Chapter 499
In the video, Clement confessed to every single one of his horrific crimes with terrifying nonchalance.
“Looking back on my life, I guess you could say it was quite the ride,” he drawled, leaning back in his chair. “Trafficking, kidnapping, human experimentation… yeah, I did all of that. But honestly, my crowning achievement? That would have to be the time my associates and I turned a cop into our own personal pet.
“Oh, that’s a fun story.
“If memory serves, he was a narcotics officer.
“He spent months trying to infiltrate our network, completely oblivious to the fact that we were onto him from day one.
“We eventually ambushed him at the border, knocked him out cold, and handed him off to a wealthy businessman named Carter, who smuggled him back into the country.
“He was a drug cop. He despised narcotics more than anything. So, we pumped him full of experimental chemicals until he was nothing more than our little plaything. Hilarious, isn’t it, Officer?
“I believe his name was Tanner White.
“You guys spent years hunting me, and I was right under your noses the entire time.
“Want to know what happened to your missing hero? I’ll give you a hint: he’s not dead.
“As for where he’s currently hiding… you’re going to have to ask my beloved protégé, Barnard p>
His arrogant, mocking tone was a blatant middle finger to the justice system.
The public erupted in visceral outrage. The comment sections across social media became a tidal wave of people screaming for the death penalty.
Given the sheer magnitude of the syndicate’s crimes, the police had no intention of suppressing the footage. They wanted the public to see exactly what kind of monsters they had taken off the streets.
The interview spread like wildfire, dominating every news outlet within the hour.
Camilla was sitting by her mother’s hospital bed when the news broke. It was a blessing she was there.
The explosive revelation crashed into Elise’s world, shattering a decade of carefully constructed denial.
Elise’s fingers dug into Camilla’s wrist with bruising force. “Camilla! Your father! He said your father is alive p>
Camilla was frozen in shock, her mind racing to process the sheer magnitude of the words.
He was alive. It was the one prayer she had whispered every night for the last ten years.
But hearing it confirmed brought an icy wave of absolute terror crashing over her.
The psychopath’s manic grin burned into her mind.
A suffocating dread tightened her chest. Was her father going to be a skeletal shell of the man he once was?
Or worse, had the torture completely broken his mind, leaving him unable to even recognize his own family?
She knew Tanner White.
Her father was a fiercely principled man who would never bow to criminals.
He would have chosen death over becoming a cartel’s toy.
If he was still breathing, it meant they had used their vile drugs to shatter his psyche or wipe his memories entirely.
Forcing down her mounting panic, Camilla gripped her mother’s shaking hands. “I heard him, Mom. Dad is alive. And I swear to you, I will bring him home p>
“I’m coming with you,” Elise demanded, her voice rising in hysteria.
She lunged for the IV needle in her arm, completely blinded by desperation.
Camilla pinned her hand down firmly. “Mom, stop! You need to calm down. You are in no condition to travel. Let me handle this. Your only job right now is to get strong, so Dad doesn’t have to worry about you when he gets back p>
Tears streamed endlessly down Elise’s cheeks. “I’ve waited for him for over ten years. How can you expect me to sit here and do nothing? Please, Camilla, let me go with you. I can’t just wait in this room p>
Camilla had no idea what state her father was in.
She had to assess the situation herself before she even thought about letting Elise see him.
If Tanner’s condition was as horrific as she feared, the shock could trigger a fatal medical crisis for her mother.
“Mom, listen to me. Dad is going to need around-the-clock care when he gets back. You have to be strong enough to help him,” Camilla reasoned, her voice steady and commanding. “I’m your daughter. Don’t you trust me? Now that we know he’s out there, I will tear the world apart to bring him back to you p>
“But p>
“Mom, do you really want him to see you looking so sick and frail after all these years? Take a deep breath. Focus on your recovery. Wait until you’re looking like yourself again before you see him. If it makes you feel better, I’ll video call you the second I find him p>
After several minutes of intense persuasion, the fight finally drained out of Elise. “Okay. But you have to bring him home. Promise me. Oh, wait… you were just a little girl when he left. He might not recognize you. Take this.” She fumbled with a chain around her neck and pressed a gold ring into Camilla’s palm. “It’s our wedding ring. He’ll know what it means p>
The sudden surge of hope had turned Elise into a bundle of frantic nerves.
Camilla clutched the ring tightly, feeling the lingering warmth of her mother’s skin against the metal. Meeting Elise’s desperate, pleading eyes, she simply nodded and tucked the ring safely into her bag.
“Go,” Elise urged, practically pushing her toward the door. “Hurry. Bring him back to me p>