The secret room, though not large, contained a bed, sofas, bedding, tables, a coffee maker, and more. The most unsettling feature was a row of transparent jars on a side table, their murky contents indistinct but disturbing in shape and color.
On the floor, heavily bound, lay the vicious man who had been tormenting them. Completely still, he appeared asleep or unconscious, yet the recent banging had originated from this room.
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Is he dead?"
Edward shook his head.
Mike approached, leaning to examine the man. "I don't think so." He then looked at Edward. "How did you catch him? Were you responsible for the bodyguards outside?"
Edward nodded slightly. They had been formidable opponents, but no match for him. Mike gave a thumbs-up, then stared conflictedly at the bound man. He hated the man intensely for kidnapping his son, yet knew simply tying him up wasn't a solution. He would have done so long ago if it would work, but he understood this depraved man too well—he would rather die than reveal Nick's whereabouts.
Mike turned to Lily. "Now what?"
With no other options, and given Edward's actions, pretense about killing the man was no longer possible.
Lily pulled up a stool, unable to stand for extended periods due to her pregnancy. "Let's talk," she said.
Mike frowned. "Talk? To whom?"
"Him, of course!" She pointed at the still figure.
Before Mike could point out the man's unconscious state, a shrill giggle sliced through the air. Despite being bound and curled on the floor, the man's laughter was chillingly smug. He shook with amusement. "You're smarter than I imagined."
"Of course I am," Lily replied, leaning comfortably against the long table.
"So what? Do you think you can change anything? What a joke!" His laughter escalated into a convulsive fit.
"Stop laughing!" Edward's anger flared, and he delivered a hard kick to the man's stomach.
The man grunted, momentarily curled by the pain, then erupted again into maniacal laughter. Edward, enraged, was about to kick him again, but Lily raised a hand. "That's enough."
Her voice halted Edward, and the man's laughter subsided into intermittent, mocking chuckles. Lily looked at him coldly. "Cut the act!"