next to her ear like a slight breeze. As such, she carefully lifted the corner of the quilt and left the bed. After confirming that Justin was asleep, she left the bed on her bare feet. Then, she pushed open the door of the second bedroom and entered the bathroom. Pulling apart the shower curtain, she found the bathtub empty and even the blood stains had disappeared. Where was the said person?
Rachel blinked hard to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. Where was the woman covered in blood and on the verge of dying? She looked around and tried to locate blood stains in the bathroom, yet she found nothing. However, she noticed that the clothes she wore that day were also gone. However, a USB flash drive was left on the washroom table. Her mind snapped back to what Coraline said-to go and look for Janice.
The next day, Rachel brought the tea into the study and saw someone known as President Shaw, whom Coraline had accompanied the day before, sitting in the study as he lit a cigar. There was a silver safe on the coffee table. He elaborated, “Yesterday’s incident was an accident. I was not careful in choosing my people and almost ruined the big event.”
Justin asked, “Has the person been caught?”
“No, but she can’t make any waves. She definitely can’t escape from Brookville.”
“You have always been very thorough in your work.”
“Thank you. Integrity is paramount in business. Our business is risky, so let’s check the goods first…”
President Shaw’s hand rested on the safe as his cigar smoke curled in the air. Next, he suddenly glanced at Rachel.
Justin ordered, “Rachel, why don’t you head out first?”
Thus, she nodded obediently and left the study. Back in the bedroom, she quickly wore headphones and soon heard the conversation in the study coming from the device. In fact, she had recorded the wiretap, which Janice had sent to the hotel for her under the tea tray.
President Shaw was saying, “If Burton Group’s medical line can achieve such quality, regarding this opportunity abroad, I can pull the strings and give half of it to Burton Group.”
“Just half, President Shaw? The price we are giving is much cheaper than Hudson Pharmaceuticals.”
A laughing President Shaw responded, “Those in our business know that we shouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket. They do not change suppliers easily and it’s their first time doing business with Burton Group. Therefore, I hope you understand that they’re also taking risks.”
“That’s understandable, but I wish for Burton Group’s personnel to be the one to escort and deliver this batch of goods.”
“That’s not possible.”
“President Shaw, you can’t let my company undertake all the risks, right? Don’t you think Jefferey will send
someone to follow you if you’re making a deal with Hudson Pharmaceuticals?”
“Um…”
As she listened to the conversation in the headphones, Rachel felt anxious. Justin had intervened in Hudson Pharmaceuticals’ business, but what business was it that required such caution? That silver safe was also similar to what Janice described about the box in which Hans saw in the hospital before he was harmed. Perhaps what he found was also a similar deal.
Justin came out of the study after President Shaw left. So, Rachel went to the study to remove the tea tray. However, Justin responded, “Leave it. Just place it aside and let the hotel attendant clean it up. Come over
and sit with me for a while.”
Her hands tightened slightly, but still, she put down the tea tray to walk over.
“Come over and sit.” His big hand patted the seat beside him.
What’s up?
“We’ll return to Riverdale in the morning. We’ve found a nursing home for Grandma, so we’ll make an appointment tomorrow and I’ll accompany you back to see her.”
No need. “What’s wrong? You don’t want me to see her?”
Rachel’s face was tense as she pursed her lips. Grandma still doesn’t know about my miscarriage.
A flash of unhappiness flashed across Justin’s cold eyes. After a long time, he held Rachel’s hand and said, “Then, don’t let her know yet. I’ll let Frankie handle the matter of the nursing home, so you don’t have to bother about it.”
She nodded. Upon seeing her obedient appearance, he felt the exhaustion of the past few days subsiding. He lowered his body and leaned down to get closer to her. Nevertheless, she reflexively turned away and blocked him with a hand on his chest. At that instant, he noticed the disgust in her eyes, causing his expression to instantly sink. His big hand pinched her cheek as he forced her to look at him. “What are you thinking?”
Rachel whimpered twice in pain.
“Your meekness these few days is all pretense, right? In fact, you still hate me in your heart. Why don’t you continue to pretend? It’s because you are returning to Riverdale tomorrow, right?”
Her face reddened and she tried hard to struggle. However, the strength in his hand increased as he angrily continued, “Even if you are pretending, you should continue it for longer. How do you plan to live in the future if you can’t even pretend for more than two days?”
Rachel grimaced as she felt like she was at the mercy of others. This man in front of her only treated her as a plaything; he would make her laugh or cry whenever he wanted to. He knew that her obedience was all pretense, but he enjoyed it; he did not care what she really thought as long as she obeyed him and what she showed was enough to satisfy him.
As the pain on her cheeks gradually numbed, she tried to soften her gaze. Then, she began begging for mercy with the man in front of her with tears rolling down the corners of her eyes. Justin felt moved by her actions and impatiently released her.
With a loud bang, he left and slammed the door behind him. Rachel’s heartbeat slowed and she covered her chest as the air rushed into her nasal cavity, making her cough.
The sound of a vibrating phone soon came from the coffee table and it had been vibrating for a while. Upon seeing that the caller ID was Victor, she immediately replied to the message. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Your grandma is missing!
After she saw these words, Rachel’s expression changed abruptly. ‘When did it happen? How could she have disappeared?
“Your grandma’s cart for groceries is not at home; she went out early in the morning and hasn’t returned till now! I’m looking for her in the market, but the vendors who are acquainted with her said that she didn’t come to buy vegetables this morning!
Rachel was about to ask some more questions when her phone suddenly vibrated to indicate an unfamiliar caller ID popping up.
“Hello? Is this Rachel?” The voice on the other end had been specially processed and it sounded eerily creepy, causing her heart to stutter with an ominous feeling.
“I know it’s not convenient for you to talk, but it’s okay. Just listen to me. Your grandma is now in my hands and if you want her to return safely, do one thing for me. Beg Justin to voluntarily surrender the bid in Brookville.”
Upon hearing that, Rachel turned pale. How could Justin possibly listen to her?
She screamed into the phone for a long time as she tried to explain, but she couldn’t make a normal sound to communicate with the other party, who directly hung up the phone after adding, “Rachel, you don’t have much time. The old woman’s body won’t be able to withstand the torment.”
