Ch. 831..840

Chapter 831 Chapter 831 Hearing Selena's words, Aveline couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and helplessness. Still, she obediently went back inside, realizing she did feel a bit cold.

...

A dreamless night. The next day.

At nine in the morning, Aveline arrived punctually at the entrance of the lawyer's office. Within five minutes, a Panamera pulled into the parking space. Lucas stepped out of the car, his tall figure exuding a cold aura, his sharp features looking even colder than the winter air. "You're here so early? Aren't you cold?" he asked as he walked up to her, reaching out and cupping her face in his hands, his palms warm against her chilled skin.

For a moment, she found herself unwilling to pull away from his warmth.

Aveline lowered her gaze slightly and replied, "I just got here too."

"Let's go in, then."

With that, Lucas led the way, and the two of them entered the lawyer's office together. They were the first couple of the day.

With the documents and paperwork already prepared, it didn't take long before their divorce certificate was issued.

When Aveline received the certificate, she opened it and examined it closely. The text was correct, the seal was intact.

It was a real divorce certificate.

Lucas watched her, his eyes dark and intense. "I told you, I won't lie to you again."

Aveline gave a faint smile. "Can't help it, you have a history."

Standing up, she walked outside, exhaling a long breath.

Finally, it was over.

Lucas casually tossed the certificate into her arms.

"Hmm?" Aveline looked at him, puzzled.

Lucas said calmly, "You seem to like it quite a bit. Consider it a gift."

Aveline's mouth twitched. She'd heard of giving flowers or jewelry as gifts, but this was the first time she'd heard of someone gifting a divorce certificate! However, she wasn't going to argue with him!

She extended her hand toward him.

Lucas looked at her. "What are you doing?"

Aveline said, "Congratulations on regaining your single status."

Lucas tugged at his lips, revealing a smile that wasn't particularly joyful. "That's not the kind of congratulations I want."

Sensing his mood, Aveline didn't press further and withdrew her hand. "So, what's your next step?"

Lucas replied, "I'll have Annie go live to clarify the situation. It's best if the person involved speaks up herself."

Aveline's brow furrowed. "Won't she get attacked online?"

Lucas glanced at her. "And you're not worried about me getting attacked?"

Aveline responded honestly, "No, you're shameless."

Lucas let out a scoff and started walking toward his car.

Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen-Desmond was calling.

"Hello?"

Desmond's voice came through, urgent and serious. "Mr. Tudor, something's wrong. Annie is missing!" Lucas' brows knitted tightly. "When did this happen?"

Desmond replied, "I went to the hospital, and the nurse was found unconscious in the room. I checked the surveillance footage, but someone tampered with it-there's nothing on the recording!"

Lucas' eyes darkened. "Keep searching. Go over every inch of the footage. I want to know who dared to take her right under my nose."

"Yes, sir!"

Desmond answered firmly.

Lucas suddenly added, "Check Yvonne's movements."

"Understood."

BUMS After ending the call, Lucas turned to Aveline, meeting her confused gaze. He said, "Annie is missing."

Aveline immediately walked over, her brows knitted with concern. "What happened?"

The hospital under the Tudor Group was top-notch security. How could a person just vanish like that?

Down for its confidentiality and belongs to en.kikistor

Chapter 832 Chapter 832 Lucas opened the car door and asked, "Coming with me?"

Aveline nodded and got in without hesitation.

A sense of unease crept into her heart.

With Annie missing, there would be no way to completely turn around the online backlash.

If it continued unchecked, it would have a major impact on the Tudor Group.

What outcome was the opposition aiming for?

Forcing Lucas to leave the Tudor Group?

What else?

She had a feeling that it wasn't so simple.

Soon, they arrived at the hospital, which was unusually crowded today.

Many passersby were hovering around, glancing inside and whispering among themselves.

Lucas and Aveline paid no attention to the onlookers and headed straight into the hospital.

Desmond had already contacted Maria, who was investigating the surveillance footage both inside and outside the hospital. They finally spotted a familiar face-Yvonne's assistant, Zack Jones. Lucas' voice was cold. "Bring him here."

