Under the dim light, Dexter’s expression remained unreadable. Facing the casual scrutiny of this old acquaintance, he showed no reaction. He simply caressed the watch on his wrist and asked, “How long have you been planning this?”
Arnold avoided the question and instead said, “Do you know what went wrong? You were too kind to those you should have taken advantage of, like Wyatt. He could have been a valuable asset, but you personally removed him from the game, thus providing me with such a great opportunity.”
Dexter simply looked at him.
“Just one night,” Arnold added.
He had spent one night planning something that would last for two years. It could indeed be considered a flawless plan.
Dexter clasped his hands together. “What about having Rachel pretend to be Liana?”
When the topic of his proud achievement came up, Arnold’s smile widened. “It didn’t take long either. Summer came to me immediately after finding out that Josie was Liana. It took me an hour to come up with a response. Back then, Josie had already placed immense trust in me. Extracting a strand of hair from her for DNA testing was a simple task. By the way, I heard that after I left Wavery, she put in a lot of effort to expose Rachel.”
Arnold rose leisurely and patted Dexter’s shoulder. “She was kidnapped for a full two days, yet the child is still safe. She must be one lucky woman.”
He intentionally provoked Dexter, and even to this day, the latter could still recall the terrified Josie trembling to the core. She had stood there as if she was about to shatter.
Dexter glanced sideways at the monitor. Josie was already surrounded on all sides, about to be apprehended. “Let her go.”
“She’s in Rivodia. Someone will come to rescue her even if I don’t let her go.”
Everything that happened today was a setup orchestrated personally by Arnold. His intention was not only to reveal the truth to Josie but also to completely extinguish any remaining hope she might have had and to deal a heavy blow to Dexter.
Indeed, no sooner had the words been spoken than another group of people arrived at the scene.
She had already been restrained by Scar, who said, “I’m sorry.”
Josie stopped struggling, lifting her head to see a car speeding toward her. It came to a steady halt right in front of her, and from it emerged a familiar figure.
It was Morgan.
He seemed as if he hadn’t slept well in a long time. Yet, when he looked at Josie, his gaze was unwavering.
“Let her go.”
Scar scanned the crowd. “You’re playing the knight in shining armor, huh, Mr. Bastille?”
“What, am I not qualified just because Bastille Group has fallen?”
“I don’t mean that. But given Josie’s unique status, I can’t hand her over to you.”
Morgan leaned against the car, his gaze fixed on Josie. “So, you’re determined to fight me to the death.” He glanced at the ruined walls of La Oriele behind him. “I can take a risk and even accompany you to the police station. But can your boss afford to take that risk?”
Such a significant incident had occurred in Rivodia. They were fortunate enough not to be fired from their jobs. Indeed, they couldn’t afford the reputation of inciting a public brawl.
Scar hesitated for a moment, then pulled out his phone to call Arnold.
“Let her go,” Arnold said decisively. “Show Mr. Bastille some respect.”
At that moment, Josie was pushed out. She was disheveled, but Morgan caught her steadily, asking her in a low voice, “Are you all right?”
The affection in his expression was unmistakable.
Dexter closed his eyes.
Arnold observed his surroundings and playfully remarked, “It must be difficult for you to witness her receiving protection from others, isn’t it? Nevertheless, this is not the first occurrence. You should be accustomed to it by now.”
