Ch. 1161..1170

Beyond The Divorce Chapter 1161-Atlas furrowed his brow and said into the phone, "Mike, don't worry! We're heading there right away. Call the police and let them investigate. We'll be there soon." "All right. Hurry up and come over. I'll try to gather some friends to figure things out."

After hanging up the phone, he turned to Cane beside him. "Book the plane tickets immediately. Jared, I'll leave things here to you."

In the hospital room, everyone seemed a bit lost. Lauren reassured me, "Go quickly! You can leave this to me and Jared. Don't worry. We'll find him."

I just glanced at the weak Oliver lying on the hospital bed and said, "Oliver, take care of yourself. Sorry!"

He blinked. "Go on."

Atlas, Cane, and I left the room. We immediately ran into Ivanna who was carrying a thermos.

She asked, "Where are you all going in such a hurry?"

"We've got something urgent. We'll leave things here to you."

I was still pondering how someone could disappear like that? A perfectly healthy person, at that?

My phone rang again. It was an unknown number, and was definitely suspicious.

I abruptly stopped in my tracks. "Atlas!"

Atlas immediately looked at my phone screen and said, "Answer it. Put it on speaker."

A robotic voice came through, and it was impossible to determine if it was male or female. It sounded very eerie. "Ms. Chloe, I assume you already know, right? Your father is in my hands."

"Who are you? Why have you kidnapped my dad?" I asked urgently.

"Haha… Of course, there's a reason. Now listen carefully. You have eight hours to hand over your father's notebook. Bring the notebook to the small town. When I call, exchange the notebook for your father. Otherwise, we'll have no choice but to take him away." "What notebook?" I pressed, but the other side had already hung up.

I looked at Atlas, my heart pounding, "What notebook? My dad… He doesn't have a notebook."

Atlas frowned and pulled me. "Let's go back to Pleca Park."

I quickly caught up with his brisk pace, heading toward the parking lot outside. I wondered if it was a regular writing notebook.

"Who could they be? Why would they want my dad's notebook?" I asked as we walked.

He tightly held my hand. "This must be related to your father's profession. Don't overthink it. I've got your back!"

In the car, Atlas advised me, "When we get back to the Pleca Park, keep it low-key, Ask your mom what they brought back. I don't think they.

meant a laptop when they saine notebook. It's most likely a handwritten book."

I nodded, perhaps due to not having rested well in over a day. My heart was racing, and I had a splitting headache.

Seeing my condition, Atlas pulled me into his arms, whispering gently, "Relax. I'm here. Don't worry."

The car returned to Pleca Park. Before getting out, I took a deep breath.

I exited the car with Atlas. Before entering the house, he squeezed my hand. "Relax. I'll be waiting for you in the study." I nodded. "Okay."

In the living room, I didn't see my mom or Rose.

I hurried upstairs, heading straight to my parents' room. Pushing the door open, she wasn't there. I stepped out, thinking of checking Rose's room.

Suddenly, I decided to look for the notebook on my own since she wasn't around.

I quickly returned to their room, standing at the door and observing for a moment. Then, I headed to their dressing room.

It was the only place where these things could be kept.

They returned when I wasn't at home, and I didn't know what they brought back. Being in Gerby for a month and just returning, I didn't have time to ask if anything was sent to the Amethyst Apartments. My dad cherished his books, but I didn't receive any information about receiving packages.

If he had such an important notebook, I believe It would be carried with him.

If my dad had shipped it along with his books, it would take more than eight hours to go through all of them.

Beyond The Divorce Chapter 1162-I quickly entered their dressing room, which was neatly arranged with no clutter or signs of any books brought back.

I searched around hastily and then hurriedly left the dressing room. Time didn't allow me to continue searching. I needed to find my mom and ask her what my dad brought home. Exiting their room, I rushed to Rose's room since they were probably together.

I indeed found my mom with Rose, organizing something.

I immediately asked, "Mom! When you and Dad returned from Bibury, did you bring back any books?"

My mom turned to look at me, hesitatingly asking, "Why did you come back so early today? How's Oliver?"

"He's stabilized. He's out of intensive care now, and things seem to be fine. He just needs some rest," I responded absentmindedly. My mind was focused on the question I needed to ask her.

"Thank goodness. We were just discussing this matter with Mrs. Rose," my mom mumbled.