Desmond replied, "The moment I identified Zack, I sent people to find him, but he's already left the country. He boarded a plane just half an hour ago." Perfect.

It was now almost certain that Yvonne had orchestrated Annie's disappearance.

Lucas' expression darkened. "Where is Yvonne?"

Desmond answered, "Mrs. Tudor has returned to the Skyler family, and our people can't even get access to anyone from the Skylers."

Trisha Betsy, the matriarch of the Skyler family, and Yvonne were sisters.

Naturally, Yvonne would turn to her sister when things went wrong.

Lucas let out a cold laugh. "Quite a well-planned move."

Desmond, still uncertain, asked, "Mr. Tudor, what should we do now?"

Even though they knew Yvonne had taken Annie, they couldn't force their way into the Skyler family to get Yvonne out.

The trail had gone cold.

Lucas replied calmly, "Contact Mrs. Skyler. Ask her if she wants to know the whereabouts of her younger son."

Trisha had two sons. The elder son had died in a car accident some time ago, which was why the Skyler family head had brought Russell, back to groom him. The young ne son had gone missing in his early childhood, and despite years of searching, he had never been found.

Desmond looked at Lucas, somewhat surprised. "Mr. Tudor, have you found Mrs. Skyler's younger son?"

Lucas replied, "Just follow my instructions."

"Yes, sir!" Desmond quickly responded and went to contact Trisha.

Now it was up to Trisha to choose between her younger son and her sister.

Aveline stood by, having heard the entire conversation. She finally asked, "Is this situation very tricky?"

Lucas glanced at her and said, "If you give me a kiss, I'll tell you."

Aveline gave him a look of disbelief and turned away, pretending she hadn't heard anything. Seeing how calm he was, she realized her worry was unnecessary.

At that moment, her phone rang.

She took it out and saw that Gernard was calling.

She frowned slightly, wondering what he wanted this time.

"Hello?" she answered.

Gernard's concerned voice came through. "Aveline, how have you been lately?" Aveline replied, "I'm fine."

Gernard didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point. "I've been following the recent situation with the Tudor Group, and I understand the key person is that girl, fight? I know where she is."

swn y Aveline's eyes turned cold. "How do you know where she is?"

Gernard explained, "I told you, I've been following this matter too. I thought I might be able to help you."

Aveline asked, "Mr. Cooper, what's the price for your help?"

Chapter 833 Chapter 833 Hearing her words, Gernard felt an inexplicable discomfort in his heart, but he had indeed come with an agenda.

He was silent for a moment, then asked, "How are things between you and Lucas?"

Of course, that was his motive.

Aveline gave a silent, mocking smile. "Mr. Cooper, I'm genuinely curious-why are you so determined to persuade me to divorce Lucas? Selena is my best friend, my family, but even she hasn't been constantly telling me to divorce him." Gernard sighed quietly. His intentions were too obvious, and he wasn't surprised she saw right through him.

"Can we meet?" he asked.

Aveline replied, "Where?"

She was eager to hear what shameless things Gernard might have to say this time. That way, she could completely give up any hope for the Cooper family.

At noon, they met at a restaurant.

When Aveline arrived, Gernard was already there.

He had ordered the food and poured her some tea.

After she took a few sips, he finally spoke, "I must start by apologizing. I'm sorry."

Aveline looked at him calmly. "Why are you apologizing?"

Gernard gazed at her deeply and said, "Because I truly want you to divorce Lucas. He's not right for you."

Aveline stared into his eyes, searching for any hint of emotion, but found none. He couldn't say it, could he? Couldn't admit that it was for his sister? Aveline continued, "As you wished, Lucas and I are divorced. We got the divorce certificate this morning. Now, can you tell me where Annie is?" Gernard was stunned. "Really?"

Aveline nodded. "Yes."

Then, she took out the divorce certificate.

Gernard didn't reach for it, but he could tell Aveline wasn't lying.

