Chapter 176: It’ll Absolutely Fetch a Sky-High Price

Chapter 176: Chapter 176: It’ll Absolutely Fetch a Sky-High Price

Dolly Hughes slowly regained consciousness, her expression dazed. The moment she recognized the person before her, the events before she passed out flooded her mind. She frantically looked around and suddenly gripped Maxim Chandler’s arm.

"Assistant Chandler, where’s Sister Vesper?"

In the second before a heavy blow knocked her out, she had realized their car had been ambushed—it was no accident.

From the very beginning, their target had been Vesper Grayson.

Maxim Chandler’s expression was grim. "Madam was taken."

Dolly Hughes’s eyes instantly reddened, and a panicked, sobbing tone escaped her lips.

"It’s all my fault. I didn’t protect Sister Vesper. If I had just noticed sooner, I never would have gotten out of the car..."

"Do you remember what the kidnapper looked like?" Maxim Chandler asked calmly, suppressing his own anxiety.

"Yes, I remember!" Dolly Hughes quickly composed herself and clearly recounted the man’s physical features.

"Did he say anything at the time?"

"No, he didn’t say a word. He just knocked me out."

The attack was ruthless and efficient, knocking her out in a single blow. This was no ordinary person.

Jared Hawthorne stood silently to the side, his handsome face covered in a frosty chill, a cold fury swirling in his eyes. Vesper Grayson’s abduction was clearly premeditated; someone had figured out her route for the day.

Just then, Maxim Chandler answered a call. His expression turned grave as he listened.

"President Hawthorne, we’ve checked the surveillance. Madam was taken in a junked white van using fake license plates the whole time. The vehicle was last seen on the border of Northolme and Crestfall before disappearing completely."

The atmosphere around Jared Hawthorne instantly dropped to freezing. "Find them," he said coldly. "Even if you have to tear Northolme apart, find her."

...

After Vesper Grayson was forced into the vehicle, a cloth was suddenly clamped over her nose and mouth, and the strong smell of ether assaulted her. Fortunately, her reaction was swift. She instantly held her breath, inhaling very little of the drug, and regained consciousness a short while later.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the sealed, dim hold of a cargo ship.

It was damp and dark, the surroundings filthy. The air, heavy and oppressive, was thick with the foul, fishy stench of sea cargo.

The hold was deathly silent, save for the gentle rocking of the ship.

She tried to move her limbs and found that her hands and feet were completely free. ’They must have underestimated me because I’m a woman, thinking I couldn’t cause any trouble, so they didn’t bother tying me up.’

Just as she shifted slightly, heavy footsteps sounded from above. A moment later, a hatch in the deck overhead was slowly lifted. A faint beam of light slanted down, and several figures descended the ladder.

Vesper Grayson immediately closed her eyes and held her breath, feigning unconsciousness. Her fingertips, hidden in her sleeve, quietly tightened around a sharp silver needle, a secret defense.

"She’s a real beauty. Once we ship her back, she’ll definitely sell for a sky-high price."

"Bill, this woman is Jared Hawthorne’s darling. If he finds out, we can’t afford the consequences."

"What’s there to be scared of? As long as they can’t find her, Jared Hawthorne will give up eventually. Keep a close watch. We can’t have any mistakes."

"Don’t worry, the ether is potent. She’ll be out for at least another two to four hours. By the time she wakes up, the ship will have already reached Veridia."

The hatch slammed shut, and darkness once again consumed everything.

Vesper Grayson’s eyes snapped open, her heart plunging into an icy abyss.

’They’re going to smuggle me out of the country and sell me?’

Once she was completely out of the Northolme region and on the vast open sea, there would be no escape, and every step would be fraught with danger.

’Who is the mastermind behind all this?’

Feeling the continuous rise and fall of the ship, waves of panic washed over her. She subconsciously raised a hand, gently placing it over her flat stomach.

On the vast sea, she was all alone, with no way to escape.

If she resisted rashly and angered her captors, they might do something desperate, like dump her body in the deep sea. Her life would be forfeit, and the child in her womb would die with her.

