Chapter 10

William sat in the back seat of the Maybach, with his assistant, Stanley Zoro, driving him. Winter in Osmo was exceptionally cold. Currently, the whole city was ravaged by raging wind and snow. The road heading to the Wilson residence was partially cordoned off, leaving only one lane open and causing a traffic jam. "What's going on?" Stanley spoke with admiration, "It seems that a little boy fell into the water, and a little girl who knows how to swim jumped in to pull him ashore. They're bringing the two children up now." "That girl is really brave to jump into a freezing river like that. Just thinking about it makes me feel cold." As the car passed the section that was cordoned off, William felt his headache intensify. A child's voice rang in his mind. "Mister, don't be scared. I'll help you swim across. Let's make a promise. When I grow up, you'll marry me." "Okay, I won't break my promise." Some fragmented memories surfaced in his mind. A thin little girl was holding his hand and helping him swim to shore, using all her strength to pull him up. Her whole body was soaked, and her eyes were remarkably clear. It was as if they could pierce through his heart. Who was she? Was it the little girl that rescued him when he was young? But where was she now? She told him her name, but William couldn't remember it. Suddenly, Linda's face flashed before his eyes. Could it be… Clenching his fists tightly, William felt his heart tremble as if the softest part of it was hit hard. Could the memories he lost really be connected to Linda? Had she never lied to him? William recalled many past scenes, and how Ida always stammered when she talked about the incident, while Linda could speak clearly about it. His expression grew serious as he took out his phone to send Linda a text message. He needed to ask her face-to-face. … At that moment, the Wilson residence was in chaos. When William returned, Ida and the household staff were anxiously waiting for him. As soon as he walked in, they swarmed around him. "Mr. Wilson, you're back. We and Ms. Ida don't know what to do." The housekeeper sobbed, making William even more irritable. William sat down on the couch. "What's going on?" "It's just like what I told you over the phone." Ida's face was streaked with tears. She looked terrified. "Have you called the police?" "Yes. The police checked the route's surveillance footage, but they didn't see the kidnappers' car. It's a mountainous area, and the cameras are a bit far away. Anyone slightly familiar with the area could easily drive into a blind spot." Jay Howell, who had been handling business at a branch office, also rushed over upon hearing about the incident at home. "Boss, what happened?" "Mrs. Wilson has been kidnapped," William replied. "Have you called the police?" Ida replied, "We've contacted the police, but we don't know what's going on now." "Did Mrs. Wilson mention what she was going to do before she left?" Jay was trying to look for clues to find Joanne. Ida shook her head. "She only said she was going to pick up her necklace and go to the hot springs. I don't know anything else." Not knowing when the person went missing was a big problem. "Did Mrs. Wilson go to the store to pick up the necklace?" Ida shook her head again. "No. The store owner called me, asking why she hadn't shown up." Just then, Ida's phone rang. It was an unknown number. She had a feeling that this call was from the kidnappers. "Jay, you answer it. I'm too scared." So, Jay took the phone and put the call on speaker. "If Mr. Wilson wants his mother safe, he needs to prepare 50 million dollars in cash and deliver it to the second row, third room of the abandoned factory in the outskirts by 7:30 am tomorrow." Without waiting for a response from William, the caller hung up. Ida was frantic and pushed him. "William, have Jay prepare the cash right away. Saving Joanne is the priority." William instructed in a deep voice, "Jay, go get it done." Jay nodded and left the villa. … In the hotel, Linda had the best sleep she had had in a long time due to the liberation she felt. She woke up early, packed her few belongings into a tote bag, had breakfast, and went to the entrance to hail a taxi to the airport. To her surprise, a black Porsche pulled up in front of her. Linda was stunned as Samson slowly rolled down the window. "Linda, get in." "Samson, why are you here?" "It's cold outside. Get in the car first." Linda opened the door to the passenger seat and got in. "How did you know I was staying here?" Linda didn't recall telling him. "This hotel belongs to my uncle. I found out through a quick check," Samson explained. "I wasn't trying to invade your privacy. I was just worried about your safety." "I understand." She had no privacy, anyway. "I happened to stay nearby, so I decided to come take you to the airport." The car slowly drove onto the viaduct. It was early morning on a Sunday, so the roads were quite empty. Samson said, "I've arranged everything for the house in Novena, and it's already cleaned up. If you don't like the decoration Mr. Felix chose, you can redecorate it. You can stay in my house for now." Linda nodded. "Have you told Chloe?" Chloe was studying jewelry design in Idaly, and Linda rarely shared much with her. "She knows. She still has a few years before graduation. If she wants to stay in Flomont after graduating, I won't stop her." "It's up to her. It's the same everywhere." Linda removed her phone's SIM card, broke it, and threw it into the car's trash bag. Soon, she would board a flight to Novena and leave everything here behind. As the car exited the viaduct, Linda felt sleepy. "It's okay. I'll wake you when we arrive," Samson said gently. Before he finished speaking, the car suddenly jerked. Linda looked behind them. Samson stopped the car at the side of the road and said to Linda, "We've been rear-ended. Wait for me in the car." Linda nodded. After that, Samson got out to see William stepping out of a Mercedes G-Class, exuding a terrifying presence. Linda had been keeping an eye out and naturally saw the person who got out of the car. William? Shouldn't he be dealing with Joanne's matter? Why was he here intercepting Samson's car so early in the morning? William ignored Samson and walked straight to the Prsche's passenger side. "Mr. Wilson, what are you doing?" Samson stepped forward to block him. William looked at Samson and smiled contemptuously. "Mr. Lynch, stay out of my business." With that, he tried to open the door. "Mr. Wilson!" William snapped his fingers, and people swarmed out of the cars parked by the roadside, surrounding Samson and this car. Samson, having come alone, was outnumbered and easily restrained by Jay. "Apologies, Mr. Lynch."