Anxious, I pressed on, "Mom? Did you bring back some books from Bibury?"

"Why are you suddenly asking about this?" My mom looked at me with skepticism. "Your dad didn't bring any books with him. He was determined this time. Those chemistry books he had were all given away. Why do you ask?" My mom scrutinized me.

"Are you sure Dad didn't bring anything back?" I questioned again.

My mom walked closer to me. "Chlo, what's going on? What are you looking for?"

"It's nothing. I just wanted to ask what you brought back when you returned. It suddenly crossed my mind, so I thought I'd ask," I replied, concealing my urgency.

"We didn't bring anything back. Besides buying a lot of mushrooms and other delicacies for Mrs. Rose, there was nothing else," my mom said, her eyes fixed on my face.

"Oh, then it's okay. What are you both doing?" I asked edly. Truthfully, mal it was on fire.

Eight hours. They only gave us eight hours.

Rose walked over, "Packing some of my clothes. Didn't you go to the office today?"

"I just came back from the office. I have to leave on a business trip, so I came back to let you know." I finally found an excuse. "I was afraid that if I left, Dad might forget to pick up any important things. You know my dad, he treasures his books and notebooks."

Rose nodded calmly. "Then, quickly pack up. Arnold just came back a while ago." "Arnold is back?" I was a bit surprised.

After we returned, Arnold stayed in Gerby. He said he had some matters to assist Sean with and could also help Beatrice. Unexpectedly, be came back in just two days.

"I'll be leaving then," I said anxiously.

I went back to my room, grabbed a couple of changes of clothes, and went to the study to find Atlas.

I saw Atlas on the phone. Arnold was there too.

He saw me come in, said a few more words on the phone, then hung up and looked at me. "Didn't find anything?"

"My mom said they didn't bring anything back." I was a bit anxious. "What should we do?"

Atlas pondered for a moment and then said firmly, "There's no time left. We need to leave."

Then he looked at Arnold, gave a few instructions, and reached out to pull me away.

I was a bit uncertain and asked him, "Can we go without the notebook?"

Beyond The Divorce Chapter 1163-"We have to play it by ear." He said, "I believe this notebook must be crucial, not just to your father but also to the ones who want it. There must be secrets involved. Even if we have this, we can't let them have their way." As soon as Atlas said this, everything clicked for me.

Indeed, they knew my father better than I did. How did they know about this mysterious notebook? What exactly was in it that led them to resort to kidnapping?

"So, are we heading there now? But the person on the phone is after the notebook. If we don't give it to them, then…?"

I was a bit unsettled, especially since it involved my dad's well-being.

"All the clues lead to the small town, so we must make a trip there to understand the whole story," Atlas asserted.

Just as we were about to leave the lobby, I heard my mom calling me from behind. "Chlo…"

I turned around to see her quickly descending the stairs.

We both stood in place, watching her approach. Though her expression remained composed, her eyes betrayed her inner unease.

"Are you two going on a business trip together?"

Atlas nodded earnestly, "Yes. Chlo and I are both going."

"Oh! So… where are you going?" She hesitated in her questioning, "Is it… about…?"

I looked at her, wanting to hear her thoughts.

She immediately reined in her emotions, giving us a slight smile. "Well, you better get going! Come back soon and give me a call anytime."

I scrutinized her. "Mom, do you have something on your mind?"

She quickly smiled and said, "No… Go on. I have to attend to Grandma Rose."

"Okay. We're leaving then. We'll be back soon." Atlas didn't press further, subtly hinting at me to do the same.

"I'm leaving, Mom."

With that, Atlas and I got into the car, heading straight to the airport.

In the car, I asked, "Did Mom seem different to you?"

"This can only mean one thing. That notebook is at home," Atlas said confidently to me.

"So, you're saying she knows about Dad's situation?"

"Yes. She must be well aware." Atlas nodded with certainty.

I remembered my mom's peculiar expressions when sensitive topics were brought up.

"You're right. It seems they've hidden quite a few secrets from me. Whenever they mentioned the small town in relation to my memories she always evaded the subject t looks like it might be time to unravel some of the secrets between my parents," I whispered.

Atlas grabbed my hand. "Don't worry. Secrets will always resurface." "Then, earlier… did she sense that something might happen to Dad?"

We raced to the airport, and Cane was already waiting for us at the departure gate. We took the VIP channel.