Gernard's emotions were complicated; he didn't speak for a long while. Aveline didn't rush him-she was hungry, so she ate her meal while waiting.

After a while, Gernard finally said, "Annie was taken to a halfway rehabilitation center in the suburbs. It's in a remote area, set up by people from another city. It's not a noticeable place." FindNovel Aveline immediately sent a message to Lucas, informing him of Annie's location.

"Thank you," Aveline said to Gernard and then continued eating.

Gernard watched her, his mind filled with things he wanted to say, but now he couldn't utter a single word.

After a while, he managed to speak, "If you ever need anything, feel free to contact me."

"No need," Aveline replied, dabbing her mouth with a napkin, her tone calm. Td rather not trouble you especially since the cost seems quite high."

Gernard's face darkened. "Aveline..."

Aveline stood up. "I'm leaving now. Goodbye."

Her distant, indifferent demeanor was unmistakable.

Gernard felt a pang of discomfort in his heart, though he couldn't quite explain why.

Objectively, how long had he known Aveline? They were, at best, just casual acquaintances. He wasn't romantically interested in her there were no feelings of love between a man and a woman. FindNovel But why did her coldness make him feel so uneasy? Why did it make him feel so despicable?

...

Lucas sent a team to the rehabilitation center in the suburbs, but by the time they arrived, Annie had already been moved elsewhere.

He immediately relayed this to Aveline.

Aveline was puzzled. "Gernard had no reason to lie to me."

Lucas replied, "Then there must be a third party involved."

Chapter 834 Chapter 834 The video incident was causing a huge stir online.

The Tudor Group, being such a prominent entity, had attracted a lot of people wanting to take advantage of this chaos. If even Gernard was closely monitoring the Tudor Group's current situation, others could too. It was evident to those who paid attention that Annie was the key to this entire incident.

As long as she made a public clarification, the Tudor Group could once again emerge from the crisis.

Therefore, keeping control over Annie would mean trapping the Tudor Group in this whirlpool of public opinion, making it hard for them to extricate themselves.

So, it wasn't surprising that a third party might have intervened.

Aveline took a deep breath and asked, "So, what do we do now?"

She felt completely at a loss, unsure of what steps to take next.

Lucas replied, "Don't worry. I'll have people continue searching. Whoever took Annie wants to see the Tudor Group suffer, so for now, she shouldn't be in any immediate danger."

Aveline nodded, still trusting in Lucas' abilities.

Lucas added in a serious tone, "Be careful lately. Don't go out unnecessarily and stick to going only between two fixed locations. Baron and Braden will be protecting you. If you notice anything unusual, call them immediately-they'll be there in no time." "Alright, I understand," Aveline agreed.

It seemed Lucas shared her thoughts; this situation wasn't just aimed at him.

After hanging up, Aveline was overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions. She felt frustrated and uneasy, mostly because she still had no clue who was pulling the strings or why. It was like fighting an invisible enemy - they were out in the open while their opponent lurked in the shadows. The whole situation left her feeling powerless and on edge.

She drove straight home and informed Maria that she wouldn't be going to the office for a while.

Maria showed no reaction and agreed without any questions. This left Aveline feeling puzzled.

Even if Maria knew she might resign, her response seemed somewhat off.

Normally, if she suddenly decided to take a break without specifying a return date, wouldn't her boss at least ask for a reason?

But Maria didn't ask anything.

Sitting on the sofa, Aveline held her phone, feeling lost.

...

Lucas sat in the car as Desmond turned around and said, "Mr. Tudor, Mrs. Skyler has agreed to meet with you."

Lucas responded, "You go and meet her."

Desmond paused, surprised. "But, Mrs. Skyler wants to see you..."

Lucas replied calmly, "Now that Annie isn't even in Yvonne's hands anymore, why should I meet her?"

Desmond hesitated before asking, "And Mrs. Skyler's younger son...?"

Lucas said, "Proceed with the negotiation as planned. Perhaps Yvonne knows who took Annie." "Understood."

Desmond agreed and left.

That afternoon, in a quiet teahouse.

