Chapter 1810
Elysia glanced at the clock. It was almost six in the morning.
Clayton Hawkins was an early riser, so she decided to call him instead.
He picked up almost immediately. “Dad, is Tarquin at home? I can’t reach his phone p>
Clayton had already heard from Elliot that Tarquin had left to find Axel, and that they were keeping Elysia in the dark.
He lied smoothly. “He left before dawn. He’s probably on a flight right now, which is why you can’t reach him p>
Elysia was surprised. “Before dawn? Where did he go p>
“Out of town on business,” Clayton replied. “Something urgent with the company, I believe p>
Elysia frowned, a knot forming in her stomach.
“Is it an emergency?” Clayton asked gently.
“No, it’s fine. Did Lowell go with him p>
“Yeah, they left together p>
Elysia sighed softly, made some brief small talk, and ended the call.
She turned back to Blossom.
“Tarquin and Lowell went on a business trip. They’re on a flight, which is why they’re unreachable. Try to relax. As soon as they land and see my missed calls, he’ll call me back, and I’ll ask him about Axel p>
Blossom buried her face in Elysia’s shoulder, weeping. “I want to go find him. I’m so worried, Elysia. I just know something happened to him p>
Elysia rubbed her back, entirely unsure of how to comfort her.
Blossom’s panic was contagious, and intuition was a powerful thing—often disturbingly accurate.
But going after Axel was completely out of the question.
First, they had no idea where he actually was.
Second, if he truly was in danger, they would only be a liability, not an asset.
“Blossom, please, hold on. Let’s wait until we talk to Tarquin to figure out what’s going on p>
With Blossom completely distraught, Elysia stayed by her side, murmuring reassurances while anxiously waiting for Tarquin’s call.
By the afternoon, there was still no word from Tarquin. Instead, Blossom received a package.
Inside, she found a bank card, a folded note, and a small velvet box.
The note contained two stark lines:
*I’m sorry I broke your talisman. The card is to cover the damages. PIN is six zeros p>
*I wish you a good life. Goodbye. —Axel p>
Blossom’s face drained of color. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she fumbled with the velvet box.
Inside lay the protective talisman she had given him.
It originally had three strings of gold beads hanging from it; now, there were only two, and the metal was visibly dented.
Worst of all, the faint, unmistakable rust-colored stains coating the charm were clearly dried blood.
Blossom gasped, a suffocating wave of despair washing over her. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed, passing out on the spot.
Meanwhile, deep within a heavily guarded compound in the rainforests of The Shan Territories in Mariana Land.
Axel hung by his wrists, chained to the ceiling. He had been brutally beaten, blood steadily dripping from his nose and mouth.
His body was a tapestry of lacerations and bruises, his clothes soaked through with his own blood. He drifted in and out of a dark, agonizing haze.
Outside, heavily armed mercenaries patrolled the grounds.
At one in the afternoon, local time, a scrawny enforcer kicked the door open.
Without a word, he grabbed an iron pipe from the floor and swung it viciously at Axel’s ribs.
Axel groaned as the impact jolted him awake.
The enforcer sneered, his voice
dripping with venom. “I trusted you,
and you stabbed me in the or I’II
re are t
kids? Tell me
tear you apart p>
Axel wheezed, refusing to utter a word or even spare the man a glance.
Infuriated, the enforcer rained down a flurry of savage blows with the pipe. Axel clenched his jaw, swallowing every cry of pain. He would never beg.
Blind with rage, the enforcer tossed the pipe aside, snatched a hunting knife from a nearby table, and buried it deep into Axel’s thigh, twisting the blade to carve out a chunk of fresh.