chapter959

“Hey Huxley Brennan, is Ms. Everhart, the one who interviewed with us at the diner, by any chance

held up in your back room? Hand her over, or say goodbye to your business today!” Richard’s voice

echoed through the cozy confines of the establishment, carrying a chilling edge.

Richard, the young heir to the Draven Antique Shop and a name that commanded respect in business

circles, stood imposingly before Huxley.

Huxley, fully aware of the Draven family’s clout, wore a conciliatory grin.”Mr. Draven, those two ladies

left with you earlier, and they really aren’t here anymore. I wouldn’t dare cross you on my own turf.”

“You sure it wasn’t you?” Richard eyed him suspiciously.

“Cross my heart, I wouldn’t touch a hair on their heads, knowing full well it would blow back on me. I

might be many things, but foolish enough to openly challenge a Draven? Certainly not,” Huxley replied

earnestly.

Richard mulled over the situation. This diner had been Huxley’s turf for years, always bustling with

customers from high-flying execs to TV celebs. Only a savvy operator could thrive in such a trade, and

if Huxley was a troublemaker, his doors would have shuttered long ago.

“My friend goes missing near your shop, and you’ve gotta help me look into it. Just so you know, she’s

one of Lysander’s, and if she isn’t found… Well, you’re aware of the consequences,” Richard shifted

the conversation, pressing Huxley for cooperation. “Absolutely, Mr. Draven, I’ll help in any way I can.

The security footage is in the back; let’s go check it out now,” Huxley, sweating bullets, was quick to

lead Richard to the surveillance room.

The mere mention of Lysander was enough to send shivers down his spine. Huxley had witnessed the

consequences for those who crossed the man-a swift and ruthless end. His own brother Daniel’s

business had been crushed under Lysander’s heel, leaving him drowning in debt. The thought of facing

Lysander’s wrath himself was unthinkable.

In the surveillance room, they pored over the footage, which only covered the inside and entrance of

the diner. Nothing from the street where Thalassa had vanished.

Richard didn’t waste a second. He contacted Captain Payne to access street-level surveillance.

When Captain Payne arrived, it took mere minutes to find what they were looking for. The footage

showed a burly man clamping a cloth over Thalassa’s mouth. After a brief struggle, she slumped over,

and the man bundled her into a van before driving off.

Richard’s heart sank. Thalassa was in real danger, kidnapped in broad daylight. If Lysander found out,

his life wouldn’t be worth a dime.

Captain Payne recognized the woman from the footage too. Lysander had boasted about his four

children, and the woman in the video was their mother. Lysander took great pride in her, often gloating

about his unique family to Payne. Her disappearance was no small matter.

They tracked the van to a fork in a mountain road, and then it vanished from the cameras’ eyes-no

surveillance covered that

remote area.

“What now? It just disappears? What do we do?” Richard asked Captain Payne, panic edging his voice

as the screen displayed the van’s last known location.