Desmond entered and saw Trisha looking over. Her brows furrowed upon seeing him. "Where's Lucas? Wasn't he supposed to come himself?"

Desmond put on a professional smile and said, "Apologies, Mrs. Skyler. I'm sure you've heard about the recent events at the Tudor Group. Mr. Tudor is extremely busy right now, so he sent me in his place. Whatever Mr. Tudor knows, I am aware of too."

Trisha eyed him suspiciously but still asked, "Do you truly know where my son is?"

Desmond gave a slight nod. "That depends on whether Mrs. Skyler is willing to cooperate."

Trisha's voice turned cold. "What exactly do you want?"

Desmond replied, "Madam Yvonne hasn't visited Mr. Tudor in quite some time. Mr. Tudor misses her dearly, but I haven't been able to reach her. Could you kindly pass along the message?"

Chapter 835 Chapter 835 Trisha's expression faltered slightly as she recalled what Yvonne had told her when she arrived.

Yvonne had said she needed to stay with her for a while and that if anyone came looking for her, she was to see no one and not let anyone meet with her.

It seemed Yvonne was hiding from Lucas.

Trisha knew her sister well enough to guess that Yvonne had likely done something to anger Lucas and was now seeking refuge with her.

Her expression wavered for just a couple of seconds before she replied calmly, "I'll pass the message along, but she's been taking care of Frederick and is quite exhausted. I hope she can rest a bit longer." After a brief pause, she asked, "Since you say you know where my son is, where is he now?"

Desmond smiled slightly. "As soon as Madam Yvonne returns to the Tudor household, you'll be informed of your son's whereabouts."

Trisha slammed her hand on the table. "You're threatening me!"

Desmond showed no fear. "I wouldn't dare. You've misunderstood, Mrs. Skyler. I have other matters to attend to. Please take your time to consider."

With that, he stood up and left.

Trisha's face turned a livid shade of anger. She took out her phone and dialed Yvonne.

"Hello, sis, what's wrong?" Yvonne's voice came through.

Trisha asked, "What exactly have you done? Lucas' people have come to me!"

Yvonne replied, "Sis, don't worry about it. Just ignore them. They wouldn't dare make a move against the Skyler family."

Trisha pressed, "But what did you do? You need to at least give me a clue!"

Yvonne, unwilling to share, said, "Sis, just leave my business alone."

Trisha closed her eyes for a moment, frustrated.

She had been ready to shield her younger sister at all costs, but what was the result? Yvonne wouldn't even tell her what she had done, and she continued hiding in the Skyler household, refusing to go back. And now, only Lucas knew the whereabouts of her son.

Thinking of how everything in the Skyler family had fallen into the hands of that illegitimate child, Trisha's eyes filled with an endless hatred.

She had to find her younger son and take back the Skyler family!

She hung up the phone and immediately dialed another number. "Tell Yvonne that I'm inviting her to a beauty appointment."

...

Yvonne had been staying at the Skyler residence.

After hanging up the phone, her expression darkened. It seemed Trisha had already made contact with Lucas. Otherwise, she wouldn't be asking questions so suddenly. However, she believed that Trisha wouldn't hand her over. In this world, they were the only family each other had left.

Half an hour later, the butler approached, his demeanor respectful. "Mrs. Tudor, our lady has invited you for a beauty "1 swnever appointment. The car is ready.

en FindNovel "Alright, I understand," Yvonne replied before getting up to leave.

When she arrived at the beauty salon and entered the private room, she saw Trisha. Yvonne smiled. "Sis, why invite me out at this time?"

Trisha replied, "You've been taking care of Frederick all this time; you must be exhausted. could use a little belongs to en. Kilent Yvonne didn't suspect anything and lay down directly.

In the private room, scented incense was burning, and the beautician was massaging her face. Yvonne gradually began to feel drowsy.

Trisha quietly got up and left the room, immediately calling Desmond.

"I'm here with Yvonne at this location. You can bring your people to take her away."

