Chapter 536
Camilla immediately sensed a disconnect. These men didn’t act like hired mercenaries; they seemed terrified of Davina, acting as if she had some damning leverage over them. The thugs edged closer, their eyes darting nervously toward Lance, clearly intimidated by his imposing presence.
“Come on, sweetheart,” the buzzcut thug urged, feigning bravado. “Just come over here and let’s get it over with p>
Suddenly, a chaotic crash echoed through the phone line, followed by a sharp burst of static.
It was the signal they had been waiting for.
Lance moved with terrifying speed. In a blur of motion, he kicked the buzzcut thug squarely in the chest, sending him crashing to the concrete floor. Before the other two could even process the attack, Lance seamlessly grabbed their arms and violently dislocated their wrists.
The three men collapsed, writhing and howling in agony.
“Are you crazy?!” the buzzcut thug screamed from the floor. “Do you want your kid to die?! I’m telling you, that crazy bitch will kill him p>
Camilla raised the phone to her ear. Officer Newell’s steady voice replaced Davina’s manic shrieking. “You can relax, Camilla. The kids are secured and unharmed. I’ve already dispatched a team to your location. They’ll be there any second p>
Right on cue, police sirens wailed outside the factory. A swarm of officers flooded the warehouse and hauled the groaning thugs out to the squad cars.
The oppressive tension finally broke, leaving behind a profound silence. The heavy weight crushing Camilla’s chest vanished, and she let out a shaky breath.
Lance wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “It’s over, Camilla. It’s over p>
By the time they arrived back at the precinct, Newell’s team had just pulled in. Elaine was crying uncontrollably, and though Jasper was clearly terrified, he stood bravely by her side, softly comforting her. Daisy stood silently in the corner, her face twisted into a dark, unreadable scowl.
As Davina was dragged out of the squad car in handcuffs, she spotted Camilla and thrashed violently. “You bitch! You set me up! You tricked me p>
“You were just too stupid,” Camilla replied coldly.
The three thugs were pulled from a separate vehicle. Unlike Davina’s fiery rage, they looked thoroughly defeated and paranoid, their eyes darting around as if bracing for a death sentence.
Camilla pulled Officer Newell aside. “I strongly suspect this kidnapping isn’t Davina’s only crime. Those three men are her accomplices, but they were acting out of fear, as if she was holding a massive secret over their heads. I’d highly recommend interrogating them thoroughly p>
Newell’s eyes locked onto the buzzcut thug. “Wait a minute… I know you. How did you get tangled up with her p>
Under the intense scrutiny of the detective, the thug’s bravado shattered entirely. He collapsed to his knees and begged desperately. “Officer, I was wrong! I’ll confess! I’ll tell you everything p>
“The… the death of Odom Green wasn’t an accident! She orchestrated the whole thing! She took out a massive life insurance policy on him and staged the accident. The payout was a million dollars. She promised us that after giving his parents two hundred thousand dollars in death benefits, we’d split the rest evenly p>
“I was blinded by the money! Officer Newell, I swear I’ve regretted it every single day. I haven’t been able to sleep. I’m turning myself in!” He wailed, pressing his forehead against the floor in surrender.
Camilla listened in sheer horror. When Davina first arrived at the Carter household, she had played the tragic widow whose husband died in a freak accident. She had actually orchestrated his murder. And the death benefits—she had slaughtered her husband for a payout, and only a fraction of the blood money had actually gone to his grieving parents.
What a truly ruthless monster. She had murdered her own husband in cold blood.
“Is that true?! Did you murder my son p>
Ines and Odom, who had just rushed to the station after hearing about Daisy, caught the end of the confession. Ines’s legs gave out, and she crumpled to the floor. Scrambling forward, she grabbed the thug’s shirt and shook him violently. “Silas Evans, you were my son’s friend! How could you conspire with that venomous snake to murder him for money?! Give me my son back p>
Silas let the old woman thrash him, tears of guilt streaming down his face. “I’m so sorry, Ines. I lost my mind to greed. I swear to you, when I get out of prison, I will take care of you and Odom for the rest of your lives. I’ll be the son he couldn’t be p>
“Take care of us?! Will your apologies bring my boy back?! You murderers!” Ines shrieked in absolute agony. She released Silas and lunged wildly at Davina. “You venomous snake! My son worshipped the ground you walked on! He did everything for you! How could you murder him p>
Knowing her fate was sealed, Davina merely sneered at the grieving mother. “Treated me well? So what? You were a pathetic, poor family! I had better options waiting for me. Why the hell should I have rotted in that village with you p>