Chapter 24

Winnie glanced at Malcolm who was pale and reminded him. “Ms. Sanchez has been missing for about ten minutes, which pretty much confirms that the acted within the community. They must live around here.”

With that, search area was significantly narrowed down.

Malcolm, however, was troubled.

They had been living in this upscale estate for about five or six years. Given the exclusivity. there weren’t many neighbors, and he was familiar with most of them. But he couldn’t think of anyone who held a grudge against the Sanchez family.

As he mulled this over, he saw a patrol cart pull up at the gates of the Sanchez family. The lead cart stopped, and a man stepped out, heading straight towards them.

“I had already checked for suspects in the estate before Lucy’s incident. It shouldn’t be someone who had a fallout with the Sanchez family,” the man said, his voice soft yet carrying a hint of steel.

Under the lights, one could see his handsome features, similar to Malcolm’s, his tall and upright stature as he calmly regarded Winnie.

Clearly, this was another son of the Sanchez family, Lucy’s brother, Luke.

Luke had been busy dealing with the aftermath since Lucy’s incident, knowing that his parents had called in Master Bryant for help. While he hadn’t held much hope, he’d kept in touch with home and was thus informed about everything that had happened.

However, the moment he laid eyes on Winnie, he couldn’t hide his slight surprise.

He knew Winnie was Horace’s sister, but he hadn’t expected her to look so young.

Horace, who had been by Winnie’s side all along, also noticed Luke. While the two families knew each other, he didn’t have a particularly close relationship with Luke, so they simply acknowledged each other with a nod.

Lucy, seeing her brother return, was evidently overjoyed. She wanted to rush over and hug him but was cautious of disrupting the spell she was under, so she took small and careful steps towards Luke instead.

Luke softened his expression when he saw Lucy was unharmed, but he also knew the matter wasn’t resolved. He signaled for everyone to get into the carts.

A fleet of seven patrol carts, which seemed to have borrowed almost every available vehicle from the estate’s security, started to move through the estate.

Soon, following the guidance of a string, the group stopped in front of a four–story villa. At the sight of the place, Carola was incredulous.

12:19 “How could it be here?” Winnie saw Carola’s reaction and merely looked at her.

Carola clenched her teeth and said. “This is the residence of the Robinson family. We didn’t have much to do with them initially, but their son was one of the few kids around here willing to play with Lucy…”

Lucy, who appeared older than she was, was often shunned by other children for being slow–witted, but the son from the Robinson family never minded and would often come over to invite Lucy out to play.

Because of this, the two families had grown close, and the Sanchez family, in appreciation, had even referred several business opportunities to the Robinson family.

Carola could never have imagined that it was the Robinson family who wanted Lucy’s life. She felt chilled to the bone!

“Has anyone in the Robinson family fallen ill recently or someone close to death?” Winnie suddenly asked, adding, “The serious kind.”

“Althea, the old matriarch of the Robinson family has always been healthy,” Carola mumbled, then suddenly said, “But the boy who played with Lucy was hospitalized with some illness not long ago.”

Winnie nodded in understanding.

It seemed the Robinson family was looking to trade lives probably for their sick child. Realizing what was happening, the Sanchez family didn’t bother with formalities and marched right up to the front door of the Robinson family It was late, and the arrival of such a large group from the Sanchez family startled Mrs. Robinson, who couldn’t help but ask, “Carola, what’s the matter? And why have you brought so many people?”

Believing the Robinson family was behind Lucy’s peril, Carola had no mood for pleasantries and scoffed, “Don’t you know what’s going on? Your family hired someone to harm my Lucy, trying to use her life to save your son. Did you really think no one would find out?”

Mrs. Robinson Darcey flickered her eyes with panic at Carola’s words, but she quickly masked her reaction, feigning confusion and indignation, “What are you talking about? I don’t understand any of this. How could I harm Lucy? How dare you bring accusations to my door based on baseless suspicions? This is outrageous!”

Carola wasn’t fooled by Darcey’s brief expression and was in no mood for a drawn–out conversation.

The most pressing matter was to destroy the life trading contract signed for Lucy.

“Lucy, let’s go search inside!”

Lucy wasn’t unfamiliar with the Robinson family. Hearing Carola’s command, she excitedly 12:19 raised her hand to go in.

Darcey noticed the ominous string in Lucy’s hand. Realizing what it meant, she turned pate as she shrieked, “What are you doing?! You can’t just barge into my home!”

“You can’t stop us today!” Carola declared. With a signal, the bodyguards of the Sanchez family sprang into action, efficiently blocking the Robinson family from interfering.

Carola and Lucy, along with a few others, followed the string swiftly inside, finding their way to a room on the second floor.

Opening a drawer, they found the life trading contract hidden inside.

Without hesitation, they took it and left.

Darcey paced frantically on the ground floor, phone pressed to her ear, her heart racing with anxiety. The moment she spotted Carola and her guys descending the staircase, a peculiar item in their grip, Darcey contorted her face with shock. It was beyond her wildest fears that they would uncover the item she had so desperately sought to conceal. Without hesitation, Darcey screeched and lunged forward, intent on reclaiming her possession. “Give it back to me, now!”

But Luke wasn’t about to let her get anywhere near them. With the swiftness of a panther, he blocked her path and grabbed her arm. With a swift push, he sent Darcey tumbling to the floor.

Carola, fearing the item might be snatched back, made a beeline for the kitchen. She flicked on the gas stove and set the cursed contract ablaze.

Darcey bulged her eyes with rage at the sight of Carola’s actions. Decorum forgotten, she wailed and dashed forward, desperate to intervene.

But it was too late. The flames had taken hold of the contract. Carola tossed the half–charred paper into the sink, but as she turned around, Darcey charged at her. In a swift motion, Carola slapped her hard across the face.

The slap echoed through the room. Darcey’s cheek stung before she could even register the blow. But Carola wasn’t finished. She grabbed hold of Darcey’s hair and delivered two more sharp slaps.

Gone was any semblance of Carola’s usual poise as a society matriarch. The thought of the Robinson family scheming against her daughter ignited a fury within her that she could no longer contain.

“How dare you plot against my child! How dare you your black magic to harm her! What has Lucy ever done to you that you’d wish her Ill? She’s just a child!”

Years of pent–up frustration, borne the trials Lucy faced and the terror of the day, erupted from Carola like a volcano. She wept bitterly, fighting Darcey without a thought for the manners. and decorum expected of her social stature, transformed at that moment into the epitome of a furious spitfire.

12:19 To a mother, a child is the ultimate untouchable.

If anyone dared harm her child, she would unleash her extreme potential to fight for her apple of the eye.