Ollie glanced at the clock on his phone. It was almost past office hours, and the woman he was targeting hadn't appeared yet. His vigilant eyes noticed a decreasing number of office employees around, raising suspicions.
Something seemed off; I need to make sure. Ollie stepped out of his car and hurried inside. Upon entering, he saw a few employees arriving in the lobby, heading towards the entrance he came through.
As his eyes scanned the surroundings, Ollie noticed an unusual sight. A female employee was walking in a different direction from the others. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Serena—the person he had been waiting for. Damn! It seems she's caught on that I've been following her. If Mrs. Bellatrix finds out, it'll be a big problem. I need to follow her immediately!
Ollie quickened his pace, trailing Serena as she walked towards the elevator while engaged in a phone conversation. Ollie had thought that Serena was going back upstairs, but as soon as he saw her turn through the elevator, Ollie became even more suspicious.
Serena stood in front of the door leading to the emergency stairwell, not far from the elevator. Upon reaching it, she swiftly pushed the door open and stepped inside. From her current position, Serena could see the exit door on the other side. She approached it, ready to leave.
As expected, she must have realized I've been watching her. Ollie hurriedly stopped Serena by gripping her wrist, halting her steps. She spontaneously halted as Ollie held her wrist firmly. Serena turning around, faced Ollie, who stood there smiling at her. "I caught you!"
"Y-you—" Serena's words were cut short, overwhelmed by the surprise of seeing the man before her. Though unfamiliar, from the look in his eyes, Serena quickly deduced that the man standing in front of her was the one Bellatrix had assigned to follow her.
Panic immediately engulfed Serena as she felt Ollie's grip on her. She resisted, attempting to free herself, but her efforts proved futile as Ollie held onto her tightly.
"Now, you have to come with me!"
"No! Argghh!" Serena screamed. Ollie dragged Serena roughly, trying to take her away. Panicking, Serena continued to struggle and scream. "Let me go!"
Serena occasionally used her free hand to strike at Ollie, attempting to pry herself away from him.
On the other side, Hugh, hearing Serena's screams through the phone, became anxious. He repeatedly tried to talk to Serena, asking what happened. "Serena? What's going on? Why are you screaming?"
Unfortunately, Serena didn't respond to any of Hugh's shouts, escalating his panic. He immediately shifted his attention to the door not far from where he was. For some reason, Hugh felt uneasy. He was sure something happened to Serena because she had just screamed.
Hugh quickly ended the call with Serena. His focus turned to Shawn, who was sitting in the back seat. "Sweetheart, I will be right back. Can you wait here alone?"
"Where is Daddy going?"
"There's something I need to make sure of. Is it okay if I leave you alone for a bit? I'll be back soon."
"Okay, I'll wait here." Shawn nodded. Hugh smiled, gently patting Shawn's head. "Smart kid. If something happens, you know what to do, right?"
"Of course. I just need to press the button on the necklace daddy gave me, right?" Shawn pointed to the necklace hanging around his neck. The necklace was a gift from Hugh on Shawn's fourth birthday. When Shawn was about to enter kindergarten, Hugh gave him the necklace with the intention that he could always monitor Shawn even when they weren't together. Hugh told Shawn that the necklace contained a magical power that could connect them, no matter how far apart. Therefore, Hugh instructed him that if something unwanted happened, Shawn should press the button on his necklace, and Hugh would come to save him immediately.
Once finished talking to Shawn, Hugh swiftly stepped out of the car, leaving Shawn alone inside. Hugh hurriedly pushed the nearby door and entered the building. Hugh's face immediately changed upon seeing Serena being dragged by a stranger.
"Serena!"
Serena and Ollie's attention shifted toward the approaching voice. Upon seeing Hugh standing there, Serena immediately screamed for help. She continued to struggle, attempting to free herself from Ollie's grip. "Hugh! Help me!"
Hugh ran towards Serena, pulling her in one swift motion that instantly freed her from Ollie's grasp. Serena fell into Hugh's arms, crying as she hugged him. Her body trembled intensely, truly panicking about what had just happened.
"Are you okay?" Hugh cupped Serena's face, looking at her with concern.