Desmond was surprised at how quickly she had made her decision, but he quickly nodded. "Understood, Mrs. Skyler. Please wait a moment."

Yvonne felt increasingly drowsy and slowly realized something was né wrong. She forced her eyes open, only to find that Trisha was no longer there!

Chapter 836 Chapter 836 Not only was Trisha gone, but the beautician had disappeared too!

Yvonne's expression changed instantly.

She realized something was very wrong. She quickly got off the bed, dressed, and walked over to the door, only to find it locked from the outside. Her face darkened. Trisha had betrayed her!

What kind of deal had Lucas offered to make Trisha willing to betray her own sister?

Yvonne quickly composed herself and took out her phone to make a call.

"I'm locked up in the beauty salon. Trisha wants to hand me over to Lucas. Find a way to get me out of here!"

After hearing a response from the other end, Yvonne finally felt a bit relieved. She sat down on the bed, her expression grim.

She had thought Trisha was her last refuge. She hadn't expected that Trisha would abandon her so easily.

Fine, then. She wouldn't hold back either!

...

Half an hour later.

Desmond arrived at the beauty salon with his team.

Trisha was sitting in the lounge area. When she saw him, she stood up and said, "Follow me."

Desmond gave a slight nod, and the group made their way upstairs.

As they walked, Trisha asked, "Can you tell me now where my son is?"

Desmond smiled. "Once we meet with Mrs. Tudor, I'll certainly tell you."

Trisha was a bit displeased, but she figured a short wait wouldn't make much difference.

They soon arrived at the private room upstairs. Trisha had someone unlock the door but didn't enter herself.

"She's inside," she said.

Desmond signaled his bodyguards, and they rushed in.

But moments later, the bodyguards emerged and reported, "There's no one inside."

Desmond immediately turned to Trisha.

Trisha's face turned pale at the news.

"What?" she exclaimed, stunned.

Trisha hurried into the room, but there was no sign of Yvonne anywhere.

"This is impossible! I brought her here myself. I even had them use hypnotic incense in here. When did she leave?" Trisha's face was filled with disbelief.

Desmond smiled. "I believe in your determination, Mrs. Skyler, but you underestimated Mrs. Tudor's abilities. Since she isn't here, be taking my leave."

With that, he turned to leave with his men.

"You can't leave! You haven't told me where my son is-you can't just go!" Trisha was in complete disarray.

To find her son, she had betrayed Yvonne. But now Yvonne was gone, and she had gained nothing. All her efforts were in vain! This couldn't be happening!

Desmond's smile faded into a colder expression. Mrs. Skyler, we were in a negotiation, and since the terms weren't fulfilled, I won't be revealing anything. You must understand the importance of upholding an agreement."

With that, he brushed past Trisha and strode away.

Trisha swayed on her feet, her face turning pale. What should she do now? What on earth should she do? Her sister was gone, and she still didn't know her son's whereabouts. She had nothing left!

Back in the car, Desmond reported everything that had transpired to Lucas.

Lucas' tone was indifferent. "Come back for now."

Desmond hesitated. "Mr. Tudor, with Madam Yvonne now completely missing, we're at a total disadvantage." Lucas replied calmly, "I know. You don't need to remind me."

Desmond pressed on, "So, what do we do next?"

Lucas replied, "Just wait."

Then he hung up the phone.

Desmond was left speechless. Lucas was as unpredictable and free-spirited as ever.

...

Aveline had been at home, eating a light dinner. As the sky outside darkened, her anxiety grew steadily.

Chapter 837 Chapter 837 In the following days, Lucas messaged her daily, but there was still no news about Annie.

Aveline had been struggling with insomnia as well.

The video's hype had diminished somewhat but still lingered on the trending list.

One day, while Aveline was in her study drawing, her phone suddenly rang.

She glanced at the screen-it was an unfamiliar number.

She hesitated for a moment but decided to answer it, guessing that the person behind everything might finally be reaching out to her.

"Hello, who's this?" Aveline asked in a cold tone.

The voice on the other end was a processed electronic voice, making it impossible to discern the gender or emotion.

