Chapter 381: Are You Coming With Me or Not?

Chapter 381: Chapter 381: Are You Coming With Me or Not?

’That girl’s acting skills really come out when she’s in a crisis,’ Zoe Sawyer sighed to herself.

Just as she was about to say something, a man’s voice came from the other end of the line. "Wendy, what are you chatting about?"

Although they hadn’t met many times, Zoe Sawyer immediately recognized it as Clark Crowe’s voice.

Just as she suspected, the man was eavesdropping on their call.

Zoe Sawyer quickly replayed the conversation in her mind. Once she was sure they hadn’t said anything incriminating, she breathed a small sigh of relief.

’Thankfully, we were suspicious enough not to say what we were really thinking.’

Wendy Dawson stiffened, but she was back to normal a second later. Lowering her phone slightly, she said with a smile in her voice, "You’re back! Oh, this? I’m just on the phone trying to convince Zoe Sawyer to come with me.

But this girl just keeps saying I should be her sugar mama, that she doesn’t want to work hard anymore, and all that. She just won’t agree to it."

As she spoke, Wendy Dawson appropriately laced her tone with a hint of grievance.

She was taking a gamble.

She was betting that Clark Crowe would believe her excuse.

And just as she’d hoped, hearing Wendy Dawson’s words made Clark Crowe recall something. Back when they were dating, he’d often heard her complain about those girls in her dorm. They were always saying they didn’t want to work hard anymore and telling each other to hurry up and snag a rich guy so they could all ride his coattails.

Considering what he’d just overheard, Clark Crowe was no longer suspicious. Instead, he gave a smug little cough. "All right, ask her if she’ll come with you. I have quite a few friends over there, and every last one of them is loaded.

If Zoe Sawyer tags along, who knows? Maybe she’ll find her own Mr. Right."

"Zoe Sawyer, so are you coming with me or not?" Wendy Dawson’s heart jumped when she heard Clark Crowe’s reply, but her expression and tone remained unchanged as she pressed on.

Zoe Sawyer feigned a look of distress, her voice laced with conflict. "I can’t make any promises. I need to ask my boss if going would affect my work, given my current situation.

You know, Wendy, it’s hard to find a good job these days. It would be a huge loss if I got fired just for traveling abroad."

Wendy Dawson understood the hidden meaning in Zoe Sawyer’s words. ’She’s going to report my situation to her superiors!’

’I’m going to be safe!’

"All right, but give me an answer soon.

Then again, if you really snag a rich husband, you won’t even need a job." Wendy Dawson’s tone was slightly dissatisfied, but she remembered to stay in character and added the comment.

Zoe Sawyer made a few more noncommittal replies before hanging up.

Wendy Dawson put down her phone and handed it to Clark Crowe with a docile expression. "Here, honey, you can hold on to it. Just remember to tell me when Zoe Sawyer calls back."

Perhaps her obedient behavior over the last couple of days had given him the false impression that Wendy Dawson had been tamed. Clark Crowe stared hard at his wife, and only after determining she wasn’t lying did he nod in satisfaction.

"Good girl. I’m your husband; I won’t hurt you," Clark Crowe said, taking the phone from Wendy. "If Zoe Sawyer comes with us, I’ll definitely help find her a match.

Wendy, don’t you worry. After the ceremony at the manor is finished, we’re going to live a very happy life together."

As Clark Crowe looked at Wendy Dawson, his eyes held an irrepressible love, along with a glimmer of anticipation for their future together.

Wendy Dawson spoke to Clark Crowe with the same smile she’d worn before, but inside, she was praying that Zoe Sawyer would quickly report her situation to the police chief so she could be rescued as soon as possible.

「Meanwhile, at the police station, the atmosphere was just as tense.」

"This friend of yours... could she be caught in a ’pig-butchering’ scam?" Evan Keller asked, his tone grave as he stared at the phone on the desk.

Zoe Sawyer immediately shook her head, dismissing Evan Keller’s theory. "Impossible. They’ve been together since their freshman year of college.

It’s been six or seven years now. They’ve been on-again, off-again, but neither of them has dated anyone else. Besides, Wendy’s family isn’t wealthy. For a pig-butchering scam, the time investment would be far too great."

"I’ve seen scams that run for six or seven years, but cases like your friend’s are rare." Heath Hale shook his head, recalling a past case. "Still, something is very strange here. It’s probably not a typical pig-butchering scam."

Sean Hughes hesitated. "So, should we let Zoe Sawyer go? It feels too dangerous, not safe at all."

’Zoe Sawyer is too important right now. If she goes and something happens...’

Sean Hughes didn’t even dare to imagine the consequences.

Evan Keller shook his head. "It’s best if she doesn’t go, but we can’t just stand by and watch an innocent person walk into such an obvious trap.

I’m going to see the chief and get his opinion."

After the chief heard Evan Keller’s full report, he immediately asked for the personal information of Wendy Dawson and her husband, then secretly began investigating their flight destination and immigration records.

It was just as Evan Keller had said: Zoe Sawyer was too important to be sent over recklessly, but they couldn’t just stand by and watch an innocent woman named Wendy Dawson walk straight into a trap.

"The system shows that this Clark Crowe’s family has also submitted a group application for immigration. Their stated reason is family reunification, and they have appointments to process their passports tomorrow," the chief said, looking at the data on his screen.

The destination they listed is interesting, too. In that country, all you need to do is purchase three hundred thousand dollars’ worth of real estate to apply for permanent residency.

The processing time is much faster than in other countries, too.

On its own, this would all be perfectly normal. But when combined with Wendy Dawson’s account, the whole situation became exceptionally bizarre.

"So what about Zoe Sawyer?" Evan Keller’s tone was troubled.

As a police officer, he didn’t want anything to happen to Wendy Dawson, but at the same time, he didn’t want to put Zoe Sawyer in danger.

Even if they could find an excuse to detain Clark Crowe and Wendy Dawson now, they couldn’t hold them for long without concrete evidence. Plus, it would risk tipping off their target. It wasn’t a good option.

"She can go. But we need to make covert security arrangements," the chief said after a moment of thought, tapping his finger on the desk.

Seeing Evan Keller’s questioning gaze, the chief explained, "Zoe Sawyer can’t be cooped up in this police station forever. As long as we can ensure her safety, there’s no issue with her going to rescue another citizen.

Besides, we’re all aware of Zoe Sawyer’s abilities. With Heath Hale by her side, we can ensure she gets out safely."

If he had any other choice, the chief wouldn’t want to send Zoe Sawyer on such a risky mission either.

But as things stood, Zoe Sawyer was the only one who could protect herself and her companions while abroad and still guarantee a safe return.

"I’ll handle all the necessary paperwork for Zoe Sawyer. You get in contact with that girl, Wendy Dawson, and see if you can get a clearer picture of the situation," the chief ordered.

Evan Keller nodded, his voice firm.

"Right! Understood!"