Chapter 166
Jessica felt that it must be Maxine coming back, so she reached for the door, but then it hit her that Maxine had a key.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as the knocking at the door persisted. With an involuntary gasp, she stumbled backward before turning and bolting into the bedroom.
When she was living abroad, her neighbor once experienced a home invasion. That was when Maxine taught her some safety protocols. if she ever found herself in danger, she should run into a room, lock the door, and then either call 911 or shout for help to someone outside.
But before she could even reach the bedroom, the front door burst open.
Two men stormed in and charged at Jessica. One of them grabbed her from the ground. She struggled in vain against his grip and let out terrified
screams.
“Thank goodness these two guys made it just in time,” Jessica said, her voice choked up.
The two bodyguards had planned to rent an apartment across from Cleo’s place to keep watch, but before they could even secure the lease, they spotted two men knocking at the door.
The two of them rushed back in a panic. They barely made it in time. Any later, and their careers would’ve been over right then and there.
“Where are they?” Maxine demanded.
“The police have taken them away,” one of the bodyguards reported.
Maxine’s expression darkened. Unless she was mistaken, these two men were likely part of the same gang that had kidnapped Cleo.
“Thanks a lot for what you did today. I’ll treat you guys to a meal later,” Maxine said with a grateful smile.
With that, she pulled out her phone and ordered takeout.
The two bodyguards were about to refuse, but Maxine saw their hesitation and quickly added, “The kid hasn’t had anything to eat yet. Why don’t you two just stay here from now on? It’ll make your job easier, and you can help me keep an eye on her, too.”
Maxine knew she had to race against time. She needed to gather all the evidence for the domestic violence case overseas, get Jessica out of the country immediately, and only after the trial abroad concluded would she return to uncover the truth about her father’s past.
It was no longer safe for Jessica to stay here.
Jessica, clutching nervously at Maxine’s sleeve, asked, “Maxine, did something happen?”
Maxine didn’t intend to hide the truth from her, after all, Jessica would soon have to be independent abroad. “We’re dealing with a tricky situation. Cleo has gone missing, and we need to find her. But the bad guys are too dangerous, so you have to go abroad as soon as possible,” Maxine said.
Almost instantly, tears welled up in Jessica’s eyes. “I want to stay here with you, Maxine!” she cried.
“No,” Maxine said, her voice uncharacteristically serious. “It’s too dangerous here. I’ve already contacted William’s family. When you go back, you’ll stay with them until I’ve sorted things out here.”
When William’s parents heard about the situation, they expressed their sympathy and were more than willing to have Jessica stay with them. It was only then that Maxine learned William’s father was a military veteran with a legal gun license.
Now Maxine could finally rest easy. Even if those people had overseas connections, Jessica would still be perfectly safe staying with am’s family.
Jessica was already in tears. Maxine sighed and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Sweetie, be a good girl, okay? If you stay here, I won’t be able to take care of you property. For both of us, staying with William’s family is the safest option.”
09:05 Mon 23 Jun
Chapter 166
As she spoke, Maxine forwarded the defendant’s detalls from the domestic violence case to Urban, asking him to investigate the marts background che was determined to compile all the evidence within two days and get Jessica out of the country.
AD