’I can’t act rashly right now. I have to endure, lay low, and wait for the right moment.’

She could only pray desperately that Jared Hawthorne would find her soon. Faster. Even faster.

...

Inside the luxurious villa, the atmosphere was dead silent and oppressive.

Jared Hawthorne sat alone on the sofa, a cigarette burning between his fingers. White smoke swirled around him, and the ashtray in front of him was already overflowing with cigarette butts.

Time ticked by slowly. Every passing minute, every second of waiting, tore at his sanity, and the dark, hostile aura around him grew thicker.

Maxim Chandler strode through the door, his expression tense, and quickly gave his report.

"President Hawthorne, we’ve found the abandoned white van. It was dumped next to a farmer’s field in the suburbs. According to a local farmer, the kidnappers switched to a three-wheeled farm vehicle and fled west along a country path with Madam. We followed the route, and the final destination to the west is Corbin Wharf."

Corbin Wharf was a hub with routes leading in every direction.

If Vesper had truly been shipped out from the wharf, there was no telling where she was being taken. Finding her would be even more difficult.

Jared Hawthorne crushed his cigarette butt into the ashtray, his jaw tightening.

"Have you identified the person who took Vesper?"

Maxim Chandler nodded. "Shane Cornell. He’s an army veteran. Years ago, he killed someone and did a few years in prison. He was just recently released."

A subordinate sent the surveillance footage from the wharf to his phone.

Maxim Chandler immediately held it out to Jared Hawthorne. "President Hawthorne, take a look."

The footage showed Shane Cornell at the wharf. He pulled a burlap sack from a car trunk, hoisted it over his shoulder, and boarded a private cargo ship. Almost as soon as he was on board, the ship began to move, quickly disappearing over the horizon.

As for its destination, that was unknown.

After watching, Jared Hawthorne’s expression was grim. "Find out who owns that cargo ship."

’Anyone who dares to touch her must not want to live.’

In Northolme, investigating a cargo ship wasn’t difficult. However, the owner of this ship wasn’t a Northolme resident, but a shipping merchant from Arisdale named Harry Rivers. His main business was legitimate sea transport, dealing in seafood, cold-chain goods, building materials, and other general cargo.

"The ship was at the wharf today for a scheduled cargo transfer; its itinerary was planned long ago. The culprits must have figured out its fixed route and docking times and used its departure as cover to take Madam."

This meant that today’s events weren’t a spur-of-the-moment decision but a premeditated plot.

The Hawthorne Group also had operations in Arisdale. Jared Hawthorne made a call, ordering his people to find Harry Rivers, then immediately boarded a private jet and flew there himself.

Meanwhile, Harry Rivers was in his office discussing business when a group of men burst in without warning, looking menacing.

"Who are you people? What do you want?"

Harry Rivers’s face fell as he watched the intruders, and he demanded sharply.

One of the men stepped forward and introduced himself, his face devoid of expression.

"Rivers, my name is Wade Wolfe, the owner of Apex Freight. Our President Hawthorne has some questions for you. Please come with us."

Apex Freight was the leading shipping company in Arisdale, and rumor had it that it was a subsidiary of the Hawthornes of Northolme.

Harry Rivers had always wanted to partner with Apex Freight, but the bar was too high; he could never get his foot in the door.

"President Wolfe, why is President Hawthorne looking for me?" Harry Rivers asked, his heart pounding with anxiety.

’I’ve always been an honest, law-abiding businessman. I don’t think I’ve ever offended the Hawthorne Family, have I?’

Wade Wolfe glanced at him, a smirk playing on his lips. "You should ask your own men what kind of ’good deeds’ they’ve been up to!"

"President Wolfe, what do you mean by that?" Harry Rivers grew even more flustered. He scrambled forward to offer them cigarettes. "Please, President Wolfe, you have to give me a hint."

Wade Wolfe ignored the offer and instead handed him a photograph.

Looking at the person in the photo, Harry Rivers was bewildered. "President Wolfe, who is this?"