Adrianâs heart sank.
He hadnât thought Bennett would uncover his identity so quickly and send out so many men to track him.
Adrian held his breath and slipped into a secluded hideout, waiting for those people to leave.
Once they had left, he emerged cautiously.
Faced with the current dilemma, Adrian knew he couldnât use his original escape route, assuming the gate was probably blocked.
Desperate, he changed direction and headed toward the back garden of the beastâs den, where he had been hiding for the past few days.
He had been familiar with this place by now.
Among the vines, he had found a hidden pathway leading to the mountains behind.
Uncertain of how many knew about this passage, Adrian saw it as his only choice.
Staying within the manor controlled by Bennett would be increasingly risky.
But once he reached the mountains, he believed he would be safe.
To ensure the missionâs success, Holdenâs men had already positioned themselves in the mountains and made thorough preparations.
Even if Bennett pursued Adrian into the mountains, Holdenâs people would still have an advantage.
Adrian evaded his pursuers skillfully and quickly found the entrance to the secret passage.
He pushed aside the vines concealing the entrance and entered.
The situation was so urgent that he didnât have time to survey his surroundings.
Little did he know, a concealed surveillance camera in the corner recorded his move as he entered the passage.
The secret passage was even darker than Adrian remembered.
He pulled out his mobile phone for some light and tried to contact Holden via a wireless headset.
Adrian had been too preoccupied to update Holden earlier.
Now, he intended to inform Holden that he had diverted his path and was now heading towards the back mountains through the secret passage.
Despite several attempts, he couldnât reach Holden and reluctantly gave up.
He believed this was likely due to the lack of signal in the secret passage.
So he decided he would have to wait until he was outside.
Holden had his men stationed throughout the villa, so Adrian felt it shouldnât be too concerning.
He hoped that by the time he reached the back mountains, he could find both Holden and Ariana there.
Comforted by this thought, Adrian continued onward.
After a considerable walk, he finally noticed a faint light ahead.
However, Adrian didnât rush towards the light.
Instead, he grew more cautious, finding a spot to hide and covertly observe the area.
He didnât dare to emerge until he was certain no one was at the exit.
Unexpectedly, just as he stepped out, a hand reached from behind and tapped his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Holden and Ariana had already left the main villa in their car, speeding towards the back mountains.
Suddenly, the car came to a sharp break, causing Ariana to nearly crash into the front seat.
Fortunately, Holden quickly pulled her into his arms to protect her.
âMr.
Fredrick, thereâs a car blocking our path,â the driver informed Holden, frowning.
Holden looked ahead and noticed several black cars parked side by side blocking the road.
A car door opened, and two bodyguards emerged, dragging Adrian out of the car with his hands tied.
âThatâs Adrian!â Ariana gasped, her worst fears had come trueâsomething had indeed happened to Adrian.