On the plane, Atlas comforted me, urging me to take a moment to rest. I was genuinely exhausted these past few days dealing with Oliver's situation.

I turned to Atlas beside me, "Honey, do you think all of this could be related to Liora's escape? Especially with what happened to Oliver? Didn't they already catch the perpetrator?" "I haven't had a chance to interrogate anyone yet," Atlas informed me.

"The target of that assailant was clearly me. If it weren't for Lauren, who saw it first and pushed me away, I would have been the onenet injured Oliver, fearing for Lauren's safety, threw himself in front of her."

swne Amidst all the chaos in the past couple of days, it was the first quiet moment I had with Atlas, prompting me to bring up this matter.

"I can't shake the feeling that this has something to do with Liora," added, "Who else is that vengeful against me? Since they knew exactly where we were dining at tha hotel, this wasn't random."

"It's hard to say for sure right now."

Beyond The Divorce Chapter 1164-I looked at him incredulously. "Why are you saying this? Can you stop hiding things from me? I'm not a child!"

"I haven't hidden anything from you." He reached out, wrapping his arm around me. "They've caught the person, but it was an online transaction, and the identity of the other party is unknown." "Unknown identity?" I questioned.

Atlas assured me, "But it's not Liora."

"She's ruled out!"

"Yes! She wouldn't be able to find such a person so quickly," Atlas said confidently, "There must be someone else involved."

I fell silent. Someone else?

He pulled the blanket up over me. "Get some sleep, hmm? Whoever he is, anyone who harms you won't have an easy time."

"Did you already know that Oliver was seriously injured?"

"The position and depth of the knife were clear at a glance," he answered.

"So… they intended to harm me?" I muttered. "Do you think the person that kidnapped my dad will…"

My mind was spinning. I didn't hold back my questions.

"They won't touch your dad until they get what they want. Don't worry."

Atlas's answer was always reassuring.

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to clear these thoughts. I really needed some rest. Otherwise, my energy wouldn't hold up. The next events were still uncertain.

As the plane took off, I fell asleep. I was truly exhausted.

It wasn't until the plane was about to land that Atlas woke me up. Exiting the airport, Mike was already waiting there, looking anxious.

I introduced Atlas to Mike. Surprisingly, local officials were here to welcome us. This was unexpected for both Mike and me. We each got into different cars. I rode with Mike while Atlas joined the officials in another car. Mike's car followed the two official vehicles.

"Chlo, it's my fault. I didn't take good care of your dad. I never thought something like this would happen," Mike said apologetically.

"Mike, it's not your fault. This was a premeditated event. The kidnappers have already called us, and they want something from my dad. I'm sure even my dad didn't expect this," I comforted him. "I should be thanking you and your wife for everything."

"You're being too polite. We're family, aren't we? I regret letting your dad stay at that hotel. If he were at my place, those people wouldn't have dared!"

Mike was full of regret. However, I knew this wasn't just a random occurrence.

"Mike, you know how my parents are. Even if you wanted them to stay at your place, they would have to agree first. They are both very stubborn, and I'm helpless about it."

"What kind of people are they? And why did they kidnap your dad? I've already reported it to the police. They're working hard to investigate. After all, I still have some connections.

"They checked the hotel's surveillance, but the cameras for that time were all blocked." Mike was a bit frightened as he said,"Chlo, I never expected this to be so serious. Kidnapping, of all things?" "It's still unclear who is behind this. That's why Atlas and I rushed over. All the clues are here," I explained.

Mike shook his head helplessly. "We always had good public safety here. Even the police say it's the first time such an incident has occurred. It is unheard of that a kidnapping case has occurred," Mike spoke with indignation.

I asked for more details.

Our car followed the one in front, heading directly back to Bibury. The northern region had entered deep autumn, and the maple leaves ablaze with red hues. However, we paid no mind to it. We went straight to the local office building, where the police officers and Mike recounted my dad's disappearance.

The hotel surveillance had been blocked from 11 p.m. the previous night, and it only resumed normal function half an hour later. This continged until Mike appeared at the room door, but there was no sign of how my dad had left.

That meant my dad was kidnapped in that half-hour window.

Beyond The Divorce Chapter 1165-The police also reported on the inspection of nearby surveillance. Despite being a small town, it wasn't quite dead at night. The hotel my dad stayed at was the newest star-rated establishment, with cars coming and going.

