Chapter 618

When Elissa woke up again, she was surrounded by dim shadows. In the distance, light spilled faintly from a staircase with a handrail.

She was clearly in a basement.

But from that alone, she couldn't tell where she was.

Specs had a heavy hand, and the back of her neck still throbbed, but oddly enough, she wasn't tied up.

She climbed off the deep red leather sofa, rubbed her neck, and cautiously made her way toward the stairs.

All the way up the steps and out of the basement, no one stopped her.

The opulent living room was dimly lit, and there seemed to be no guards around.

Elissa clenched her fists and, without hesitating, made a mad dash for the front door.

Click-

Just as her fingers brushed the cold metal handle, the lights blazed on, illuminating the space brightly.

Startled like a frightened bird, her instinct was to tear the door open and flee.

But the heavy door was pulled open from the outside. The first thing she saw was a pair of sinister eyes.

She froze, and the man chuckled. "Why don't you take a guess, Dr. Drummond? How long will it take Mr. Murphy to find this place?"

"It's you," Elissa said steadily.

The 'Anton' Specs had mentioned on the phone was actually Finn Thornton.

It turned out that ever since she saw him at the drug launch press conference, this

man had been watching her from the shadows, waiting to strike.

But...

That seemed to fit his usual modus operandi.

She had been too careless.

At the thought, a cold shiver ran down her spine.

Finn stepped inside, smiling with an elegant, unhurried air. "Is my presence really

that forgettable? You couldn't figure out it was me all this time?"

Elissa backed away step by step. Through the slowly closing door, she caught a glimpse of a flashy McLaren supercar.

The car looked somewhat familiar.

For a moment, she couldn't recall where she had seen it.

But it certainly wasn't at the press conference.

When else had she indirectly crossed paths with Finn...

She forced down her racing thoughts, cradling her stomach as she retreated a few more steps

before asking point-blank, what

kind of deep-seated grudge do you have against Rowan?"

Ordinary business disputes wouldn't warrant such an elaborate kidnapping plot.

Finn watched her carefully protect her child. An unreadable emotion flickered in his eyes before he let out a scoff. "Do two human lives count as a deep-seated grudge?"

Elissa's heart skipped a beat.

But she knew Rowan's character. Unless someone crossed his bottom line, he wouldn't drive them to utter ruin. And if he did, he wouldn't leave loose ends.

Her intuition told her something was wrong. Either Finn was lying, or he was holding something back.

When the lights inside came on, the courtyard outside had been lit up as well. She could see several tough-looking men out there, including Specs, who had kidnapped her.

Pregnant and alone, she couldn't possibly escape by herself.

All she could do was avoid triggering Finn and stall for time until Rowan arrived.

A dull ache pulsed in Elissa's lower abdomen. Her mind was a mess as she carefully weighed her words. ".. I'm not making excuses for Rowan but I heard you went abroad twenty years ago. Logically, you shouldn't have had any dealings with him."

"Who said it was a recent grudge?"

Seeming to notice her discomfort, Finn motioned for a servant to help her sit down. Yet, his face was clouded with malice. "Haven't you ever heard that revenge is a dish best served cold? For me twenty years is just right."