Chapter 215: Elias arrived.

Several minutes later, Elias finally arrived near the place where his men were waiting for him.

The moment he got out of the car, a man in black rushed over.

"Sir, we have already surrounded the building. We are ready to attack."

"No, don’t make a move yet." Elias looked toward the deserted building. "I’ll go in first."

Determination set in his eyes. But the guard’s expression changed.

"No, I won’t allow that. It’s too dangerous. Let us handle this matter. We’ll bring Miss Evelyn out safely."

"Evelyn is not alone inside," Elias muttered, fire burning in his eyes. "Ian is also there."

The guard looked confused. He didn’t know when Ian had entered the building.

"He is injured," Elias continued. "I don’t know what his condition is. This makes the situation even more dangerous. We can’t take a risk."

A tiny muscle jumped near his temple—the only visible crack in his composure.

"They are alert now, waiting for me. If you attack at this moment, Evelyn and Ian will fall into more danger."

The guard considered his words. But he was still not convinced about sending Elias inside alone.

"We’ll be careful," he said. "We will sneak into the building and..."

"I have already made up my mind," Elias cut him off before he could finish. "I am going in. I want to talk to Cedric."

A fierce resolve took root inside him.

"I’ll keep him distracted. You come in and take down the gunmen. Then we’ll deal with Cedric."

The man was still hesitant. But he also knew Elias wouldn’t change his mind once he had made a decision.

"Alright. We’ll be close behind you." He looked at Elias warily. "Careful, sir."

Elias gave him a meaningful nod before stepping toward the building.

The man stayed behind and immediately began instructing the team.

"Stay hidden. Don’t move until I give the order."

The men disappeared into the darkness around the building.

Elias stepped forward carefully, scanning the deserted surroundings.

Two gunmen walked toward him, their faces hidden behind masks.

"Stop."

Elias came to a halt.

The two men looked at him from head to toe. They searched him thoroughly, checking his clothes and body for hidden weapons. When they found nothing, they stepped back.

"Are you alone?" one of them asked skeptically.

"Do you see anyone else other than me?" Elias asked, his eyes unwavering. There was not a trace of fear in his face, only resolve.

The two men looked around, sweeping their flashlights across the darkness. They saw nothing suspicious. They were certain no one had followed Elias.

"Follow us."

They led him inside.

Meanwhile, several meters away, Elias’s men began moving. They stayed low and used the darkness and surrounding bushes as cover.

One man slipped toward the rear of the building while two others moved along the side wall. They communicated only with hand signals.

No one spoke.

The two gunmen guarding the entrance remained completely unaware.

One of Elias’s men reached the first guard from behind and covered his mouth before striking him hard at the back of the head.

The man collapsed without a sound.

The second guard turned at the movement.

Before he could raise his weapon, another man rushed behind him and knocked the gun from his hand.

A quick blow sent him crashing to the ground.

The guards were taken down before they could make a single sound.

The men in black dragged them away from the entrance and hid them behind the bushes.

Then they took their positions around the building. No one inside realized that Elias’s men had already breached their perimeter.

Inside, Elias followed the two gunmen through the dim corridor. The moment he saw Evelyn and Ian tied in the corner of the room, his composure cracked.

"Eve..." He tried to rush toward her.

But the two men grabbed him from behind. They dragged him backward, kicked him in the legs, and forced him to his knees.

Elias gritted his teeth, struggling against their hold.

Evelyn’s eyes were filled with horror as she looked at her brother. She had believed Elias would come and save them. She had imagined him taking them out of this place. But now, he was in danger too.

Fresh tears moistened her eyes.

Ian, on the other end, stiffened. His hands flexed against the rope, but he couldn’t break free.

’I sent you the location. Why did you come alone?’ he muttered to himself.

He couldn’t understand why Elias had put himself in danger. But what he didn’t know was that Elias had already planned his next move.

"You are finally here." Cedric appeared with a smug look on his face. "I have to say—you are a family man. You love your family members more than anything."

A mocking smile quirked his lips. "You can do anything for them."

Elias curled his fingers as he glared up at him. "What do you want?"

Cedric sat down on a chair and crossed one leg over the other. He lit another cigar and took a slow drag.

"First, withdraw the case against Vivian," he started. "Tell everyone that you mistook her for someone else. The traitor was another woman who dressed up like Vivian. That’s why there was confusion."

Elias wanted to laugh at the absurdity of his demand.

The video had clearly shown Vivian’s face. Everyone had seen it. How could anyone believe that it wasn’t Vivian?

"Compensate the Sterling Group for the losses you have caused because of your allegations," Cedric continued. "Give the AI project to my company."

He leaned back. "If you do all this, I’ll consider letting them go. If you refuse, you will all die here tonight."

Elias scoffed when he heard Cedric’s demands. "Everyone in that boardroom saw Vivian’s face clearly. How do you expect them to believe it wasn’t Vivian?"

"That’s your problem." Cedric shrugged casually. "Find an excuse. Bribe them. Threaten them. Do whatever you want. But bring Vivian out of jail and clear her name. Or your sister and that doctor aren’t leaving this place."

Elias’s chest felt compressed by the sheer force of rage. Yet he remained perfectly still against the two men’s hold. He knew his men were closing in.

They would take down the gunmen soon.

He just had to keep Cedric distracted and trapped in conversation until they were ready.

Once the seven armed men were eliminated, Cedric would be vulnerable.

Elias had to wait. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake.

"Your demands are unreasonable," he said calmly. "The evidence against Vivian is strong. Even if I convince the board members, the police won’t be fooled. Give up the idea of getting Vivian out of jail."

Cedric stiffened in the chair. A violet fury almost consumed him whole.

"Other than that, I can compensate your losses," Elias continued. "I can resume the contracts with you. We can still be partners."