Chapter 841

But that was fine. Hawthorne hadn't given her money, but James had. And since she'd taken his money, it was her job to solve his problems.

After finishing up at the office, Hawthorne remembered that Gwyneth had been discharged from the hospital and drove home.

When he arrived, however, he only found Butler Parham. Gwyneth's luggage was in her room, but she was nowhere to be seen. He stepped out of the room and asked, "Where is Ms. Everhart?"

"Ms. Everhart didn't return, sir," Butler Parham replied. "Only the young miss came by to drop off Ms. Everhart's luggage, and then she left."

The sky was already growing dark, and still, there was no sign of Gwyneth. Hawthorne tried to call her, but she had blocked his number, so the call wouldn't go through. His only option was to call Leonie.

Leonie answered the moment she saw her uncle's name on the screen.

"Is your aunt with you? She was discharged today. She's pregnant; you really shouldn't be dragging her all over the place."

With Gwyneth out of his sight, a knot of anxiety tightened in Hawthorne's chest. People always said women get insecure in relationships, but now it was Hawthorne's turn to feel that gnawing fear. He was terrified he'd open his eyes one day and she'd simply be gone.

"Auntie isn't back yet? I wanted to come home with her today, but she said she wanted to go shopping and told me not to follow. We left the hospital at three this afternoon, and it's already six. Has she been shopping for three hours? Why don't you call her?"

Leonie unleashed a rapid-fire barrage of questions that made Hawthorne's ears ring.

"Your aunt blocked my number."

If Gwyneth would answer his calls, he wouldn't need to go through her. Leonie's voice abruptly cut off.

"Okay, I'll call Auntie right now. Hold on. If she tells me where she is, I'll let you know."

Leonie quickly hung up on Hawthorne and dialed Gwyneth. The phone rang and rang with no answer. Patti Yale glanced at the screen, saw Leonie's name, and with a cold smile, turned the phone off.

When Leonie discovered Gwyneth's phone was off, she immediately sensed

something was wrong. Gwyneth would never hang up on her, let alone turn off her phone.

Meanwhile, Patti Yale knew that Hawthorne must have realized Gwyneth was missing. It was time for a showdown. There was no need to let Leonie be the one to tell Hawthorne that Gwyneth might be in trouble.

Now that Gwyneth was in her hands, she could do whatever she wanted. Better to act now before they called the police and created more complications. So, Patti Yale picked up the phone and called Hawthorne.

Just as Hawthorne's frustration was peaking, he saw Patti Yale's name flash on his screen. He couldn't imagine why this woman would be calling him now and ignored

it.

The ringing finally stopped, but a moment later, a text message arrived.

Hawthorne opened it to see a photo of Gwyneth, her hands and feet bound, lying unconscious on a sofa. Fury instantly ignited within him.

"Patti Yale, don't you dare do anything reckless."

After sending the message, Hawthorne immediately called her back. Patti Yale didn't play hard to get. She swiped to answer, her laughter a cascade of giddy delight on the other end.

"Mr. Everhart must be quite busy. You didn't answer my call just now; I was afraid you wouldn't even reply to my message. How honored I am to hear your voice again."

"Patti Yale, don't hurt my wife. Tell me what you want. Whatever I can do, I'll do it."

"Tsk, tsk," Patti Yale clicked her tongue. "I asked you for money before, but you men are such hrewd calculators. Five million? Hawthorne, were you trying to send me away like a beggar? Afte everything I did for you, did you ever once consider my feelings?"

"Fine. You want money, I'll give it to you right now. But let her go. My wife is carrying our two children. If anything happens to them, you won't be able to leave Greenvale alive."

Patti Yale's laughter grew even louder.

"Hawthorne, listen to yourself. So

what if your wife is carrying two children? You cherish her so much your children are important, but mine wasn't? Even if it was James's

child may belly, it was still a life! in

How could you just leave me alone in the hospital and walk away? Have you forgotten how you acted when you needed to use me?"