Chapter 830:
Once everyone was securely inside the car, they had barely closed the doors when Rhysâ car rolled into view. In an instant, the five of them pressed themselves low against the car seats, their breaths held tight in the heavy silence. They remained motionless, a collective breath paused, until Rhysâ footsteps faded with the closing of the elevator doors.
âHold off a little longer,â Lindsay murmured, her voice barely a whisper, as she put a restraining hand on the driverâs arm.
âThe front might be crawling with reporters by now.â
Amidst the tension, the four people, now garbed in nondescript black instead of their waiterâs whites, exuded a stealthy readiness. The man in the middle of the back seat nonchalantly adjusted his snug collar and scoffed with a defiant tilt of his head.
âWhatâs there to be scared of? If they even think about snapping photos, Iâll make sure they regret itâwith a bullet.â
âGo ahead, if you think you can handle it!â Lindsay shot back with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Lindsay secretly relished the thought of them acting rashly, which would give her the perfect pretext to summon Hale over to deal with them all.
By then, she could conveniently claim that Harlee had slipped through their grasp, leaving her the perfect opportunity to deal with Harlee personally.
Stunned into silence by Lindsayâs retort, the man shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting away as he murmured a string of barely audible curses. While he loved a spirited debate, he wasnât about to make a reckless move.
He understood all too well which strategies would serve them best in this precarious situation.
The most seasoned of the four, a stern-faced man with piercing eyes, gave Lindsay a chilling look.
LÉtÑst chαptÑrs in gð¶lðovÑls.ð¸ðm
His voice was a controlled calm, betraying none of his frustration.
âAnd when, in your esteemed opinion, should we make our move?â
Lindsay held his gaze for a charged moment, and then a soft ding from her phone broke the tension. She glanced at the screen, a faint smile playing on her lips before she slid the device back into her purse and said firmly, âNow.â With that, Lindsay shut down any further conversation.
Reluctantly, the others followed her lead, though still skeptical. Yet, as they pulled away in the car, the empty streets with not a single reporter in sight confirmed Lindsayâs foresight.
Noticing their stunned disbelief, Lindsayâs lips curled into a smug smile, her satisfaction unmistakable. She had planned every detail with precision, leaving nothing to chance for these fools to stumble upon her clandestine plans.
âWhere is Harlee?â After searching the presidential suite and finding it deserted, Rhys repeatedly attempted to contact Harlee, but her line was continuously engaged.
Frustrated, he decided to call Tonya.
Tonya, busy tailing Hale, froze upon hearing the update.
âWhat do you mean? Isnât Harlee in the room?â
âNo,â Rhys replied, grabbing a secondary phone to text Patrick, who was on location.
âWhen I arrived, the suite was empty, and her phoneâs unreachable.â
âI just got intel on Haleâ¦â Tonyaâs voice faltered, her stomach sinking.
âThis is a setup! Rhys, seize Etta immediately. She might know where Harlee has been taken.â
Tonya quickly directed Robbie to halt the pursuit of Hale and rush to the Grand Oak Hotel instead. Turning back to Rhys, she stated, âItâs unlikely Hale or Etta abducted Harlee directly. More likely, someone under Haleâs command, with Ettaâs assistance, executed this. Review the security footage without delay.â
.
.
.