The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1901

"You're quite the clever one. Who knew you would secretly transfer Lorcan away? But it doesn't change anything. Oh, and I want the original USB drive. If it's a backup, you can forget about seeing your daughter again in this lifetime."

Curtis' voice had been altered, just in case Antoine recorded his original one. If so, the next steps would be much harder to execute.

Antoine's fingers tightened around the phone, his knuckles turning white. "Come after me if you have a problem with me. What's the point of using my daughter to threaten me?"

Curtis' voice was icy, devoid of any emotion. "You brought this on yourself. My life is on the line right now. Do you really think I care about morals? Do I look stupid to you?"

"Check your email," Curtis continued after a pause.

Antoine frantically opened his laptop and clicked on the newly received video. The footage showed Ingrid tied to a metal chair, her mouth taped shut and her eyes filled with tears and terror.

"Ingrid!" Antoine cried out uncontrollably, feeling as if his chest had been struck by a sledgehammer.

In the video, Ingrid seemed to hear something, her head jerking up in fear before the screen abruptly cut to black.

Wolf, standing nearby, noticed Antoine's distress and quickly placed a hand on his chest, rubbing in a circular motion until Antoine finally caught his breath.

Curtis' voice came through the phone again. "Have you made up your mind yet? My patience is running thin."

Antoine gritted his teeth. "Give me the address. I'm coming now."

Curtis lowered his voice. "A warehouse in the eastern suburbs. Remember, you've got 30 minutes. If you call the police, I'll kill her immediately. Understood?"

Antoine's voice trembled. "The eastern suburbs… Fine, I'm leaving now."

Curtis sounded impatient. "29 minutes left. You can start planning your daughter's funeral if time's up."

Then, without warning, the call ended abruptly.

Antoine's entire spirit seemed to deflate. He stared at the family photo beside his computer—a picture of the three of them together.

He had promised to protect Ingrid and keep her safe from harm, but he had also sworn to Gordon that no matter what, he would act with a clear conscience. He would never betray the trust placed in him or allow the guilty to escape justice.

Only now did Antoine realize how agonizingly difficult it was to have both.

After a moment of deep thought, he turned to his chauffeur. "Go bring Lorcan here."

Deven nodded. Before setting out earlier, Antoine had anticipated that his enemies might take advantage of the reduced security to search for Lorcan again, so he had secretly ordered Deven to move him to a hidden room in the northwest wing.

Once that was arranged, Antoine looked at Wolf. "Wolf, I want to ask you something."

Wolf lifted his head. "Hmm? What is it?"

Antoine sighed. "I'm torn. A long time ago, I promised someone that I would never let the wicked go unpunished, no matter the cost.

"But now, Ingrid has been taken hostage. They're using her to force me to hand over the evidence that could convict them. If I give it to them, Ingrid might come back, but they'll walk free."

Most people, faced with such a choice, would prioritize saving a life—evidence could be recovered, but a life lost would be gone forever.

But Wolf's response was startling. "Hmm, don't choose. Take both."

Antoine shook his head. "No matter how strong you are, they'll use Ingrid as leverage. If we act recklessly, they'll kill her."

Just then, Deven returned with Lorcan in tow. Confused at first, Lorcan quickly pieced together the situation. "Mr. Chamberlain… is my time up?"

Antoine met his gaze. "Probably. Curtis has kidnapped my daughter and demanded you as part of the exchange. If you die, it won't be by my hand, but his."

With that, he stood and headed for the door. Time was running out. He needed to deliver both Lorcan and the evidence immediately.

But just as he reached the entrance, his phone rang again. Antoine glanced at the screen and answered it.

"Mr. Chamberlain? This is the Tax Bureau. During an impromptu audit of your company's financial records, we've discovered discrepancies suggesting tax evasion. We'll need you to come in immediately."

Antoine's brow furrowed. "Alright, I'll be there shortly."

"Thank you for your cooperation."

A two-pronged attack—not only had they taken Ingrid, but they were also targeting his corporation. A masterful play.

With a grim expression, Antoine turned to Wolf. "Wolf, I'm entrusting the USB drive to you. You must bring Ingrid back safely. It's a promise I made to her mother."

Then, he looked at Deven. "I'm counting on you, Deven. I'll drive myself to the company."

Deven nodded firmly. "Don't worry, Mr. Chamberlain. We'll bring Ms. Chamberlain home safely."

After speaking, Antoine got out of the car and watched as it drove away. He then entered another vehicle parked nearby and headed toward the company.

The drive wasn't long. It was barely ten minutes before he arrived at the corporate building, but as he pulled up, he saw not only tax bureau officials but also police officers from the Organized Crime Department and a swarm of reporters lingering outside.

Antoine's eyes darkened at the sight. When these kinds of investigators showed up, even a spotless company could suddenly "have problems".

After parking, he stepped out of the car. The reporters, sharp-eyed, immediately swarmed him.

"Mr. Chamberlain, is it true that your company has been evading taxes?"

"Mr. Chamberlain, one of your employees has admitted to ties with organized crime, yet you still allowed him to work here. Does this mean you might also have such connections?"

Antoine frowned. "Don't believe rumors. I will cooperate fully with the investigation, so please refer to official statements for accurate information. Thank you."

With that, he bypassed the media and approached the company entrance.

An officer from the Organized Crime Department stepped forward as soon as he arrived. "Mr. Chamberlain, given that your employee is suspected of being involved in organized crime, we cannot rule out the possibility of your own involvement. We'll need you to come with us for questioning."

Standing beside the officer was one of Antoine's employees, who kept his head down, refusing to meet Antoine's gaze.

A tax bureau official added, "Your finance team has admitted that you instructed them to falsify records for tax evasion. We'll also need you to clarify this matter."

Two members of the finance department stood behind them, equally unwilling to look up.

Antoine's voice was steady but firm. "I will cooperate fully with your investigation, but I will not admit to things I haven't done. I trust you won't rely solely on one-sided accusations and will ensure justice is served."

The officer said nothing, simply locking the company's main doors and posting a "Temporarily Sealed" notice. Employees were dismissed and sent home.

Antoine was then taken away by the officers from the Organized Crime Department, with the tax bureau following closely.

Once inside the car, Antoine closed his eyes. The situation was dire. He knew that the employee, as well as the finance staff, had been bribed by Curtis and his people. They were now the "witnesses", ready to testify against him. With fabricated testimonies in place, fabricated evidence would be easy to produce.

This time, survival seemed unlikely.

...

Meanwhile, as Deven drove the car, Wolf suddenly spoke up just a few miles away from the abandoned warehouse. "Stop the car here."

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