Return Of The Prodigy
Return of the Prodigy Chapter 39

"Her phone is switched off. You better hope that she doesn't lay a finger on my daughter!" snarled Adam.

At the same time, Adam recalled something and hurried to ask, "Where is Peter?"

"He's at Lisle's local hospital," he replied.

Adam took out his phone and called Black Dragon. "Send someone to Lisle's local hospital and have them monitor Peter Hartley. I want to know if he's still there." After hanging up, Adam started pacing back and forth in the hall. For some reason, he was getting more and more restless.

If something were to happen to Annie... No, I'm sure everything will be all right. Nothing will happen to her!

As time passed by, the sense of unease in his heart only grew stronger.

At this point, he noticed another detail. Katie had yet to arrive despite leaving the over more than half an hour ago. Adam hurried to call her.

"Sorry, the number you've dialed is not reachable..."

Dammit, something must have happened to Katie!

Adam almost lost control. He stomped the ground so hard that the tiles almost broke.

Going back half an hour ago...

Katie rushed downstairs and called a taxi, heading to the Hartleys' residence.

"Can you go a bit faster?" she said to the driver, "I'll give you a big tip."

"Even if you tempt me with a tip, there is not much I can do. Haven't you noticed the traffic? It's not like I can just start flying like the helicopters above.

"Speaking of which, I wonder what's going on today. Police officers, tramps, and thugs, everybody seems to be on the move. Are they looking for something?" griped the cabbie as he tried his best to wade through the traffic jam. Katie anxiously looked outside the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Annie's figure in vain. None of the people she saw resembled her little girl.

Time flew, and the taxi eventually got out of the traffic jam, leaving the city center and reaching a sparsely inhabited area. The number of police officers and thugs was much lower as were the cars on the road.

Just as the taxi driver was about to accelerate, a car sped up from the side and crashed into them. The driver lost control, and the taxi skidded on the road.

At the same time, another car came from the rear and stopped across the road.

With one car ahead and one behind, the taxi driver had nowhere to go. Right after, several masked people alighted from the two cars and smashed the window of the taxi. "What are you doing? This is-"

Before the taxi driver could finish, a man dragged him out of the taxi and smashed his head with a steel pipe.

The taxi driver saw stars, and blood trickled down from his forehead as he collapsed to the ground.

Just to be sure, the man hit the driver again. After the blow, the taxi driver stopped moving, and it was unknown if he was still alive.

In the meantime, the other masked thugs dragged Katie out of the taxi.

"Who are you? Let me go, let me go!"

Katie started struggling.

Slap!

A woman came over and slapped Katie in the face while whispering, "If you dare shout again, I'll cut up your pretty face!" Katie ignored her and kept struggling.

"Bitch, didn't you hear what I said?" The woman took out a knife and grabbed Katie's neck, ready to cut her face.

However, one of the masked men stopped her. "Don't be foolish. You don't want to upset our employer."

"Ptui! Her pretty face is pissing me off. I bet she's a natural-born slut that likes to seduce men," cursed the woman.

"Enough chit-chat. Gag her and put this sack on her head. It's time to go."

"Let me- Hmmm!"

One of the men grabbed a cloth and stuffed it into Katie's mouth, while another used a gunny sack to cover her head. Afterward, the duo dragged Katie into their car. The engines roared to life, and the two cars sped away.

After twenty minutes of driving, they stopped at an abandoned factory. The thugs dragged Katie and entered the building.

In the empty room, Edgar sat in a chair, bottles of wine and cigarette butts piled up by his feet. His eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed jittery.

The man in the lead threw Katie before Edgar and said coldly, "This is the woman you wanted."

Edgar got up and rushed forward. He then reached out and removed the gunny sack from Katie's head. Seeing her swollen yet beautiful cheeks, he was excited.

Here she is! The woman that made me lose everything... my company, my wife, and also my child. Slut, I'm going to ruin you and make you wish you were dead!

Of course, Edgar also planned to thoroughly enjoy her body. There was no way he would let off such a beautiful woman. He was going to use the cruelest method he could think of to destroy her both physically and mentally. He had been dreaming of this moment for a long time. Now, Katie was finally within his reach.

"Katie Hartley," he sneered, "you didn't expect to end up like this, did you? Back at Goldsand Corp, you refused my proposal. And yet haven't you fallen into my hands regardless?

"Haha, do you regret it? Well, you should! Isn't your husband super amazing, capable of taking away my company with just a call? Have him come here to save you then!" Edgar approached his prey with a wicked grin.

Katie stared at him, terrified, instinctively backing away. "What do you think you're doing? Stay away from me! This is kidnapping, and you'll be going to jail for this!"

"Hahaha, do you think I care about that? Things have reached the point where I'm willing to put my life at stake, and you think I give a shit about going to jail?

"Anyway, do you know who these people that kidnapped you are? They're wanted criminals, and no one knows that I'm the one who hired them. There is no proof that I had any dealings with them. "Or... Are you stupid enough to think that you'll walk out of this place alive?"

Present time, back at the Hartleys' residence.

Adam was out of control as he wreaked havoc in the hall. All the people around him watched in silence, too afraid to intervene.

Dave was no exception.

They had never seen Adam so mad. At this time, he looked like a devil that had crawled out of hell.

"Sorry, the number you've dialed is not reachable..."

Katie's phone was still off.

Adam's eyes were ice-cold as he called Black Dragon.

"Use the satellites and search the whole town."

Black Dragon hurriedly reported, "We've done that already. We discovered that Katie was kidnapped and taken to an abandoned factory in the western district. I'm bringing a chopper to pick you up. "Moreover, Booker's subordinates saw a car speeding out of Lisle. Among the passengers was a little girl whose clothes matched Annie's. The vehicle seemed eastbound." Adam furrowed his brows.

Katie was taken westward, while Annie is headed in the opposite direction... Are they forcing me to choose one of them?

In the meantime, his phone buzzed. He had received a text message.

Adam clenched his teeth. As expected, they're trying to force me to choose one of them...

No matter who he chose, he was going to lose the other, which would leave him with a life-long regret.

Now that he was left with no choice, which one would he choose?

-

At this time, in Lisle's local hospital.

Peter flushed the burner down the toilet. The phone quickly disappeared, lost forever.

Done with his deed, he walked out of the bathroom and stood in the corridor. He gazed at the police cars zipping by outside the window and the helicopters roaming the sky.

Adam, it seems I've underestimated you yet again. I didn't think you were capable of mobilizing so many people to help you with this search. But it's my win this time.

Anger still roiled inside Peter, but he smiled when he thought of his perfect plan. He would get rid of Katie while not involving himself in the matter.

Even if her kidnapping came to light, the blame would be pushed onto Edgar.

After all, Edgar was the one that hired the wanted criminals that kidnapped Katie. Peter had only given him some cash in an attempt to help a friend in need.

As for Edgar using that cash to hire criminals, it had nothing to do with him.

Peter himself had done nothing illegal nor had he kidnapped anyone. He had spent the entire day in the hospital under the watchful eyes of the hospital staff. Even if the police came to question him, there was nothing to tie him down to this case. However, what he did find unfortunate was that his perfect plan had one tiny flaw....

Peter had no idea who Adam would choose to save.

Katie was doomed to die regardless of Adam's choice, but if he chose her and got killed by the criminals, his plan would have a perfect ending.

Peter waited patiently for Adam's choice.