The Unwavering Heart That Broke (Nathalie and Lance) novel Chapter 554

Bagot was left speechless.

The opponent Lance arranged arrived shortly after. To Bagot's surprise, it was Nicol.

Bagot found him vaguely familiar and squinted. "Have I seen you somewhere before?"

Nicol flashed a wide grin. "Oh, definitely. I’m usually shadowing Ms. Nathalie."

"Then why are you taking orders from Lance?" Bagot eyed him suspiciously. "Does Nathalie even know about this?"

Nicol nodded. "I wouldn't be here if she hadn't signed off on it. Alright, enough small talk. Let’s see what you’ve got."

Bagot was stunned.

Ten minutes later.

Bagot was flat on his back, gasping for air. His face was ghastly pale, and his injured thigh trembled violently.

Nicol dialed Lance's number. "No good, Boss. The kid is nowhere near recovered. He needs at least another couple of weeks, and even then, he’ll need to polish his skills. His foundation is too weak right now. If he goes overseas like this, he’ll be taken out in seconds."

Bagot felt humiliated.

Was he really that weak?!

Nicol walked over and handed him the phone. "Lance wants a word."

Bagot reluctantly took the phone and muttered defensively, "Lance, I just want to bring her back as soon as possible."

"I know," Lance said evenly. "But in your current state, not only will you fail to bring her back, but you'll get yourself killed in the process."

Bagot lay on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling, his eyes dull with defeat. "I think about her every single day. I'm terrified she's being hurt, or bullied, I..."

"Worrying won't change anything," Lance interrupted firmly. "She’s not coming back today, and your injuries won’t magically heal tomorrow. Focus on your recovery and get your strength back. When we locate her, I will let you know."

Lance cast a quick glance at her before asking, "Where is she now? What is she doing?"

Neely chuckled darkly. "The Winter Family might keep a low profile, but that doesn't mean they’re an easy target. The second I started digging into Sylvie, they caught wind of it. They gave me a very explicit warning to back off. Do you want to know how they warned me?"

He leaned closer to the camera, flashing a cryptic, humorless smile.

Lance's expression hardened. "So that's all you got?"

Neely nodded. "Yep. That’s as far as I can go. Any deeper, and I’d be a dead man."

Lance’s face grew remarkably grim. The Winter Family was an impenetrable fortress; outsiders couldn't even peek over the walls.

Whatever Sylvie was doing behind those heavily guarded doors was a complete mystery.

Seeing their silence, Neely offered a grim suggestion. "If you ask me, the two of you should just find some remote, tiny country where no one knows you, change your names, and live out your days in hiding. Going head-to-head with The Winter Family is a guaranteed losing battle."