After a thorough investigation, they finally identified a black Audi parked in front of the hotel during that time frame. However, it was parked at such a tricky angle that one couldn't see the person coming out the door. That car's license plate belonged to our small town, but upon further investigation, it turned out to be a fake.

It seemed like this was a well-planned and premeditated incident. We were anxiously awaiting the latest clues from the investigating officers.

Just at that moment, my phone rang again.

I quickly said to everyone, "It's that unknown number."

Atlas reached over and took my phone, then turned on the speaker.

The next second, the modulated voice echoed again. "Ms. Chloe, it seems you don't care about your father's safety, collaborating with the police as soon as you arrive. Aren't you afraid I'll be unfriendly to him?"

I instantly felt myself tense up and nervously looked at Atlas.

Atlas's handsome face remained expressionless.

"It's good that you know. How dare you harm my family? You should be careful. If anything happens to my father-in-law, I'll make sure you regret it."

Upon hearing Atlas's voice, the other party turned sinister, "I just want that notebook! Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless! Don't forget, the eight hours I mentioned is almost up!"

After saying that, the call was disconnected, followed by a dial tone.

Everyone exchanged silent glances.

Atlas said, "Get ready. The next time they call, try to trace their location."

The executive who received us immediately arranged for the police's computer experts to prepare.

"It seems they are tracking our movements. How did they know we were with the police as soon as we arrived?" I looked at Atlas and said.

Atlas didn't respond. He glanced at Cane, and Cane immediately turned and left.

Just then, a police officer hurried in and reported to the executive, "We checked the vehicles in the hotel parking lot during that time and found two dash cams that reconet the car that took Mr. George away. It was a tall man. It was too far to see his appearance clearly, but the time was 11:23 pm." Content Belongs to "Let Mr. Atlas take a look," the executive ordered.

"Okay."

The police officer quickly played the surveillance video on a computer, and the time and situation matched the report from the police.

However, on the screen, it was evident that my dad seemed to know the person. His demeanor wasn't one of fear or coercion. It appeared as if he willingly got into the car with him.

I glanced at Atlas, and our eyes met.

The officer informed us that they were tracking the car. Atlas nodded and thanked him.

There was less than two hours left. I felt a bit anxious.

Just then, Atlas's phone rang. He answered promptly.

"Hmm! Send it over!" I heard Atlas speak decisively. Then he hung up.

Shortly after, his phone pinged. Atlas looked at the pictures and a short video that came with it.

I noticed that it was Arnold who sent him the text.

When I saw the pictures he sent, I got excited. It was an image of a notebook. "Is that the notebook?"

Atlas nodded. "I had Arnold stay at home, found a way to get your mom away, and then carefully investigated. It seems your dad did bring this notebook back." He went through all the pictures, seemingly unsurprised.

I saw in the images a very worn-out notebook. The brown leather corners had turned white, and the edges of the paper inside were slightly yellowed.

Some casually recorded formulas and data were revealed. I recognized the notes. Indeed, they were from my dad, but they seemed to be mostly chemical formulas.

I looked at Atlas with a puzzled expression. These things were not understandable to anyone.

Beyond The Divorce Chapter 1166-The notebook contained notes from when my dad was working. He used to teach chemistry but later took on a managerial role at the school. He hadn't been involved in practical chemistry experiments and tutorials for a long time.

What was the use of these old things?

I looked at Atlas, who was studying the contents earnestly. His expression remained unreadable. I wasn't sure if he understood what was written inside.

Then, he glanced at the executive who welcomed us and said, "We've found what they want. Our current task is to locate them, then we can negotiate." "Negotiate?" The executive looked at Atlas with some confusion. "But the item isn't in our hands."

"Don't worry, I have a plan. When they call again, we'll confirm their location," Atlas confidently replied. "They must still be in Bibury."

I watched Atlas. His speculation was correct. They wanted this notebook, and there was no need for them to travel around with someone. But I didn't understand what use they had for an old, worn-out notebook.

As I looked at Atlas again, he seemed to understand my doubts and subtly gestured for me not to speak.

A phone rang again. It was Mike's phone this time. He nodded apologetically to everyone and quickly left the room to answer the call outside.

Soon, he pushed the door open and beckoned to me. I stood up and walked out, confident it was a call from Ryan.

