Let’s start all over again,shall we?

Chapter 283 The Search

Maggie had lost consciousness. The man swiftly hoisted her over his shoulder and made his way toward a secluded restroom in the corner.

With a ceiling panel already removed, the man stepped onto the toilet seat and passed Maggie up into waiting hands–every move was swift and practiced, as if rehearsed a hundred times over.

Meanwhile, Nathael stool in the dimly lit corridor, awaiting her return. Time seemed to drag on, and after checking his watch, he noted it had been ten minutes.

Lighting a cigarette, Nathael continued to wait, growing increasingly restless.

As five more minutes passed without any sign of Maggie, a crease formed between Nathael’s brows. He tried calling her.

The phone rang for a moment with no answer.

A sense of unease gnawed at him, growing stronger with each passing moment.

Realizing that Maggie had been gone for too long and that the restroom showed no signs of activity, Nathael’s demeanor shifted.

He extinguished his cigarette and stormed into the restroom, calling out for Maggie.

“Maggie?”

To his dismay, the restroom was empty. Nathael’s expression turned grim as he forcefully pushed open several partially closed doors, finding no trace of her.

His eyes instructed, “Lock down the entire venue! Scrutinize everyone coming in and out!”

turned ice–co, 2nd a dangerous shade filled his eyes. He immediately called Nolan and

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Nolan swiftly mobilized their team.

Since the university’s piano competition being a high–profile event and other programs happening nearby, scaling off the area amidst the dense and chaotic crowd posed a significant challenge.

“Bring the military in and frame it as a routine security check.”

on the call, he directed Nolan to conduct a thorough

into thin air after

Henry watch all the exits of the conference hall; extend the search area from the venue, with a particular focus

“Understood, Mr. Harris.”

a conch pearl earring lay there in silent testament.

His index finger gently traced the pearl’s surface. His expression turned even more grim,

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brought for

himself to remain calm. He clenched the earring so tightly in his palm that the sharp post pierced his

Harris.” He stepped aside as Nathael’s piercing gaze fell on

cubicle. Nolan had already sent someone to climb up the

took the call, he relayed to Nathael, “This passage leads directly to a restroom in a conference room upstairs. There are traces of someone tampering with a window, and there are marks on the

bloodlust flickering dark and deep within his eyes. His icy and suppressed aura was so intense that it felt like a storm was imminent.

have to

“Yes, Mr. Harris.”

she awoke, she found herself lying on a soft, expansive bed,

stranger’s face–a mixed–race man–was someone she’d

me this time?

scanned the room for clues, a number of

recent discord between them significant enough to warrant a kidnapping, nor did she have

be Sierra? Unlikely. They had just met. If Sierra had planned this, she would have shown some sign of triumphant anticipation. But there was none–only solid confidence in

Beth? Joseph?

apparent motive, while Beth had just quarreled with her. But to what end would Beth go through such

Maggie absorbed the

the mountains, embraced by lush greenery and serene surroundings,

in number, yet each moved with the lethal

a

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283 The Search

unlikely to be Beth’s doing; she was more inclined to inflict misery

treatment.

drag her through the mud