"Do you want to see Annie? She's with me."

Aveline immediately asked, "Who are you? Where is Annie?"

The caller continued, "I'll give you an address. Come alone. Don't inform Lucas, and don't let those two bodyguards follow you. Otherwise, I'll kill her and frame Lucas for it. With the video still generating buzz, imagine how it would look if news broke that Lucas tortured Annie to death. What do you think would happen to him then?"

Aveline abruptly stood up. "Alright, I agree."

The caller wasted no time and hung up immediately.

Soon, a text message appeared on her phone, giving an address in a remote area on the outskirts of the city.

A sense of unease welled up inside her.

Should she inform Lucas? But the caller's warning still echoed in her ears.

She couldn't risk Annie's life, nor could she let Lucas be falsely accused of murder.

Aveline quickly gathered her things and headed out.

She first went to a mall, blending in with the crowd, and entered a restroom. After changing into a different set of clothes, she reemerged with a hat and a mask, making it harder for Baron and Braden to recognize her.

She rented a car and drove toward the outskirts. When she arrived at the designated location, she saw that it was a secluded compound.

She hesitated for a moment but still decided to walk inside.

"Is anyone here?" she called out as she moved further in.

The house was two stories high, eerily quiet, with an unsettling atmosphere.

Aveline pushed the door open and stood at the entrance; inside, it was pitch black.

"Is anyone here?" she called out louder, but there was still no response.

Not planning to venture further, she turned around to leave. However, the moment she turned, someone rushed at her, covering her mouth and nose tightly!

Her eyes widened in shock as she struently. A sharp, pungent smell filled her nostrils, and the drug quickly took effect, causing her consciousness to slip away.

Before she lost consciousness, she managed to catch a glimpse of the person's face, but she didn't recognize him at all.

When she woke up again, she realized her eyes were blindfolded and her hands and feet were bound. The Surrounding area was completely silent.

"Is anyone there?" she called out.

Her mouth hadn't been gagged.

No one responded. She tried several times, but the ropes around her wrists and ankles wouldn't budge.

Exhausted from struggling, she could only sit still, waiting in silence.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she heard some sounds-someone seemed to be opening a door and walking in.

"Who's there?" she asked, immediately alert, tilting her head slightly to listen for any movement.

But the person remained silent, instead untying the ropes around her feet and grabbing her by the wrist, pulling her to her feet.

"Who are you? Why are you holding me?" Aveline continued to ask.

From the touch and the way he breathed, she could tell the person was a man.

He still didn't speak, guiding her forward until she was pushed into a vehicle.

Chapter 838 Chapter 838 Aveline remained blindfolded throughout, unable to see anything, relying solely on her hearing to make sense of her surroundings. Her heart sank deeper with each passing moment; the person holding her refused to speak, leaving her clueless about who they were.

Why wouldn't they speak? Were they afraid she would recognize their voice? If that was the case, then the person must be someone she knew. But who could it be? During the entire ride, Aveline racked her brain, trying to piece together the situation.

She attempted to communicate with her captor, but he ignored her completely. Eventually, she grew tired of speaking, and the car came to a stop.

She was led out of the car and guided in a specific direction.

The ground beneath her feet was smooth at first, but then she began to feel the uneven texture of bricks underfoot.

She grew more puzzled-where was she?

After some time, someone suddenly gripped her wrist.

"Miss Aveline, I'll be responsible for looking after you from now on," the person said. The voice belonged to a middle-aged woman, who sounded gentle and calm.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Aveline seized the opportunity to ask.

The woman replied, "You can call me Wanda. If you need anything, just let me know."

However, Wanda ignored all the other questions Aveline had asked.

A wave of helplessness washed over Aveline.

"Hey! I'm here now, so why won't anyone talk to me? Weren't you supposed to let me see Annie once I arrived? Where is she?" Aveline shouted angrily, her frustration boiling over. Wanda remained silent. After a moment, an electronic voice suddenly echoed in the room.

"Annie is fine. As long as you stay here and behave, she won't be harmed."

