Chapter 256

A chilling scream pierced the air behind the main house, startling the forest birds and sending shivers down Stephen and Nathan's spines. The scream echoed for what felt like an eternity before abruptly ceasing. Soon after, Aaron emerged from behind the house and vigorously wiped his hands with a handkerchief, looking disgusted. Following closely behind him, two special forces dragged Eric out. Despite appearing unharmed, his expression was vacant, starkly contrasting his previously defiant demeanor just minutes earlier. Stephen swallowed hard, struggling to comprehend how Aaron could have so thoroughly shattered Eric's spirit in such a short span of time. "Bernard, he said Ms. Youngworth had fled into the deep mountains," Aaron reported to Bernard. Bernard checked his watch. "Five minutes. That's progress." Aaron replied, "Still not as swift as your three-minute record, though." Bernard had once extracted crucial information from an FBI spy in just three minutes. Stephen's e