Stephen ran to catch up to her, but a man appeared out of nowhere and blocked his path.

The man collided head-on with Stephen, spilling wine all over him.

Stephen had no time to deal with him. He was tense as he tried to move past the man.

The man, however, stood in his way and repeatedly apologized. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jacobson. I didn’t mean it. How about I take your clothes to be dry cleaned?”

“It’s fine.” Stephen stepped to the side to bypass him.

But the man mirrored his movement. “Mr. Jacobson, I am terribly sorry. Please don’t be angry with me.”

Stephen became furious and shouted, “Get out of my way!”

The man rubbed his nose and stepped aside.

Stephen then hurried to the lift and saw the numbers on the display changing rapidly.

His heart sank. The lift had already reached the ninth floor.

Even if he took the lift next to it immediately, he wouldn’t make it in time.

As if realizing something, Stephen spun around to look in the direction the man disappeared to.

But the man was nowhere to be seen.

Stephen’s expression turned grim. That man had done it on purpose!

Meanwhile, in an unnoticed corner near the estate’s side entrance, a nondescript Audi parked there.

The man who had bumped into Stephen opened the driver’s side door and got in. “Ms. Sanders, it’s done.” Jacqueline leaned back in the rear seat with her eyes closed. “Let’s go.”

As he drove, he glanced at Jacqueline in the rear mirror. “Shouldn’t we wait for Ms. Mondez?”

Jacqueline let out a mocking laugh. “If we wait for that foolish girl, none of us would get out of here today.”

At the same time, Tessa exited the lift and rushed straight for the rooftop terrace.

She opened the iron door to the terrace and stepped out.

Immediately, she spotted Seline, who was tied to a chair, positioned dangerously close to the edge of the rooftop railing.

Her mouth was taped, and her hands tied.

Next to her stood the masked individual, who was holding a knife pressed to Seline’s neck.

Seline’s mouth was sealed. Unable to cry out, her tears streamed down her face as she looked at Tessa, appearing utterly pitiful.

Tessa couldn’t stand seeing her sister in that state. She was just an innocent child.

That morning, Seline was still playfully clinging to her. Mere hours later, her life was in extreme danger.

Tessa steadied herself and said to the person, “Let my sister go. I will do whatever you want.”

“Come here and exchange yourself for your sister,” the masked person replied. She was speaking in her original voice without the use of a voice changer.

It was a woman. A stranger.

“Alright.” Tessa agreed without hesitation, too pressed for time to be surprised.

She began walking toward the masked person.

When she was just about six feet away…

“Tessa! Don’t go!”

At her back, Stephen’s voice rang out as he caught up.

Tessa froze in her tracks and turned to look.

Stephen ran over in a few strides

pulled her tightly into his

His voice trembled with fe

“Don’t

go. It’s too dangerous.”

Susan watched the scene unfold and couldn’t hold back her tears. The pain in her heart made her suffocate. She laughed bitterly as her eyes filled with anguish. “What an enviable love story.”

“Stephen, you don’t care if I live or die, but you care so much about her.” With that, Susan removed the mask. She appeared to have gone crazy, her cries turning into hysterical laughter. “Hahaha! Fine! Very Well!”