Tessa followed Stephen in a daze to the local police station to give their statements.

At the station, the police’s attitude noticeably improved once they learned Stephen’s identity. From the officers, Stephen discovered that the person who had called the police was a man, and through technical means, they had identified him as Zachary.

One of the officers explained, “The caller said his girlfriend had been kidnapped and taken to Silverstone. He also mentioned that the kidnappers might be armed. After receiving the report, we immediately launched a search and eventually pinpointed the location.”

These details were shared privately with Stephen, though Tessa remained

unaware.

Their statements were given quickly.

As Tessa stepped out of the interview room, an officer said, “You’re free to go.”

“Officer, my sister has been kidnapped. Please, you have to save her. The man who took her is a monster.

She’s only eight years old. If she’s in his hands, I…” Tessa’s voice trembled, her words broken by sobs.

Although Seline was the daughter of Tessa’s stepmother, Tessa had grown genuinely fond of her half-sister over time. Even if she didn’t say it out loud, Tessa had long accepted Marianne and her daughter as part of her family.

Tessa couldn’t bear to think about what would happen if Seline didn’t return.

The officer replied, “The suspect crossed the national border by helicopter. We’re currently trying to contact the authorities in Arcton to request their assistance in apprehending the suspect. We’ll notify you as soon as we have any updates.”

Silverstone was located next to Arcton, and the abandoned building James had chosen wasn’t far from the border. The helicopter had crossed into Arcton’s airspace quickly, putting it beyond the reach of Orkford’s police.

The authorities in Orkford could only contact their counterparts in Arcton and request their cooperation in arresting James.

James and Liam had escaped by helicopter, while the rest of James’ men had been captured.

Faced with Tessa’s heartbroken sobs, Stephen knew words would offer little comfort. He stayed silent, standing by her side and gently holding her hand, offering quiet support.

Just then, Stephen’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and saw it was Samuel.

Stephen instinctively looked over at Ssa. She was still speaking to the

about Seline, unaware of

Stephen’s phone call.

“I need to take this call,” Stephen said softly, giving Tessa’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

He stepped away to answer the phone.

“Seline is missing too. Where are you? Have you made it to

Silverstone? Have you seen James? Are Tessa and Seline both in his hands? What’s the situation? Can you save them?”

As soon as the call connected, Samuel bombarded Stephen with a flurry of questions.

Stephen calmly explained the current situation to Samuel, detailing everything that had happened.

When Samuel learned that Seline had been kidnapped by James and taken to Arcton, his hand trembled, and the phone slipped from his grasp, hitting the ground with a clatter.

A burst of static came through the line.

Soon, Marianne’s voice replaced Samuel’s, her tone frantic and barely controlled.