Sure enough, as I stepped outside, Mike said, "It's Ryan."

I quickly answered. "Ryan!"

"Uh… Chlo, I heard about what happened. Should I come back?" Ryan said.

"No need. Atlas and I are here together, and we've already reported to the police. The official authorities are handling it. They are currently investigating whether they're still in Bibury. Besides, Atlas brought someone with him," I informed Ryan. "Coming back won't help. Are you still in the capital?"

"Yeah, I'm still in the capital. It's close to Bibury, so I can come back anytime," He told me. "There's something I want to say, but I don't know how to tell you."

I tensed up. "What's the matter? Just say it. Why are you beating around the bush?"

Intuition told me that whatever Ryan was about to say was related to Bibury and my parents.

"Well, the last time I was back in Bibury, I investigated your parents. I couldn't find the right time to tell you," Ryan said.

His words caught me off guard, confirming my suspicions. He investigated my parents?

"What did you find out?" I asked, pressing for more information.

"Honestly, the information I uncovered wasn't much. When you arrived in Bibury, you were around 14 years old, but strangely, I couldn't trace where you came from," Ryan spoke cautiously. "That's exactly what I've been suspicious about." I encouraged him to continue.

"After arriving in Bibury, your father applied to teach chemistry at the local teachers' college. However, he was rejected multiple times. At that time, he had no recommendation letters. Trying to get into a university without one was wishful thinking," Ryan explained.

"How did he manage to get in then?" I asked urgently.

"The key is, there were no recommendation letters," Ryan hinted. "This suggests that there may have been an issue with their background."

"Did you find out why they came to Bibury in the first place, or how my parents explained their origins?" I fired a series of questions at Ryan. "There's no information on that at all." Ryan gave me a firm answer. "It's quite strange, isn't it?"

"So how did he eventually get into the school?"

"An older chemistry teacher voluntarily stepped down and recommended your father. That's how your father entered the teachers college and stayed there as a chemistry teacher. But later, I discovered that the older chemistry teacher had accepted a bribe from your father, prompting him to resign and recommend your father."

"A bribe?" I questioned, "For teaching?"

"Yes, and what's even stranger is that they were extremely generous with that old teacher. It was enough money to last him a lifetime."

"Was it really that much money?" I repeated in a murmur.

Ryan's words made me skeptical.

My memories were right in that time frame, and as far as I remembered our family wasn't that wealthy. We were just an ordinary family, and my mom was particularly frugal But now, hearing that my dad spent so much money to secure a teaching job confused me.

"And then what?" I asked, still eager for more information.

Beyond The Divorce Chapter 1167-Ryan's revelation sparked my intense curiosity.

I pressed for more details, asking, "And? Is there anything else?"

"No… You know the situation, and I was on borrowed time. Plus, when I started investigating, I realized that finding even this bit of information was quite a lot of trouble," Ryan replied earnestly.

"When did you think about looking into this?" I was curious.

"It was after returning to Bibury and recalling when we first met, along with everything that happened afterward. I wanted to help you figure out the things you've been suspicious about. But once I started digging, I found out how peculiar it all was."

I had complete faith in Ryan's words. It seemed my parents were not what I expected. They weren't northerners, and certainly not from Bibury.

"Finding that old teacher was incredibly difficult, and the old man is almost 90 years old now, but he's sharp as a tack, with a remarkably clear mind. He said he felt uneasy after getting that large sum of money, so he decided to relocate his whole family to the capital.

"It took a lot of time and effort for me to find him. Following up further became challenging due to a lack of leads and time constraints. I even extended my vacation and took almost a month off before returning to Foswood with Joyce."

"Looks like there's a story here," I murmured into the phone.

"Yes, I even suspect… Though it's just a suspicion… That your surname might be fake," Ryan told me. "I thought I could continue my investigation if I could go back to Bibury during Thanksgiving."

My head throbbed again. I massaged my temples absentmindedly and said, "It looks like it must be related to this notebook."

I thought about the formulas in that notebook, wondering what they could be.

Could my dad have connections to Bermuda? I hesitated to let my thoughts wander any further.

If they were from Bermuda, how did I end up in their hands?

"Chlo… Chlo, are you still listening?"

"I'm here!" I quickly snapped back to the present. "Ryan, finish up your business in Solaris and return to Foswood. It's a critical time, and none of us are in the office. I'm worried.