"I-I'm scared..." Serena mumbled softly.
"There's nothing to fear anymore. I'm here. Now you're safe." Hugh reassured her, holding Serena tightly, hoping it would bring her some comfort.
"TSK! DAMN. WHO ARE YOU? HOW DARE YOU INTERFERE?!" Ollie glared at Hugh angrily.
"You dared to touch my wife and even tried to kidnap her! You've really picked a fight with the wrong person!" Hugh broke free from his embrace with Serena, pulling her behind him. He moved swiftly toward Ollie and, without hesitation, unleashed a series of punches at his face. Ollie, completely unprepared to face him, was overwhelmed as Hugh continued to strike him.
Ollie attempted to shield himself with his hands, but Hugh relentlessly kept punching him until he tumbled to the floor.
Thud!
Hugh squatted near Ollie, then roughly grabbed the collar of his shirt. He stared at Ollie with a sharp gaze. "Tell me, who sent you to kidnap my wife?"
"Do you think I'll spill everything easily? I won't tell you—"
Thwack!
Hugh landed another punch on Ollie's face, leaving it bruised. "Tell me, or I'll finish you right now!"
"Hugh!" Serena ran toward him, quickly intervening to prevent Hugh from continuing the assault. Serena didn't want Hugh to keep hitting Ollie, as it could lead to bigger problems. Moreover, they were still in the office, and if their clients found out, it might jeopardize Serena's trustworthiness in helping develop their business.
"Hugh, stop. Don't hit him anymore," Serena urged, pulling Hugh away. He reluctantly stepped back from Ollie, who was now defenseless.
"Why did you stop me?"
"I don't want you to get into more trouble. If you hurt him, it could lead to bigger problems, and I don't want that to happen. Besides, we're still in the office. Please don't make me lose the trust of my clients."
Hugh fell silent, gazing at Serena, who looked at him with hope. He was particularly vulnerable when Serena pleaded with him so gently. Hugh took a slow breath, trying to calm his emotions a bit. "You're right. I apologize for letting my emotions get the best of me. I was just upset because he tried to kidnap you."
"I'm all right, and it's all thanks to you. We better get going now," Serena said, pulling Hugh's hand and leading him away. Before completely leaving, Hugh took a moment to glare at Ollie. He observed him intensely, and the man appeared utterly helpless, sprawled on the floor while trying to catch his breath. Pain radiated from various parts of his body, recently battered by Hugh.
"Darn it!" Ollie cursed, gritting his teeth in pain. He truly didn't expect this to happen to him.
Meanwhile, as soon as Hugh and Serena made it outside, Hugh promptly guided Serena into the car. Inside, Shawn had been patiently waiting for them. "Mommy!" Shawn's face lit up as Serena and Hugh entered and took their seats in the front. Serena simply smiled and greeted him briefly. Shortly after, Serena shifted her attention to her husband, who was now starting the car and driving away.
From his expression, Serena could still sense that Hugh was upset about what had just happened. Nevertheless, Hugh was trying to contain it all for Serena.
Serena reached out, holding Hugh's hand. "Thank you for always coming at the right time." She smiled at him, melting Hugh, and his facial expression gradually became calmer than before.
Once they were truly gone, Ollie could only mutter curses as he staggered out of the building. He approached his car and slumped into the seat, his body battered. "ARRGGHH!" Ollie growled in frustration, pounding the steering wheel in front of him. This time, he had truly failed in carrying out his task.
"Darn it! Who was that guy? How did he suddenly appear?" Ollie tried to control his emotions, attempting to calm himself. "Judging from what happened, that woman seems to know him well. Moreover, it seems like she's not an ordinary person. From his body aura, appearance, and even the way he fights, I'm sure he's not someone I can underestimate. Could that guy be her bodyguard? No, wait, he said that Serena is his wife. Doesn't that mean the man with her is her husband? I need to report all of this to Mrs. Bellatrix!" Ollie shifted his focus, taking out his phone and immediately contacting Bellatrix to provide the information he had just acquired.
"How did it go? Did you manage to complete the task I assigned to you?" Bellatrix inquired as soon as their call connected.
***