CHAPTER 14: CHAPTER 14: BREAKING POINT

Evan Grant’s handsome face was clouded with gloom.

Juliana Jacobs wanted to recount the phone call she had just received, but seeing that he was already convinced she’d done something to Stella Grant, she knew any more explanations would be futile.

So instead of speaking, she let out a mocking laugh.

"So what? She almost died, and you were so worried it seemed like the sky was falling. But my life-threatening notice meant nothing to you, because I was supposed to sacrifice myself for her?"

"You’re fine now, don’t twist the truth! She has depression, and after being kicked out of the hospital, she went missing. If something really happens, could you live with yourself?"

Juliana’s tone was icy, "Your sister’s life or death has nothing to do with me, of course I could live with it."

Evan’s face was as dark as it could get.

"No matter what you do, I won’t divorce you. You better remember, your grandfather’s imported medicine cannot stop even for a day."

Her grandfather was her bottom line.

Juliana raised her hand and shoved the items off the dressing table.

"If you can be ruthless, I can be even more so. Tomorrow’s headline will be the scandal of the Grant Group CEO’s stepsister having an abortion abroad. As for the child’s father..."

She sneered coldly.

"...Let’s see whether my grandfather’s medicine runs out first, or your and your sister’s reputations are ruined first!"

It had been a long time since Evan Grant had been threatened.

After a few seconds of dead silence, the anger in his eyes strangely extinguished.

"I’ve spoiled you too much, that’s why you’ve forgotten your limits."

He calmly tightened his robe again, walked to the bedroom door, and gestured outside with his chin.

Two bodyguards stepped forward.

"Madam needs to reflect behind closed doors, take her to the basement for contemplation until they find someone over there."

Juliana’s pupils suddenly contracted, and her fingertips pressed hard against the edge of the table.

She had seen Evan’s ruthlessness towards others—today, he finally used those means on her for that woman.

The gentleness that had once entrapped her for four years now turned into blades that cut into her heart, causing her to laugh in pain.

After giving his order, Evan turned away from her.

...

Juliana had lived in Platinum Bay for four years without knowing there was a basement here.

After entering, she discovered a small dark room inside.

The walls were made of steel plates, the ventilation was minimal, and one had to endure the stale air, the mental oppression of the environment, and the cold.

It didn’t take long before Juliana shivered from the cold.

Ever since being discharged from the hospital, the same temperature of wind others found refreshing, she found cold.

She had meant to find time to consult a Chinese medicine doctor, but before she had the chance, she was locked up here.

As the chills invaded her body, her lower abdomen began to ache faintly.

Not knowing how long she would be confined, she hugged herself, not daring to lean against the wall and could only curl up in the center of the small dark room, counting her heartbeats, urging herself to hold on.

No one slept that night.

Just as dawn broke, Evan stood by the study window, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the handle of a coffee cup.

Ethan Carter pushed the door open and entered.

"There is still no news of Miss Grant from Aldoria. Although she was kicked out of the hospital within minutes of calling you, there are few surveillance cameras near the hospital and none have captured her whereabout. There’s also no record of her exiting the country from customs."

As he spoke, a trace of worry appeared on Ethan’s face.

"Could it be that the people Madam sent harmed Miss Grant?"

Evan put down the coffee cup.

"She wouldn’t do such a thing."

Ethan quickly amended his words, "Right, after all, those people haven’t been caught yet."

Evan glanced at him and reminded, "Your task is to urge them to find the missing person over there."

"Yes, yes."

In truth, finding out those people’s identities was easy, just interrogate Madam.

But President Grant hadn’t considered doing that at all.

Ethan could see that even if Madam had caused a big mess, at most she’d be locked in a small dark room. President Grant was unwilling to use harsher methods to deal with her.

As Evan went downstairs for breakfast, Mrs. Young carefully glanced at him several times, gathered her courage, and asked, "Should I bring some food to Madam?"

"Madam didn’t have dinner last night," she added.

Evan hesitated for a moment but then thought of how overboard she had been these past few days.

So he steeled his heart, "There’s drinking water in the basement, skipping two meals won’t make her starve."

Mrs. Young’s face was full of worry, "Maybe Madam realized her mistake."

Evan chuckled, "No need to wait for her to admit fault. If you go find my grandmother at the old house, someone will release her."

Mrs. Young was warned and her breath paused.

But if Madam was released through someone else, then their relationship would never be mended.

"I won’t tell the old lady."

Evan could see that she was truly worried about Juliana.

"Being reckless in the Grant Family is a very dangerous thing. If she doesn’t learn a lesson this time, next time she falls into someone else’s hands, she might lose her life. It doesn’t matter if she hates me. Every lesson I teach her is so she can live longer."

"But Madam has only been discharged for a few days, and the basement is cold and damp..."

Evan’s eyes flickered with a hint of compassion.

At this moment, Ethan received a call and rushed to the dining room.

"President Grant, a female corpse was fished out of the river near the Aldoria hospital. Her face is disfigured, but her figure resembles Miss Grant. They are currently doing a DNA comparison."

Mrs. Young’s hand clenched the edge of her apron tightly.

Evan’s thin lips pressed into a sharp line, but within seconds, relaxed again.

"Until it’s confirmed, continue searching."

Ethan paused, then nodded.

Mrs. Young breathed a sigh of relief, "What about Madam..."

"Mrs. Young, the Nine Boiling Soup in Willowspring Town is quite famous, I’ll give you the address, go buy some."

"Nine... Nine Boiling Soup?"

Mrs. Young was baffled. Madam was still locked up, why buy soup?

Unable to fathom Evan’s intentions, she gave up.

"Alright, I’ll take a ride there."

"Didn’t I give you a car? Why take a ride?" Evan asked.

Mrs. Young was stunned, "When did you give it?"

Evan distinctly remembered handing Juliana the keys to the GL8 when leaving the hospital room, telling her to give them to Mrs. Young to buy whatever she wanted to eat.

After returning from Aldoria, he hadn’t inquired about it.

He rushed to the garage, only to discover the GL8 wasn’t there.

Remembering Juliana’s strong resistance to his touch these past few days...

Evan stood under the shade, the drooping hair concealing his obscure gaze, his lips pressed with a trace of somberness.

"The day I went to Aldoria, did Madam act unusually?"

Mrs. Young recalled carefully.

"Not long after you left the hospital room, Madam went out once."

Ethan’s eyes widened, "That day she hung up on me before I could finish speaking. I came to see her, wasn’t she asleep?"

"Madam returned before you came to see her; she was soaked when she came back. When I asked her, she didn’t say anything. In the evening, Ms. Windsor used the wedding photo of you and Miss Grant as a provocation to her..."

At this point, Mrs. Young glanced at Evan discreetly.

Evan’s jawline was taut, forming a sharp arc.

"...Madam vomited blood, but didn’t let us call a doctor. She said she accidentally drank some seawater."