Chapter 284

Ethan's gaze turned icy as he glared at Victor. "The money's here, but where are the hostages? You'd better have a damn good explanation."

In their world, there were unspoken rules. Payment meant immediate release.

Yet now, with Evelyn gone, Victor felt his pride crumbling.

"Son of a bitch!" He spat, storming back into the warehouse to interrogate his wounded men. "Find out who the hell dared to cross me!"

As Ethan moved to follow, Vanessa clutched his arm, trembling. "Ethan, please—I can't stay here. It's freezing, and we don't even know who took Evelyn. Let's just go home and regroup!"

His expression darkened. "Go home?"

"I'm hurt," she whimpered, pressing a hand to her bruised cheek. "My stomach—it's killing me..."

"Then leave."

He didn’t look at her again.

Disappointment hardened his eyes like steel.

The thought burned through Ethan's mind like acid.

Evelyn was gone. Vanished without a trace. And Vanessa wanted to just abandon her and walk away?

They had been taken together. Yet here she was, cowering behind a crate while Evelyn was dragged off by armed strangers.

Now she was clinging to him, begging him to turn back.

His jaw clenched.

This was his chance. His moment to save Evelyn, just like he had all those years ago in that bathroom. That fateful rescue had been the beginning of everything between them.

The memory ignited something fierce inside him.

This time, he wouldn't fail her.

Vanessa's nails dug into his arm. "Ethan, listen to me! I'm your wife! Those men have guns—this could get ugly! Someone of your status can't go running into danger like this. Let's go back and call the police. Let them handle it!"

Her voice grated on his nerves.

The desperation in her tone only made him more determined.

He shook her off, his patience snapping like a frayed wire.

Vanessa stumbled back, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You're really choosing her over me? After everything?"

Ethan didn't answer.

His gaze was already fixed ahead, scanning the shadows for any sign of Evelyn.

Vanessa's voice turned shrill. "She's Alexander's problem now! Not yours!"

The words barely registered.

All he could think about was Evelyn—her fear, her helplessness.

And the fact that he was the only one who could reach her in time.

Vanessa grabbed his sleeve again. "Ethan, please—"

He wrenched his arm free, his voice low and final. "Enough."

Her face crumpled.

But he was already moving, stepping into the darkness where Evelyn had disappeared.

He wouldn't let history repeat itself.

Not this time.

Any lingering affection he might have held for her vanished the moment he witnessed her callous disregard for Evelyn's safety.

Her only concern had been her own escape.

The depth of her selfishness was staggering.

If she could abandon a sister she'd grown up with so easily, what did that reveal about the darkness in her heart?

Ethan's voice dripped with contempt. "Without a marriage certificate, what delusion makes you believe you're my wife?"

Vanessa's face drained of color, her eyes widening in shock. "Ethan—"

He shoved her aside and strode into the warehouse.

Two of Victor's men lay motionless on the concrete floor, bullet wounds precise—one shot, one kill.

Nathan studied the bodies with a grim expression. "Bastards. Not only did they take someone from us, but they executed my men without hesitation."

His jaw clenched in fury.

Whoever had orchestrated this was no ordinary criminal.

They moved with military precision—calculated, ruthless, and terrifyingly efficient.

This wasn’t a reckless ambush.

It was a meticulously planned strike.

The ambush had been perfectly timed—striking when their defenses were at their lowest.

Ethan Caldwell's blood ran cold as he assessed the situation. These weren't ordinary mercenaries. They moved with precision, their presence suffocating.

Victor Kane's grip on his gun tightened. "Hand them over," he demanded, voice like gravel.

Ethan exhaled sharply. "I can't." His jaw clenched. "Two of my men are dead because of this mess. Take the thirty million instead—it's still in the car, untouched. Consider the deal void. Find her yourself."

The air crackled with tension.

Victor's eyes darkened. "You're making a mistake."

Ethan didn't flinch. "No. I'm cutting my losses."

Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken threats.

Then, with a sharp gesture, Victor signaled his men to fall back.

But Ethan knew—this wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.