Chapter 701 - 698: Back Then, I Only Kidnapped Her for Money

Chapter 701: Chapter 698: Back Then, I Only Kidnapped Her for Money

Although Theodore Quinn hadn’t explicitly told them to leave, everyone got the message.

It was frustrating to have the drama cut short, but what could they do? The host wanted them gone.

So, the spectators in the living room muttered polite excuses before turning and heading for the main door.

Seeing everyone preparing to leave, Evan Shelby breathed a sigh of relief. He quietly stepped back to Autumn Shelby’s side and asked, "How is it? What did Sierra say? Is he going to do as you said?"

Autumn Shelby was looking down, typing something on her phone. When she heard his question, she looked up at her father, her brows knitted tightly.

A hint of panic tinged her voice. "I... I haven’t been able to reach him. I keep calling, but he’s not picking up."

Evan Shelby was shocked. "What happened? How can we not reach him at a critical moment like this? Didn’t you say you had everything under control? That you were more important to him than anything? So why isn’t he answering your call right away? What do we do now?"

Hearing her father’s string of accusations, Autumn Shelby couldn’t help but bite her lip. She lowered her head again and continued typing on her phone.

"I sent him a message. Even if he’s brought here before he sees it, it’ll be fine. When the time comes, I have a way to make him see the message on his phone and do as I instructed."

Evan Shelby composed himself and was about to say something more when a high-pitched plea suddenly echoed through the hall.

"Sir, I’m begging you, please let me go..."

The sudden, jarring sound immediately drew everyone’s attention. The departing guests stopped in their tracks and turned toward the source of the voice.

Jean Jarvis had been speaking in a low voice with Cedric Grant, seemingly discussing something. When she heard the voice, she also turned her head to look.

By now, the other guests were already partway to the door. The only ones who hadn’t moved were Marcus Jarvis and the members of the Quinn, Shelby, Grant, Linden, and Stratton families.

This meant there was a clear line of sight between Jean Jarvis and Marcus Jarvis. The moment Jean turned, she saw Adam Warren kneeling on the floor, looking up at Marcus Jarvis and begging, his face a mask of pure, soul-shattering terror.

Panic seized Jean Jarvis. ’Adam Warren... Didn’t I tell him to leave Novaria? What is he doing here?’

While she was still reeling, Adam Warren continued, "Back then, I really didn’t do *that* to Skylar Hayes! I just kidnapped her! I only did it for the money!

"That was my first time kidnapping someone, and the only time! I was already nervous and scared enough, how could I have had the nerve to think about anything else?"

Hearing his words, the color drained from Jean Jarvis’s face. She swayed, on the verge of collapsing, and stumbled back two steps, catching herself on a low table behind her to keep from falling to the floor.

Cedric Grant looked at her in confusion. "Jean, what’s wrong?"

Jean Jarvis opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She just shook her head instinctively.

Chloe Grant, who had been in a daze, felt her heart leap into her throat when she saw Adam Warren and heard his words. She rushed to Jean Jarvis’s side, grabbed her arm, and asked in a panic:

"Mom... Mom, why is he here? How did he get here? What do we do? What do we do? If he tells them everything, then... then we’ll be..."

’If Cedric Grant finds out the truth, he’ll definitely kick us out of the Grant family. He won’t spare a single thought for any past affection he had for us.’

’Miles Quinn already rejected me. I can’t be the young mistress of the Quinn family now. My life is miserable enough as it is—I can’t lose my status as Miss Grant, too!’