Upon hearing Yolanda’s voice, Alicia froze, instinctively turning off the screen. She was completely immobilized.

Ever since she had discovered Monica’s accident, a sense of unease had lingered in her. Now, despair weighed heavily on her heart, each heartbeat a painful reminder. Caden wouldn’t come; she had already bothered him too much…

Joshua’s laugh was merciless. He reached out and caressed her pale cheek before speaking to Yolanda. “Did you just wake up from sleeping with Caden?”

Yolanda didn’t answer right away. Instead, she asked, “Who is this?”

Joshua pressed on, “Has Caden ever compared you two in bed? Did he ever tell you who’s better, you or Alicia?”

Yolanda’s shock was palpable. Before she could respond, she heard the door behind her open. Panicked, she quickly ended the call, hiding the phone under the pillow.

Caden, freshly showered, walked out. His hair was still damp, and his face was expressionless.

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“Why are you in my room?” he asked, clearly irritated. After their arrival in Averibon, they had reserved two suites, with Yolanda’s next door.

Yolanda hesitated, but didn’t admit her true intentions. She lied, saying, “I noticed something was off and wanted to discuss it with you.”

Caden tightened his robe, his tone blunt. “Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow. Go back to your room.”

Yolanda bit her lip, reflecting on the unsettling phone call. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the caller had animosity toward Alicia. Was something wrong with her? She didn’t want Caden to know, so she decided to delay him.

“It’s still early. Let’s talk for a while, Caden,” she insisted. “Otherwise, I’ll spend the whole night worrying about the project.”

Noticing her determination, Caden relented. “Fine, I’ll reserve a café. We can have our conversation there.” Yolanda stayed silent, watching as Caden walked toward the bed.

Caden noticed his phone was missing from the nightstand. His expression darkened.

“Did you touch my things?”

Yolanda was caught off guard. She hadn’t expected him to notice the absence so quickly, and she seemed flustered.

Caden swiftly located his phone and checked the screen. There was an unread message.

It was a photo sent from an emergency number, accompanied by a location. The address pointed to a secluded mountain outside Warrington, and the blurry image showed Alicia’s legs, stained with dried blood on the ground. His heart tightened in his chest.

Something was terribly wrong.

Having only recently returned to the country, Caden’s contacts were limited. He hesitated briefly before sending the address to someone he trusted deeply. Then, he turned off the phone’s screen.

Looking at Yolanda, he asked coolly, “Why did you handle my phone?”

Fear flashed in Yolanda’s eyes.

Trying to maintain composure, she explained, “You were busy, and I didn’t want to miss anything important, so I picked it up. It turned out to be just an annoying call.”

Caden’s expression remained stern. He had erased Alicia’s number, so any incoming call would appear as “unknown.” However, given that Yolanda had concealed his phone, he was convinced it wasn’t a trivial call.

It was Alicia’s cry for help.

Without another word, he left the room.

Yolanda, pale with unease, followed him.

“Caden…” she called, but he didn’t stop.

At the doorway, Caden’s bodyguard stepped in her way.

Caden’s silhouette quickly disappeared down the hall as he reached out to a local contact, arranging a private flight back to Warrington immediately.

Just then, his phone rang. It was Cliff.

“Mr. Ward, what’s happening?”

Cliff had dispatched people to the location Caden had sent, but he needed further information.

Caden’s tone was notably grave. “Rescue her immediately. And don’t alert them. I’m heading back now.” Cliff hadn’t seen him this unsettled in ages.

“Understood,” Cliff replied.

Caden moved quickly, gasping for air, completely unaware of Alicia’s exact situation. Every word he spoke was filled with determination. “At all costs.”

Cliff was taken aback by his intensity. He waited a few seconds before ending the call. The Flynn family had been unable to contact Monica and had already alerted the police.

Cliff, who had been following leads related to Monica, scrutinized her recent suspicious interactions and quickly traced them back to Joshua. He deduced the likely reason for the kidnapping, but he didn’t interfere with the police’s efforts.

When Gerry heard the news, he hurried to assist, his concern evident. “Cliff, with the Flynn family so heavily involved with the police, could this increase the risk to Monica and Alicia?”

Cliff remained focused, working on locating Alicia’s position on the map. The weak signal from the mountain made it difficult to pinpoint the exact location. His face was stern as he replied with authority, “Joshua is aware of the police involvement, and that will distract him. It gives my team an opportunity.”

Gerry hesitated, then asked, “But what if Joshua becomes desperate?”

Cliff shot him a sharp look. “Do you have a better idea?”

Gerry was at a loss for words. Feeling intimidated by Cliff’s imposing physique and fierce demeanor, he scratched his nose nervously. “I’ll keep out of it and let you work.”

Cliff, drawing from his military background, was known for his firm and relentless approach. He was certainly intense, but his reliability was unquestioned.

Gerry, still uneasy, asked, “Where’s Caden?”

“On his way back. He should arrive in about an hour.”

Just then, the map emitted a beep, signaling that Alicia’s location had been pinpointed. Cliff exhaled deeply, his thoughts a mix of concern and focus. He asked, “Who is she that Caden is so worried about?”