Chapter 170
After what felt like an eternity, Maxine’s shoulders had grown numb and sore from the cold. She finally dared to move just a little, stift terrified the intruders might be hiding in the room, waiting for her. With trembling fingers, she pulled out her phone and texted her bodyguard
Three minutes later, a knock came at the door. Almost simultaneously, Maxine received a text from her bodyguard. [Ms. Hudson, we’re outside. Please open the door ]
Only then did Maxine crawl out from under the bed and open the door.
“Are you alright, Ms. Hudson?” Despite the freezing cold, the bodyguard was sweating from anxiety. Only when he saw she was unharmed did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
If anything happened to Maxine, they could kiss their paychecks goodbye, and with Urban as their boss, they’d be blacklisted from the industry for good.
Maxine, wrapped only in a coat, waved her hand in a flustered manner and said urgently, “Call the police and have them check the surveillance footage.”
Maxine had personally overseen the installation of Cleo’s front door, not only was there a security door, but there was also an additional inner door. If someone had tried to break in, there would’ve been way more commotion than that.
‘Or maybe they had Cleo’s house key and just walked right in,‘ Maxine thought.
The police arrived, took statements, and reviewed the surveillance footage from the apartment complex. Following Maxine’s account, they dusted for fingerprints on the doorknob and the bed. But to everyone’s dismay, the intruders had likely worn gloves, and not a single traceable print was found.
The only silver lining was that the two of them had indeed used a key to open the door, likely to avoid suspicion, which confirmed their direct involvement in Cleo’s disappearance.
Upon hearing that a missing person had also been reported, the officers‘ expressions grew grave. After thoroughly documenting the case, they left.
By the time everything was settled, dawn was breaking. Maxine knew Cleo’s apartment was no longer safe. She had to act fast and send Jessica abroad.
Urban arrived promptly upon hearing the news. He managed to exchange a few words with the officers he knew before they left.
Urban’s expression darkened. “I can’t believe they’d be this audacious,” he said, “You’re right. To keep Jessica safe, she should leave the country immediately.”
Urban said grimly, “Children are the easiest targets. After all, Jessica’s just an ordinary girl. We can’t keep an eye on her 24/7.”
Maxine looked at Urban anxiously. “I’m worried about Cleo, but I can’t just leave Jessica on her own either. Could you keep an eye on things here for me? I’ll come right back once I’ve got her settled.”
Urban nodded reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
Maxine wasted no time, booking a flight for the next day. Urban then personally escorted her and Jessica to the airport with his security team.
“Sorry, we couldn’t make this trip more fun,” Maxine said, gently stroking Jessica’s hair. “Once I bring the bad guys to justice, you can come back and have a proper vacation. But for now, you must leave.”
Though Jessica didn’t fully understand what was happening, she could piece together enough from the adults‘ conversation. Not wanting to cause trouble for Maxine, she nodded and said, “Don’t worry, Maxine. I’ll be good.”
With a warm smile, Maxine carefully adjusted Jessica’s coat.
Just then, Maxine’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen, her face instantly paling.
It was a text from Cleo. [Lucy.]
Chapter 170
Almost instantly, Maxine thought of Lucy Bar. She hesitated to call and thought, ‘What if Cleo’s in trouble and can’t answer?”
AD