"Don't worry about what's going on in Bibury. Atlas and the police here can handle it. But I still don't know when I'll be able to go back. I'll feel more at ease if you're in Foswood."

"All right, got it. I'll return to Foswood tonight. Don't worry. No matter what happens, stay calm, don't get worked up. Trust that Atlas can handle it," Ryan reassured me. "Yeah, okay." I finished talking with Ryan and hung up the phone.

"My wife told Ryan about this," Mike said a little awkwardly.

"It's okay. He's worried, but the company in Foswood can't be left unattended. I'm afraid it might be a diversion tactic, and we can't afford any mistakes on that front. That's why didn't ask Ryan to come," I explained to Mike.

"Understandable. It wouldn't have helped even if he had come back. With the police involved, there's nothing we can do," Mike said, then asked me, "What do the kidnappers want with your dad?" I shook my head, saying, "I don't know. They just want an old notebook of my dad's!"

As we spoke, my phone suddenly rang sharply again. I glanced at the screen and hurried back into the room.

Atlas immediately understood, reaching for my phone. The police officer in charge promptly gave instructions to his prepared team. "Get ready to trace their location."

"Got it!" The IT specialist was ready and waiting.

Atlas calmly answered the phone, and the voice on the other end spoke again. "Time is running out. Let me repeat, I want that notebook."

"Sure, but I'll need to see if the hostage is safe, or there's no deal." Atlas's voice remained firm, not yielding an inch. "The item is in my possession, but if you want it, you'll have to follow my instructions. warn you, if anything happens to him, you know the consequences."

I understood. Atlas was intentionally prolonging the call. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said so much.

The IT specialist stared intently at the computer, fingers rapidly dancing on the keyboard, and all we could hear was the clicking of the keyboard.

"Don't be so arrogant, Atlas. Let me see the notebook before I show you the hostage. I set the conditions. for this game. Don't forget, the hostage is in my hands," The kidnapper said sinisterly.

Beyond The Divorce Chapter 1168-When Atlas heard the impatient tone on the other side of the line, he smiled calmly and said, "That's not a problem. Give me a number, and I'll send it over for you." The kidnapper abruptly hung up.

The IT specialist slammed his fist on the table in frustration, saying, "I was so close!"

Atlas, with a composed expression, said, "Don't worry! We still have a chance. Be prepared."

As expected, the phone he held tightly rang again. It was a video call, and he quickly answered. The camera showed only a white ceiling and a hanging lamp.

I glanced at the screen, and it was clear that the camera was pointing at the ceiling.

"Let me see that notebook." The disguised voice from the other end seemed impatient. "I said, the hostage is in my hands. How I deal with him depends on how you cooperate." Atlas said calmly, "Hold on. I'll show it to you."

"Hurry up! Don't play any tricks!" It seemed the kidnapper was a cunning one.

Atlas leisurely took out his phone and found a photo in the gallery. It was one of the images Arnold had sent. He aimed the camera at the notebook cover, saying, "Can you see it?"

A roar came from the other side. "I want the real thing! Are you trying to deceive me?"

"Are you kidding? Since you want it so much, I have to be cautious. Do you want to check the contents inside to verify it?" Atlas replied, not yielding an inch with a hint of mockery in his tone. Then, he glanced at the IT specialist, who was entirely focused on rapidly tracing the signal's origin.

As they were about to track it down, the video suddenly cut off.

We were disappointed again.

"It seems like he's an old hand, very skilled at anti-surveillance," The IT specialist remarked, "But judging from the signal strength, he must still be in the city."

At that moment, my phone played a video showing my dad bound and leaning sideways as if asleep.

Five minutes later, the phone rang again, and the ominous voice said, "Hand over the item, and I'll release him! Otherwise, you'll know the consequences, Atlas Pierce." He articulated each syllable of Atlas's name, indicating that he knew who Atlas was.

Furious, I shouted into the phone, "Why is my dad asleep? What have you done to him? I warn you, if you want to get what you're after, you need to make sure my dad is safe. He needs to come back without a scratch, or you won't get a thing!"

"Don't get so riled up, Ms. Chloe." The voice sounded threatening. "We were just catching up. He hasn't slept all night. You should let him rest."

Then, insidious laughter echoed through the phone.

Catching up?

I glanced at Atlas uneasily.

