It was a classic diversion tactic, and Damon was nothing more than a pawn. But who was really behind this?
Ross’ suspicion fell on Emma. Without a word, he pulled out his phone and dialed Danielle again, but the line just kept ringing with no one answering on the other end.
Pressing his lips together, Ross felt his heart sink, a suffocating heaviness crashing over him as if he were drowning.
At that moment, his assistant hurried forward and reported, “Mr. Jean, the bodyguard who was following Emma just reported that Dr. Shelly had gone missing, and her whereabouts are currently unknown.”
Ross pressed, “What about Emma?”
“The bodyguard found her passed out at the restroom entrance. He’s rushing her to the hospital now.”
The news of Danielle’s disappearance plunged Ross into a despair even deeper than when Shermaine had gone missing as a child. This time, the terror was suffocating, clawing at him from the inside. His mind screamed at him to stay calm, but emotionally, he couldn’t obey.
‘This is all my fault,’ he thought bitterly.
The thought of Danielle out there, helpless and possibly in danger, sent a cold chill down his spine. Everyone saw her as this invincible miracle worker in the operating room, but outside of that, she was soft, pampered, and completely unguarded.
She wasn’t like Shermaine, who could fight back if someone tried to hurt her. Danielle wouldn’t even know where to begin defending herself.
Horrible images kept flashing through his mind, each more unbearable than the last, with all the ways she could be hurt right now.
His knuckles turned bone white, his whole body radiating a violent, barely contained rage. Even though Emma had been found unconscious, he didn’t trust her for a second.
She’d already pulled off such an elaborate diversion, so she had to choose a far more subtle, foolproof way to clear her name.
Ross’ eyes were bloodshot. “Find her! Mobilize everyone to search for her!”
The police, having learned of Danielle’s abduction, immediately launched a full-scale search, tapping into the city’s traffic surveillance system to trace any possible lead.
Wallington had already lost a brilliant doctor like Shermaine; they couldn’t afford to lose Danielle too. Losing her would be a devastating blow to the nation—one they simply couldn’t bear.
Ross immediately headed to the hospital. By the time he arrived, Emma was already awake. The room, however, was shrouded in darkness; not a single light was turned on.
Standing by the bedside, Ross looked utterly terrifying in the dim glow. It was a stark contrast to the gentle, refined man he had always appeared to be.
Beneath the blanket, Emma’s hand trembled ever so slightly, but she forced herself to look lost and fragile. “Why… why am I here…” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
After a pause, as if the memory slowly came back to her, she continued to say, “I remember it now. Ross, I was with Ms. Shelly in the restroom when a masked man suddenly showed up.
“He took her down before I could even react. I tried to fight him off, but I was too weak. I couldn’t stop him. There was nothing I could do.”
Then, she asked anxiously, “Ross, what about Ms. Shelly? Is she okay? Did she get hurt?”
If Shermaine had been there to see her act, she probably would’ve stood up and applauded on the spot. Honestly, it was a tragedy Emma hadn’t gone into acting. With a performance like this, she could’ve been crowned the best actress without breaking a sweat.
Chapter 558
“She’s missing. We still don’t know where she is,” Ross said coldly.
“What?” Emma’s eyes widened in exaggerated shock. “Ross, do you know who did this? Could it be Damon?”
His gaze turned grave, “Don’t play dumb. You know exactly who’s behind this.”
Emma bit her lip. “Ross, what are you saying? You think it was me?” Her voice cracked as if she might cry at any second. “I know you’re worried about Ms. Shelly, but how could you even suspect me? Is that really how you see me?”
With tears in her eyes, she protested, “If I were really that cruel and scheming, why would I have saved you back then? Why would I let myself end up like this?”
But Ross didn’t waver for a second. He stepped forward and, without warning, grabbed her by the throat. “Drop the act. I know it was you. Tell me! Where is she?”
Emma choked, eyes wide with panic, completely unprepared for his sudden attack. The burning rage in his eyes and the crushing force of his hand made her genuinely believe she might die right there and then.
She thought, ‘Ross, I can’t believe how ruthless you are. All this just to protect that damn Danielle? I literally saved your life! It’s too bad because I’m crazier than you can even imagine. I’ve come too far to let it all fall apart now!’
Tears streamed down Emma’s cheeks as she pleaded, “It wasn’t me. I swear, Ross, you have to believe me.”
Ross felt a wave of disgust at her tearful act and abruptly released his grip on her. Just then, his phone rang.
With a look of utter revulsion, he pulled out a handkerchief and meticulously wiped his hand repeatedly. Once he felt clean again, he finally picked up his phone. It was a call from Joshua, and Ross stepped out to answer it.
On the other end, Joshua’s voice was steady and reassuring. “I heard what happened to Danielle, but don’t lose your head. Before she left, Danielle gave Shermaine a tracker. I’ve already told Sheary about it, so it won’t take long before she brings Danielle back safely.”
Joshua’s words finally managed to calm Ross down; he trusted Shermaine’s abilities completely. Still, Ross couldn’t help but ask, “Isn’t Sheary all the way in Maple Leaf Ville? Can she really make it back in time?”
“She can,” Joshua assured him.
Shermaine had taken both Apocalypse and her mecha jet to Maple Leaf Ville. If she could lock onto Danielle’s location, getting back to rescue her would take only about ten minutes. Hence, Ross gave a soft hum in response.
In Maple Leaf Ville, Shermaine learned from Joshua that Danielle had been drugged, taken away, and gone missing. With Danielle unconscious, there was no way for her to call for help.
By a strange twist of fate, the same creep Shermaine had run into at Basterel University showed up at the restaurant where Danielle had been dining. After that, the man drove out of the city, and no one knew where he was headed.
Shermaine had every reason to believe he was the one who had taken Danielle. It seemed Ross had been set up by Emma after all.
Shermaine activated her mecha via her Orthish. Moments later, the mecha automatically hovered outside the building. From the second floor, she leapt straight into the cockpit, and in the blink of an eye, the mecha shot off like a meteor, disappearing into the night.
Meanwhile, Danielle began to stir from unconsciousness. As she regained consciousness, she felt her head still spinning. Realizing her hands were tied, she jolted upright in panic.
Danielle realized she was in a moving car. The man behind the wheel was driving recklessly, and she had no idea where he was taking her. At first, a wave of panic surged through her.
But years of facing high-pressure situations had trained her to stay calm. Despite the sedative still dulling her strength, she managed to speak, her voice soft and barely audible. “Who are you? Where are you taking me?”
Chapter 558
But the driver remained silent, only stepping harder on the accelerator as the car lurched forward at terrifying speed. The farther they drove, the more remote the surroundings became.
Before long, he pulled off the main road and stopped in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but desolate wilderness.
A small, dilapidated wooden cabin stood before them. Once the car stopped, he dragged Danielle out of the car.
Danielle staggered as he yanked her forward, nearly falling to the ground. “I don’t know why you’re in cahoots with Emma to bring me here. If it’s money you want, let me go. I can pay you far more than whatever she’s offering.”
However, the man dragged her into the cabin and switched on a single light. The dim, yellow glow filled the room, casting long, distorted shadows against the walls.
He ripped off his hat and mask, his voice low and rasping, dripping with malice. “Dr. Shelly, I don’t want your money. I just want Ross, that bastard who stole you from me, to suffer so badly he wishes he were dead.”
Danielle finally saw his face. “Jason? Why is it you?”