Chapter 323: The Mastermind Is...

Chapter 323: Chapter 323: The Mastermind Is...

Over the phone, Julian Forrester gave a soft hum of agreement. "I’ll go with you."

Sienna Everett walked beneath a large tree. The ruined ancient tomb was located in a remote suburb surrounded by lush trees and vegetation. She casually picked up a fallen leaf and joked around with Julian for a few more moments before hanging up.

It was dusk, and the sky was already growing dark. Sienna planned to head back and find Keith Sterling to tell him it was time to leave. Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching from behind.

Sienna furrowed her brows. She turned around alertly and was suddenly met with the sight of a man in a black tank top. A terrifying scar stretched across his face. He held a gun in his hand, and its dark muzzle was pointed squarely at her.

"Don’t move! Keep quiet!" the scarred man barked in a low voice. The gun remained fixed on Sienna’s head.

Sienna’s eyes grew slightly cold. Beside the scarred man stood a tall, skinny blond man—Blondie. He, too, was aiming a gun at her. With just one glance, Sienna recognized that these were not toy guns, nor were they the type used at shooting ranges. They were real, loaded firearms.

If the trigger was pulled, a bullet to the head would mean instant death. These were definitely not ordinary thugs. She wondered if they were coming specifically for her and who had sent them.

"If you dare to make a sound, I’ll blow your brains out right now! Get in the van!" The scarred man kept the gun pointed at Sienna and jerked his head toward the vehicle behind them.

Blondie had already circled behind Sienna and was forcefully shoving her toward the van. The sky had grown dark. With the thick trees blocking the view, Keith and the archaeological team nearby hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

During the scuffle, Sienna’s phone fell to the ground. The scarred man kicked it aside and urged her in a hushed, threatening voice, "Hurry up and get in! Or my bullets won’t show any mercy!"

Sienna weighed the situation. She didn’t cry out rashly and pretended to cooperate as she climbed into the van.

Inside, there was a driver with a fierce, fleshy face. Seeing Sienna shoved into the backseat, he slammed on the gas pedal and quickly drove the van away.

Blondie sat next to Sienna. Seeing her calm expression without a trace of panic, he clicked his tongue in surprise. "Is this woman scared silly, or is she just not afraid at all?"

Sienna sized him up calmly. Her gaze landed imperceptibly on the gun in his hand.

The scarred man sat in the passenger seat. He turned around and shouted at Blondie, "Don’t let your guard down! I heard this woman is a great shot. Keep a close eye on her!"

Sienna narrowed her eyes slightly. She wondered how they knew she was good at shooting. They seemed to know a lot about her.

Hearing the scarred man’s words, Blondie pressed the muzzle of his gun directly against Sienna’s temple. He bared his teeth in a frivolous, eerie smile. "Heh, little lady, if you know what’s good for you, don’t try any tricks!"

This situation immediately reminded Sienna of the time Morgan Everett had hired people to kidnap Isabelle Sutton. But now, both Morgan and Shannon Everett were in prison. There was absolutely no way they had orchestrated this.

Who could it be? Sienna appeared docile, neither struggling nor making a sound, but her mind was racing. She didn’t usually make enemies, unless...

She thought, "Could it be Ophelia Warren?!"

The van drove for an unknown amount of time before finally stopping in front of a dilapidated house. Sienna was dragged out by the scarred man and pushed into an empty, run-down room.

Besides the scarred man, Blondie, and the fierce-looking driver, there was also a burly man in the room, making a total of four people. Sienna glanced over them. The scarred man and Blondie had guns, and their muzzles were constantly aimed at her head. Even so, it wasn’t an impossible situation to resolve.

The scarred man cast a wary glance at Sienna, then took out his phone and made a call to someone. Shortly after, a video call came through. He held the phone up to Sienna’s face.

Sienna looked up. The screen was pitch-black; she obviously couldn’t see the person on the other end. But it was obvious that the person on the other end could definitely see her.

The caller spoke in an electronically altered voice. "Heh, it really has been a long time." They didn’t dare show their face, nor did they dare reveal their real voice.

Sienna’s expression grew serious as she probed, "A long time? It seems we know each other."

"Sienna, are you trying to trick information out of me? I’m not that stupid, so don’t waste your breath."

"Is that so?" Knowing the person could see her, Sienna curled her lips slightly. "Why do I feel like it hasn’t been a long time at all? It feels more like we just saw each other the day before yesterday."

The person on the other end fell silent for a moment before suddenly letting out a smug laugh. "Say whatever you want. All I know is that I won this time."

"I won this time..." Sienna pondered those words. She looked calmly at the phone’s camera, as if staring straight into the eyes of the person on the screen. "You won? What, are you that desperate to compete with me? If that’s the case, what do you want by having me brought here?"

"Heh..." A satisfied, vindictive sneer came from the speaker. "What do I want? Sienna, this time, you won’t be able to escape."

Hearing this, a cold, mocking look surfaced in Sienna’s eyes. Without warning, she called out a name. "Ophelia Warren. You had people kidnap me, yet you don’t even have the guts to come see me yourself?"

The moment the name was called out, the person on the other end remained silent for an even longer time. When she finally spoke, her tone was twisted and ferocious. "Sienna, you’ll only be arrogant for another day or two. Just you wait!"

With that, the person hung up the video call in a fit of rage.

Sienna was now almost certain that the person on the other end of the video was Ophelia. She wondered why Ophelia had hired people to kidnap her and bring her here, and what she meant by saying she would only be arrogant for another day or two. Tomorrow was the day she was scheduled to meet the parents of the Prescott Family...

Off to the side, Blondie waved his handgun fearlessly. His lecherous eyes glued to Sienna, scanning her up and down. "Tsk. Blade, aren’t we missing out if we just lock this little lady up here and do nothing?"

Blade frowned and glared at him. "The employer said to watch her closely and not let her escape!"

"Blade, she’s just a little girl. No matter how capable she is, you think four grown men can’t keep an eye on her? You’re too cautious!" Blondie laughed carelessly. "Besides, it’s hard to say if this little lady will even make it out alive!"

Sienna’s gaze sharpened instantly at those words, but she put on a terrified facade. Hearing that she might not survive, she fearfully shrank her shoulders.

Seeing this, Blondie laughed dismissively again. He swaggered over to Sienna with unsteady steps and patted her cheek lightly with the handgun, one tap at a time. He smiled in a lewd and frivolous manner. "Tsk, tsk. It really is a pity to waste such a pretty face... Don’t worry. Before you die, your man Don here will enjoy you thoroughly! Hahahaha!"

Now was the time!

Sienna’s eyes flashed fiercely. Taking advantage of Blondie letting his guard down, she abruptly raised her right leg and kicked him in the crotch with an explosive, swift force. WHAM!

Her full-strength kick instantly shattered the smile on Blondie’s face. His complexion turned deathly pale in a flash. As the agonizing pain surged, his body was abruptly drained of all strength. Unable to maintain his grip on the gun, he fell to his knees with a THUD. He clutched his crotch, in too much agony to even scream, as cold sweat poured down his face like rain.

The moment Blondie’s grip slipped, Sienna snatched the handgun with lightning speed. She spun the muzzle around, aiming it directly at Blade!