Sebastian helped Maxine into the elevator. They remained silent throughout the ride. When the idoors /iopened on her floor and bthey /bbstepped /bbout/b, Sebastian abruptly scooped her up, carrying her in a princess carry.

    Maxine gasped, “What are you doing?b” /b

    Sebastian nced down at her slippered feet. “You were in such a rush chasing after Brian that you didn’t even put on shoes, did youb? /bLook bat /byour feet, they’re all scraped up.”

    Maxine nced down and was startled to see her ankle swollen and bright red. In her frantic rush, she must have twisted it, scraping the bskin /bbraw /bbagainst /bthe edge of the stairs.

    ‘I was so bon /bedge just now, I didn’t even realize my ankle was scraped,‘ she thought.

    She squirmed slightly in his arms, feeling a bit awkward. But since he was holding her sofortably, she stopped resisting and let him carry her into bthe /broom without protest.

    He set Maxine down on the bed, nced at the door to confirm they were alone, then asked, “Was this the Jenson family’s doing?b” /b

    Maxine shot him a look. “Who else but the Jenson family?”

    ‘It’s obvious they’re just trying to intimidate me into deleting the evidence,‘ Maxine thought.

    “It’s all my fault,” Maxine took a deep breath. “I should’ve been more careful. Do you think I should reach out to the Jenson family myself? They wouldn’t really do anything to Brian, would they?”

    Maxine’s breathing grew increasingly ragged, panic tightening her chest. She seemed on the verge of hyperventting. Seeing this, Sebastian immediately pulled her into a protective embrace and murmured into her hair, his deep voice steady, “Stay calm, Maxine. Don’t let bit /boverwhelm youb./bb” /b

    Maxine clutched Sebastian’s shirt desperately, her knuckles white. After a long moment topose herself, she forced out in a trembling voice, “l know… nothing will happen to me until we find Brian.”

    After changing into fresh clothes, Maxine went back downstairs with Sebastian. A police officer was still waiting to take their statements. Spotting them, he asked urgently, “Ms. Hudson, have you received any calls?”

    Maxine hesitated for a moment, nced at her phone, then finally replied, “Not yet.”

    The officer looked somewhat dejected but quickly added, “Don’t worry, Ms. Hudson. The kidnappers might not have made contact yet. If they callter, you must notify us immediately.”

    Only after his colleagues had left did it suddenly dawn on him that the man who’d arrivedter at the kidnapping scene was none other than Sebastianb, /bthe CEO of the Noxen Group, a figure he’d only ever seen on TV.

    The sole officer left behind tofort the kidnapped victim’s family grew uneasy. Before he could even protest, his colleagues drove off with chilling indifference.

    The officer thought anxiously, ‘If these two, upset over their child’s disappearance, decide to me me in their anger, I might even attract unwanted media attention.

    ‘If I can’t handle this case well, there’s no way I’ll get amendation this year.’

    To his surprise, Maxine and Brian remained calm and cooperative throughout. Not only did they let him check their phones, but they also went back to the station with him without any fuss.

    Maxine knew that panicking wouldn’t help. The only way to find Brian quickly was to follow police instructions. That way, the police could trace the kidnappers the moment they called.

    bChapter /bb214 /b

    bThat /bafternoon, an unknown number shed on Maxine’s phone. With the police monitoring bthe /bline, she took a bsteadying /bbreath and

    A man’s voice came through the line, cold and measured. “Ms, Hudson?”

    Maxine replied coolly, her grip lightening on the phone. “Speaking. Where have you

    taken my son?”

    The man gave a cold chuckle. “A smart woman like Ms. Hudson surely knows what we want.”

    bAD /b