"You're playing games with me!" Aveline snapped, turning sharply toward the direction of the voice. "Why are you doing this? Who are you?"

But there was no further response.

Instead, she heard the sound of footsteps moving away-the person was leaving!

No! He couldn't leave! What would she do if he left?

"Stop! Don't go!" Aveline called out, trying to chase in the direction of the fading footsteps, but with her eyes blindfolded, she couldn't see anything or determine which way to go. Wanda quickly grabbed her. "Miss Aveline, let me take you to your room to rest."

Saying this, she forcefully pulled Aveline away.

"Let go of me! Let go!" Aveline struggled fiercely, but with her hands bound, her efforts were in vain.

They ascended a staircase and entered a room.

Wanda said, "I'll untie your hands, but you must not wander around There are guards everywhere; you won't be able to escape. If you anger the master, there will be serious consequences."

With that, she untied the ropes around Aveline's wrists.

Aveline pressed her lips together. As soon as her hands were free, she immediately tore off the blindfold. She opened her eyes, but it was still completely dark!

She stared in disbelief, touching her eyes frantically. "What's happening? Why can't I see? What's going on?"

Her voice trembled with fear. She had assumed the blindness was because of the blindfold, but now it seemed that wasn't the case at all. Whoever took her had done something to her eyes!

Wanda explained, "To prevent you from escaping, the master has temporarily blinded you. Once you cooperate, he'll restore your sight."

"Why are you doing this to me?"

Aveline shouted, standing up suddenly, her voice filled with anger.

"Who is this master? Why is he treating me like this? Why did he bring me here? What does he want?"

Chapter 839 Chapter 839 No one responded to her hysterical outburst.

Aveline felt like she was going mad! She had been played!

Not only had she failed to see Annie, but now she was utterly helpless, and her vision was gone!

What should she do? What could she do next?

Confusion, helplessness, self-blame, regret...

These emotions overwhelmed her, swallowing her whole. She crouched down in pain, hugging herself as her body trembled uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, Baron and Braden circled the mall several times but still couldn't find Aveline. They realized something had gone wrong!

Baron quickly reported the situation to Lucas, while Braden contacted Maria and hacked into the mall's surveillance system to search for Aveline. Lucas' expression was dark and stormy.

Watching the surveillance footage, he saw Aveline enter the women's restroom. Less than ten minutes later, a woman with a similar build, heavily disguised, emerged. He immediately said, "Switch the camera, follow her!"

"Got it," Maria replied, her fingers working quickly on the keyboard, though she couldn't help but wonder, "What was Aveline up to? Why would she go through so much trouble to shake off the people Lucas had assigned to protect her? Where was she going?"

The surveillance footage continued to follow Aveline's disguised figure, switching from camera to camera, tracking her to the outskirts of the city.

Maria then said, "There's no surveillance beyond this point. We can't track her location for now."

Lucas' voice was tense. "Her phone has GPS tracking."

Maria shot him a surprised glance. "You installed a tracker on her phone? Aren't you worried she might find out?"

Lucas gave her a cold stare. "Is this really the time to discuss that?"

"Oh, right." Maria quickly snapped back to attention and began to trace Aveline's phone location.

"Got it!"

Maria's voice quickly rang out, pointing to a location on the computer screen. "She's here!"

Lucas's expression remained cold. "Prepare the car!"

Desmond responded, "Already ready. We can leave now."

Forty minutes later, several cars pulled up to the entrance of a small compound.

Desmond led the team inside. Moments later, he emerged, his face grim, holding Aveline's phone.

"Mr. Tudor, the phone is here, but she isn't," he reported.

Lucas stared at Aveline's phone, his expression dark and menacing, the chill around him almost palpable. Desmond didn't dare to make a sound.

No matter what happened with the Tudor Group, Lucas always seemed calm and unruffled. That was because he simply didn't care about the Tudor Group.

But Aveline was different.

He cared deeply about Aveline. Even the slightest scratch on her would make him nervous.

And now, she had completely disappeared!