That meant my dad probably knew the kidnapper.

The voice continued, "Don't try to pull any tricks. It would be best for you to cooperate and bring me the item. Otherwise, I'll take him with me. He'll never return to Foswood again.

"I warned you. Bring the item to the riverside near Thenou Temple. Put it on the fourth chair."

After saying that, he hung up again. The IT specialist exclaimed, "Okay! In Wickers Mart-"

But before he could finish his excited words, his enthusiasm suddenly waned, and he struggled to continue.

Apparently, the address was incorrect.

Wickers Mart was bustling with people. How could they hide a hostage there?

"The possible hiding spots may be within a five-minute radius of the pinned location," Atlas said decisively.

"A five-minute journey?" The IT specialist questioned, thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. He quickly turned to Atlas and asked, "Are you saying that it may be five minutes away from Wickers "Yes!" Atlas replied with certainty.

QUMS The IT specialist, who seemed very clever, swiftly opened the satellite map of the small city. He rapidly found the location of Wickers Mart and marked the surrounding area we could get to in five-minutes.

Everyone gathered to look. As I observed the map, something suddenly clicked in my mind.

I quickly opened the short video recording of my dad, played it again, then exclaimed, "Atlas, I know where they are!"

Beyond The Divorce Chapter 1169-Atlas's eyes lit up, and he looked at me. "Where?"

He took a step closer, and I showed him my phone screen. "The place where my dad's been tied up seems to be my home."

Atlas glanced at the screen of my phone and then focused his gaze on me, asking, "Are you sure?"

I nodded vigorously and said, "I'm sure! When he sent you the video just now, I saw the ceiling light. I thought that the light was strangely familiar. I remember now-it was the chandelier in our living room at home!" Then, addressing the high-ranking official, I said, "Our home is in the compound of the Nomunal College!"

The high-ranking official pondered for a moment and then turned to Atlas. "The distance from that compound to Wanjia Supermarket is about 5 minutes!"

Atlas decisively declared, "Hurry on over!"

The official immediately issued orders, and swift actions were taken.

We quickly got up and headed outside. Mike stomped, saying, "Why didn't I think of that? After completing the procedures yesterday, I handed the keys to them."

Atlas calmly said, "That's right. From the surveillance footage, it seemed like dad was familiar with those people. The one who kidnapped him is probably the one who bought the house." Mike was momentarily petrified and visibly shocked.

Our group hastily boarded the cars and headed straight for the family compound of the Nomunal College.

It was 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and everyone was going home from work. The compound was bustling with people. Our convoy went directly to the building where our home was located. The police officers accompanying us hurried upstairs. But when we all got to the floor, we found the door slightly ajar.

A sense of unease washed over me.

As expected, after our people rushed inside, they discovered the place was empty. There was no sign of anyone, just an overturned chair on the floor.

I looked at Atlas anxiously, but he remained composed. "They must have left in a hurry. It won't be long before they're out of reach. Check the nearby surveillance footage."

As Atlas finished speaking, someone immediately ran out to carry out the task.

I was very familiar with the courtyard of this community. There were over a dozen buildings in total, and the entire neighborhood had three exits. The main exit was on the south side. That was the entrance we had just come in from.

The residents here were mostly teachers and their families from college. If someone left, someone else would definitely notice. If the kidnappers had just left with my dad, they would have definitely attracted some attention. People here wouldn't just stand by and watch. It seemed highly unlikely.

"Why do I feel like something's not right?" I asked, looking at Atlas.

"Are you saying it would have been impossible to get a hostage out during this time?" Atlas seemed to know what I was thinking.

"If someone had seen them, they definitely wouldn't have ignored it." I nodded in agreement.

"Then there's only one possibility-"

Before Atlas could finish his sentence, an old neighbor suddenly appeared at the entrance, peeking inside.

As soon as he saw me, he quickly waved. I walked swiftly to the entrance and greeted the old neighbor. "Did you just leave work, Mr. Bernard?"

I recognized him. He was Bernard Tarolt, who taught history at Nomunal College.

"Didn't you sell your house, Chloe?" he asked doubtfully.

"Oh, there's just been a minor hiccup," I said with feigned composure.

"I… I just saw your dad a moment ago. He didn't respond when I tried talking to him. What happened? Didn't you say the paperwork was done? Why the sudden change?" He curiously inquired. After all, the hallway was full of strangers.

