Chapter 706
Their network blanketed every corner of Aethelgard, meaning that as soon as a location was dropped, their trackers were there in an instant. Frankly, they were far more efficient than the authorities.
Because of this, Mira trusted their judgment much more than she trusted Celine’s parents’ assumptions.
“Keep an eye on him,” she texted back.
Right at that moment, Sterling and Valerie arrived. They brought a dozen bodyguards and several massive suitcases.
Mira knew exactly what was inside: mountains of cash.
“Sterling, Valerie, while you were en route, I hacked into your phone systems. If the kidnappers call again, I can pinpoint their location. Just remember, you’ll need to burn these numbers once this is over p>
“Thank you, Mira. I knew we could count on you,” Valerie sobbed, wiping her tears.
“And thank you, Elara, Harvey, and Liora. Words can’t express how grateful we are that you rushed over to help p>
“Valerie, I also contacted a local friend with a team of elite trackers. Once we get a ping, his people can search for Celine from the shadows p>
“Thank you. I can’t believe you’ve only been in Aethelgard for two months and you already have such a vast network. You’ve done so much for us already; we will gladly cover all their operational costs p>
“Let’s not worry about money right now. Finding Celine is the only thing that matters p>
“Sterling, do you think we should involve the police?” Mira asked.
“Not yet. Celine’s safety comes first. We’ve already prepared the ransom p>
In other words, they were more than willing to pay ten million dollars to get Celine back rather than risk complicating things with law enforcement.
Mira pulled up the photo of the ‘suspicious person’ and showed it to them. “That’s my friend,” Sterling confirmed.
Before they knew it, the clock struck eight. Celine’s parents urged Mira and the others to go back and rest since they had classes the next day.
But if Mira left, there would be no one left to trace the calls or identify the culprits. Furthermore, Silas Lawson’s men took orders from absolutely no one else.
“I’ll take tomorrow off. My guess is they’ll make their move deep in the night. Don’t worry, I’ve already let my family know, so I’ll stay here and help,” Mira insisted.
Time was tight, but in a crisis like this, skipping a day of class for her best friend was entirely worth it.
“Thank you, Mira. Celine is truly blessed to have a friend like you p>
They managed to convince Harvey, Elara, and Liora to head back, mainly because there wasn’t much they could do by staying.
Liora, however, threw a tearful fit and absolutely refused to return to campus, so they eventually let her stay.
“If you end up needing more muscle, call me,” Harvey whispered to Mira before leaving.
“I will,” Mira replied.
She knew the Rivers family had their own hidden influence in Aethelgard, but he wouldn’t expose it unless absolutely necessary. He was mostly just trying to earn a favor from her.
As the night dragged on, sleep was impossible. Unable to keep her eyes open, Mira eventually slumped over the desk for a brief nap.
Liora curled up in the corner of the
sofa, stubbornly fighting off sleep until exhaustion finally won. “Mira, promise you’ll wake me if there’s any news she mumbled before passing out
Celine’s parents refused to sleep, and the two university officials were too anxious to rest. “You two should sleep in shifts,” Mira advised the
il
officials Otherwise, you’ll be dead on your feet by the early hours. Sterling, you and Valerie should try to lie down for a bit, too p>
But how could Celine’s parents possibly sleep?