Chapter 140

By coincidence, Tom Malfoy recently took his kept woman to a jewelry store to buy accessories. There, he caught the eye of a sales assistant. Malfoy, accustomed to a profligate lifestyle and countless women, desired any attractive woman who caught his fancy. He spent over two million pounds on a necklace for his companion, simultaneously flaunting his wealth to the sales assistant. While the young woman was in the restroom, Malfoy obtained the assistant's contact information. That night, they were together.

On Valentine's Day, Malfoy arranged another meeting with the sales assistant. In a themed hotel suite, after they finished, Malfoy tossed her a card. "Happy Valentine's, darling. Spend it however you like."

The woman smiled, accepting the card. With suggestive intent, she said coquettishly, "You never put any thought into choosing a gift for me. It's always just money. Today, a gentleman in our store purchased the Valentine's limited-edition necklace, priced at £9,990,000, for his girlfriend. I'm so envious. He must truly love her."

Malfoy scoffed, leaning against the headboard, casually smoking a post-coital cigarette and exhaling clouds of smoke. His mood was good, and he wasn't angered by her words. He smiled, responding with unusual patience: "There's over a hundred thousand in that card. Buy whatever you fancy. Money is all that matters—you're not seriously expecting love, are you?"

The woman snuggled close, resting her head on his chest. In a babyish voice, she said, "I was just making conversation."

Malfoy flicked his ash, his expression cold. "Don't mention that word—love."

"I understand."

Malfoy hadn't given the matter much thought initially. Shortly after Valentine's Day, Asher seemed suddenly motivated and began relentlessly investigating Malfoy's operations. Arno Jones had made only a minor oversight, but Asher's team immediately spotted the weakness. Jones was soon arrested. All companies under Malfoy's control were also investigated.

At first, Malfoy frantically sent people to assassinate Asher, but all attempts failed. After losing considerable manpower and resources, Malfoy reverted to his previous strategy—targeting those close to Asher. His original target had been the actress rumored to be involved with Asher. However, Grace Bennett informed him the actress was Asher's distant cousin, and their rumored relationship was merely a publicity stunt.

Upon hearing this, Malfoy recalled Thalia's recent breakup with Asher. He had sent people to follow her, and her heartbroken, intoxicated state hadn't seemed like an act. She had cursed Asher as fickle, unfaithful, and abandoning her. Judging by Thalia's behavior, she seemed genuinely unaware the actress was Asher's cousin. Their breakup had occurred shortly after Randolph's incident. Malfoy realized he had likely been deceived by Asher.

He then remembered the woman's Valentine's Day comment about someone spending £9,990,000 on an exclusive necklace for his girlfriend. Few people in London could afford such extravagance. Malfoy immediately called the woman to inquire about the purchaser. Because the incident had made such a strong impression, she had taken special note of the man's information. When Malfoy asked, she replied, "He appeared to be in his thirties, about 5'8" or 5'9", slim, with the surname Ford."

"What address did he leave? Who was the recipient?"

"It was delivered to an upscale residential area in London. The recipient was a Miss Winters."

Malfoy was almost certain this "Miss Winters" was Thalia. He laughed bitterly and asked the woman to send him the CCTV footage from that day. She soon sent the video. In the footage, the man buying the necklace was clearly visible. Malfoy immediately recognized him as Matt Ford, Asher's special assistant. He had been deceived!

Asher had only broken up with Thalia to keep her out of harm's way.

Malfoy sat on his sofa, his eyes cold and menacing. The glass tumbler in his hand shattered. "How interesting," Malfoy said, his hand bleeding profusely from the glass shards, yet his face bore an amused, sinister, and terrifying smile.

The man muttered, "Asher Blackwood, you love her so much. Would you trade your life for hers?"

"What the hell did you just say? They've kidnapped Thalia?" Drake's veins bulged on his forehead, his expression frantic. Compared to Drake's agitation, Grace Bennett appeared remarkably calm. She sat on the sofa, smiling, seemingly in a good mood.

"Yes," Grace said, lifting her eyes to meet Drake's, smiling. "When I first learned that my brother broke up with her to protect her, I wished she would just die. Now my wish is finally coming true. In Mr. Malfoy's hands, Thalia Winters certainly won't survive."

Drake's eyes reddened with fury. He lunged forward, grabbing Grace's collar and lifting her up. His anger exploding, he shouted, "You goddamn liar! You said working with you was just to break up Thalia and Asher! You promised me you wouldn't hurt her!"

Before Grace could respond, the nearby bodyguards rushed forward to rescue her and began assaulting Drake. Drake grappled with the bodyguards. The Blackwood bodyguards were professionally trained and highly skilled. Drake was no match for them, and within moments, he was beaten to the ground. Grace straightened her clothes, her eyes showing contempt and annoyance. "I did say I wouldn't hurt her, and I haven't. I'm not the one who kidnapped Thalia Winters. Why on earth are you taking your anger out on me?"

Drake painfully struggled to his feet. His face was bruised, and he had multiple injuries, but he paid no attention to his own wounds, concerned only about Thalia. "What have they done to her? Where is she now?" he demanded.

Grace looked at him coldly. "How would I know? If you're so concerned, go find her yourself."

Drake fixed a malevolent gaze on Grace, saying through gritted teeth, "If anything happens to her, I swear to God I will never let you get away with this!"

Grace laughed dismissively. "Drake Ashcroft, don't forget how your pathetic Ashcroft Group survived. Remember who the largest shareholder is now. Threatening me? Please. You're not even remotely qualified."

Drake's fists were tightly clenched, veins protruding on the back of his hands. Back when the Ashcroft Group's funding chain had broken, facing bankruptcy, he had sought investments everywhere. But because he had offended both the Winters and Blackwood families, no company was willing to help him. Later, Grace had approached him, giving him a business card. At his wit's end, he had agreed to cooperate with Grace and made that call, seeking help from Arno Jones. It was only later that he discovered Arno Jones and Grace were merely pawns working for someone else. Drake had never met the person behind them, nor did he know his full name. He only knew they called him "Boss."

The Ashcroft Group no longer belonged to the Ashcroft family. The largest shareholder was one of Malfoy's subordinates, a nominal shareholder holding shares on behalf of Malfoy. This meant the actual controller of the Ashcroft Group was their so-called "Boss."