I was alarmed and quickly asked, "You saw my dad? Was he alone or with someone?"

Bernard looked at me, nodded in confusion, and said, "Yes, I saw your dad with someone else just now. I didn't pay much attention to the other man since I was busy talking to your dad. They left together walking quickly. I was wondering why he didn't respond when I spoke to him. It was as if he hadn't heard a thing."

Atlas walked over and asked, "Did he notice you? But he chose to ignore you?"

Bernard thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, he saw me. It seemed like he glanced at me but didn't say anything."

He looked at Atlas, assessed him for a moment, then glanced back at me, raising an eyebrow, questioning, "And this is…?"

Beyond The Divorce Chapter 1170-Atlas quickly stepped in. "I'm from the real estate agency."

I glanced at Atlas, unsure of his intentions. He added, "There's been an issue with the paperwork, so we came to discuss it with the landlord and buyer."

"They just left," Bernard informed Atlas eagerly. "I was wondering why those people came."

"Oh! They're from a renovation company. They were trying to get some business," Atlas casually explained.

I understood that Atlas was trying to avoid unnecessary attention.

"How long have they been gone?" Atlas continued to ask.

"Not long, about ten minutes," Bernard said warmly. "I was wondering why he seemed upset."

At that moment, Cane quickly came upstairs, locked eyes with Atlas, and said to everyone, "We're leaving!"

I quickly bid Bernard goodbye, locked the door, and went downstairs with Atlas.

Downstairs, Cane whispered something to Atlas. Atlas's expression visibly froze, and my heart skipped a beat. Knowing Atlas as well as I did, that expression indicated that the situation was unexpected. I hurried over, asking, "What's going on?"

"The one who took your dad was none other than Navi." Atlas's handsome face looked stern, his voice cold.

"What?"

Atlas's answer left me completely stunned.

Navi? He was the boss of the largest syndicate in Bermuda.

But how could he possibly be connected to my dad? I found it hard to believe.

My mind was spinning rapidly. Navi, the notebook, chemical formulas…

Could it be?

"Are you… Are you sure?" My lips were trembling.

Atlas looked at me, his eyes confirming my suspicions.

My heart pounded intensely and a wave of unprecedented nervousness washed over me.

"Get in the car. We're heading back to the command center. We'll know the details soon," Atlas said, ushering me into the car. The vehicle swiftly returned to the temporary office.

I wasn't quite sure what Atlas meant by "we'll know soon."

Atlas looked at the leader and said, "I'd like to have a word with your driver. I need to ask him a few questions."

The leader seemed surprised. He glanced at Atlas, then nodded. "Sure."

As I watched Atlas, my unease persisted. It seemed like the situation was getting serious.

The leader made a quick call, and soon, hurrian of average height in. He went straight to the leader. "Chief Vincent."

It dawned on me that this leader was the police chief of Bibury. Vincent Cooper looked at Atlas. "This is my driver, Neil Day."

Atlas's sharp gaze grew colder as he assessed the man.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Neil looked nervously at Atlas, feeling lost.

Atlas pursed his lips and asked, "Don't you have anything to say?"

Chief Vincent looked at Neil in disbelief. "Neil…"

"What… What should I say?" Neil visibly pretended to stay calm.

Suddenly, Cane raised a small lipstick-sized object and pressed it. A recording of a man's voice started. It sounded like a phone call.

belongs to en.kikistori tent "They seem to have a lead. They say they've located your position. Don't lie to me!"

Cane was holding a small recording device.

When Neil heard the voice, he immediately looked panicked.

I finally understood. The voice on the recording was Neil's.

Another voice emerged from the recording, somewhat muffled and obviously coming from a phone.

"Why are you panicking? Just donet what you're supposed to do. What? Isn't the money I gave you enough?"

"I'm just scared. Anyway, like you said, I don't know anything. I'm just reporting where they are."

In the recording, Neil seemed helpless, his tone nervous.

Cane looked at him and coldly asked, "Are you going to tell me you don't know who's speaking in this recording?"

"You… you…" Neil looked at Cane, then at the cold Atlas. He was completely flustered.

Cane smiled, his tone icy. "Didn't see that coming, did you? Speak up!"

Vincent stared at Neil in disbelief, roaring, "What's going on?"

Neil looked at Vincent and gulped nervously. "I… I…"