What was worse, she had purposely shaken off the people he had assigned to protect her! What did that mean?

Was she that desperate to get away from him?

Lucas closed his eyes briefly and then spoke in a low voice, "Search the entire area. Deploy people to monitor all entrances and exits by land, sea, and air. Don't let a single suspicious person slip by!"

"Yes!" Desmond nodded firmly.

Lucas took Aveline's phone, his fingers tightening around it, his knuckles white.

What did she mean by this? Divorced and already trying to run away?

Was he really that unbearable to her?

A dull leaned gripped his heart. Lucas trying to regulate bre trying to regulate his to ease the searing pain tearing through him.

At that moment, his phone rang.

He pulled it out and saw that Aaron was calling.

"Hello?" he answered, his tone icy.

Aaron's voice came through, "What's going on? I heard from Maria that Aveline is missing. What the hell happened?"

But Lucas, ignoring the question, asked in a steady voice, "Where's Selena?"

Chapter 840 Chapter 840 Aaron paused for a moment at Lucas' words.

"Why do you need to find her?"

Lucas replied in a low, stern voice, "She better know nothing about this, or else..."

Aaron's tone grew serious as well. "Lucas, even if she does know something, you can't lay a hand on her. Regardless of whether Aveline would allow it or not, I certainly won't."

Lucas closed his eyes briefly before saying, "Bring her to me."

With that, he hung up the phone.

His only hope was that Selena knew where Aveline had gone or what she had done. Otherwise, he truly didn't know what he might do next.

...

Selena was at work when she got Aaron's call. She tucked her phone between her ear and shoulder, typing away on her keyboard, and asked, "What's up?"

Aaron replied, "Come out for a bit. I need to talk to you."

Selena, already frustrated by her demanding boss, felt annoyed. If she left during work hours, she would surely get scolded. She replied bluntly, "Whatever you need to say, either say it over the phone or wait until I'm off work. I can't leave right now." Aaron responded, "It's about Aveline. Can you really not come out?"

Selena's fingers paused over the keyboard. She grabbed her phone, her tone turning serious. "What do you mean? What happened to Ave?"

Aaron explained, "Aveline is missing."

"What?!"

Selena shot up from her seat, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.

"What happened? When did she go missing?" she asked, rushing out.

Just then, her boss emerged from the office and saw her leaving before the end of her shift. He immediately called out, "Selena, where are you going? It's not the end of the workday yet. Are you planning to leave early? I'm telling you, leaving early means a pay cut!" Selena turned around and snapped, "Cut it! Keep my pay for yourself to choke on it! I quit!"

Without waiting to see her boss' face turn sour, she marched into the elevator and left.

Nothing was more important than Aveline!

A job was just a job; she could always find another one!

Aaron overheard her words and furrowed his brow. "What happened?"

Selena quickly brushed off Aaron's question. "None of that matters right now! Just tell me how Aveline went missing!"

Aaron replied, "I only found out just now. She deliberately shook off the people Lucas sent to protect her and left in disguise."

Selena felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. How could this have happened? Why would Aveline suddenly leave like this? And on her own initiative!

She hung up the phone, and as soon as the elevator doors opened, she rushed out Seeing Aaron waiting by the building entrance, she swnovel.ne immediately asked, "Where's Lucas? Has he sent people to look for her?"

Aaron opened the car door. "Get in first; it's cold out here."

Selena got into the car and immediately tried calling Aveline. But to her surprise, Lucas answered instead!

Selena frowned. "Why do you have Ave's phone? Did you find her?"

Lucas' voice was cold. "Where did she go?"

"I don't know!" Selena replied. "I only found out because Aaron told me!"

Lucas fell silent for a moment before abruptly hanging up.

Aaron drove them to Maple Garden. When they entered the room, they found Lucas holding a cigarette, his expression icy cold.

The moment he saw her, he asked directly, "Do you really not know?"

Selena's eyes turned equally cold as she snapped, "I should be the one e Ź kind you-did you hurt her again?

Why else would she leave?

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