Mitchel’s gaze remained frigid. “You returned to your room ahead of everyone else, and your room isn’t in this direction. Why were you passing by here?”
“I was just taking a stroll after eating,” Jolie mumbled, her gaze fixed firmly on the floor from a guilty conscience.
At that moment, Shawn and the others who had been waiting on the island arrived, alerted by Holden’s urgent message.
Holden wasted no time in organizing a search and rescue operation using the Fredrick Group’s resources. He swiftly mobilized teams to scour the area.
The sight of so many individuals dressed in black left Jolie feeling overwhelmed with dread, fearing that they would blame her for this matter.
At that moment, one of the men in black approached Holden respectfully, and Jolie heard him say to Holden, “Mr. Fredrick, our fastest yacht will take half an hour to arrive.”
“Mr. Fredrick?”
The realization hit Jolie like a bolt of lightning.
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Her gaze darted towards Holden, his presence now shrouded in a newfound significance. Holden was surnamed Frederick and exuded an aura of grandeur. The assistant next to him also didn’t appear ordinary. Holden must be none other than the CEO of the Fredrick Group!
Dumbfounded, Jolie’s legs buckled beneath her, sending her flopping to the floor in a state of pure fear.
With a composed demeanor, Holden took charge of the search and rescue efforts, efficiently delegating tasks. Then, his gaze turned cold as he approached Jolie, who now knelt before him in stunned silence.
“I’ll give you one last chance. What have you seen?” he asked.
As Holden spoke, his towering figure slowly squatted to Jolie’s level, casting a shadow that loomed over her Like an imposing mountain. Fear froze Jolie, making her unable to meet his gaze.
Holden’s voice dripped with a chilling menace. “If you refuse to speak the truth, I will throw you into the depths of the ocean, and I promise you, no one will ever know.”
Jolie was terrified beyond measure. With tears welling in her eyes, she spoke in a quivering voice. “When I returned earlier, I saw the cameraman from the show’s crew entering her room. I suspected they were involved in something illicit, so I waited outside the whole time. But neither of them came out. I swear, that’s all I saw. Please, Mr. Fredrick, forgive me. I had no hand in her disappearance. I wouldn’t dare do such a thing.”
A crease formed on Holden’s forehead. As he caught sight of Jolie’s frightened look, he realized she was incapable of doing such a thing.
He gave a subtle signal to his crew, signaling them to keep an eye on Jolie.
Without delay, he tasked Shawn with a sweep of the ship’s occupants.
In no time, Shawn came back with news about a cameraman from the TV crew who had taken a leave. Rushed and short-staffed, the team had quickly filled the vacancy with little vetting.
While combing through the vessel for the stand-in cameraman, the crisp hum of an engine cut through the silence of the sea.
Their backup was too far out to arrive this swiftly, tipping them off that these were not allies.
Without wasting a beat, Holden and Mitchel leapt into action, bolting toward the deck. There, they spotted a figure clad in black, masked and hatted, slipping into the lifeboat. Beside the mysterious figure was a dark bag, ominously shaped as though it harbored a captive.
Holden’s usually calm demeanor shattered as he sprinted to the helm, seizing control of the yacht to chase down the escaping lifeboat.
The yacht, more accustomed to leisurely cruises than high-speed chases, lagged behind the swift lifeboat. With each moment, the distance between them grew, and Holden’s anxiety spiked. He knew that if things didn’t change, the lifeboat would vanish from view.