CHAPTER 439: CHAPTER 439: SOMEONE IS TAILING US

Chantelle didn’t dare lift the floor tiles without confirming. It was too risky.

Fortunately, Jacob had already arrived outside the castle. He parked his car in a hidden spot and used a tiny camera the size of a fly to enter the castle remotely.

Along the way, he saw three or four police cars inside the grounds, and a dozen uniformed officers were searching the castle for the missing women.

Fred exchanged looks with someone from the police team, and the two of them walked together into a shaded corner.

Jacob needed to help Chantelle escape before Fred started searching for her, so he didn’t stop to listen to their conversation. He went straight to Joseph’s room through the camera feed.

The door to the room was tightly shut. Jacob guided the fly-sized camera through the side window.

He moved the camera slowly around the room and paused at the large bed. He even landed the tiny camera on the person lying there.

The man didn’t react at all.

Jacob flew the camera near his ear. The man only frowned slightly, but didn’t move.

He was confused, so he used the small blade attached to the fly camera to lightly scratch the man’s face. The man hissed and touched the wound, but he still didn’t wake up.

Jacob wasn’t sure if the man was really asleep or pretending in order to trap Chantelle.

So he took a screenshot from the camera feed and sent it to her. "He’s lying on the bed and hasn’t moved. There’s no one else in the room. Fred and his men are outside, blocked by the police."

Chantelle recognized Joseph the moment she saw the picture. Even if he was pretending to sleep, if he was alone, she could defend herself.

She hesitated for a moment, then decided to push open the tile.

The tile was right beside Joseph’s bed. Once she pushed it open, she quickly climbed out, then put the tile back in place and pulled the mat over it.

She stood by the bed and brushed the dust off her hands, then noticed something was wrong with Joseph.

She reached out and touched his forehead. It was burning hot.

Why didn’t Fred send him to the hospital if he was this sick?

She frowned. Then she heard him murmuring that he was thirsty. Feeling a moment of sympathy, she poured a cup of water and helped him drink.

As soon as the water touched his lips, Joseph suddenly opened his eyes.

They stared at each other, and the atmosphere felt awkward.

"Chantie, what did Kane feed me this time? I’m dying," Joseph said weakly, curling his lips before coughing hard.

She gently patted his back and remembered how naughty Kane could be. Once, Joseph had accidentally broken Kane’s favorite toy, and Kane was so furious that he stole some medicine from their master and slipped it into Joseph’s bowl and cup.

Joseph had such severe diarrhea that he ended up in the hospital for gastric lavage. Kane was so frightened by seeing him hospitalized that he never tried to take revenge again.

She sighed, remembering their past and seeing how things had turned out. She gave him some cold medicine and said, "I have to go. Call someone to take you to the hospital."

Joseph watched her briefly. She couldn’t tell if he was fully conscious or half-dazed. When she reached for the door, he called out, "Don’t leave from there."

She turned and looked at him, confused.

His eyes were closed, and he held his forehead. In a hoarse voice, he said, "There’s a secret door behind the antique shelf. It leads to the back garden. There aren’t many guards there."

"Thanks," she said.

She walked to the antique shelf, and after confirming with Jacob, she activated the hidden door.

She couldn’t help thinking that Joseph and his people were being dramatic for building so many secret doors and passages.

Before stepping through the door, she turned back and said, "Jo, you’ve tried to hurt me so many times, and I haven’t even taken my revenge yet. Don’t play with fire, or you’ll end up dead. That would be boring for me."

"Don’t worry. I won’t die before Daniel," he replied.

She nodded and hurried out. As she walked through the garden, she looked around. Joseph was still so sentimental. She had burned this place to the ground, yet he rebuilt everything within months.

Even the roses looked the same, blooming just as beautifully as before.

"Ms. Chantelle." Jacob pulled up, let her in, and drove away from the castle quickly.

She finally relaxed when she saw the police escorting the women out through the rear-view mirror.

"What happened in the castle? Why didn’t the police arrest that man? He’s the owner of the castle, isn’t he?" Jacob asked. He had just returned to the country and didn’t know who held power here, but he could guess that the man lying in the luxurious bedroom should be the owner.

"If something like this could take him down, I wouldn’t have needed to sneak into the castle tonight," Chantelle said as she looked away. She still hadn’t found any real answers about who hurt Kane overseas, Wesley’s death, or Ruby’s connection to Joseph.

But the trip was still worth it. She ruined Fred’s secret plan, rescued the innocent girls, and even learned that Fred held a grudge against her mother.

"You should get to know Easthan better. Once my film company is set up, you can work there. Being a hacker isn’t a long-term path," she offered, though she still respected Jacob’s choice.

If he didn’t want that job, she would find another role for him. No one should have to live in the shadows forever. At some point, they deserved to live openly and with dignity.

Jacob understood what she meant. He was only worried about himself and thought he wouldn’t know how to get along with coworkers.

Chantelle had already heard about Jacob from Kane, so she understood his hesitation. "Right now, you’ll be the only one in the company’s technical department. If you need more help later, we can recruit more people for you."

Jacob’s eyes brightened, and he nodded quickly. "Thank you, Ms. Chantelle. I’m willing to join your company."

Chantelle smiled and nodded. Whenever she had technical problems before, she always had to rely on Kane.

But lately, she felt the three children were growing up too fast. She wanted them to enjoy their childhood, not get involved in complicated matters so early.

Jacob’s arrival came at the perfect time. He solved a big problem for her, and she made sure to pay him well.

"Ms. Chantelle, someone is tailing us," Jacob suddenly said in a serious tone.