While they were on their way, Elliot and his men would continuously tune into the information and
directions given by the bodyguards who were tracking Anastasia and her kidnappers. Right now. all
Elliot could do was pray for her safe return. The thought of what those kidnappers might do to her while
she lay helpless in the car brought an ominous gleam to his eyes, and he wanted ‘nothing more than to
catch up to that van and kill those kidnappers with his bare hands.
Even though they were accelerating at full speed, he still felt like they were going too slow for comfort.
If Riley so much as touched a single hair on Anastasia’s head, he vowed that he would blast them all to
kingdom come.
Presently, Anastasia was slowly coming to her senses as she lay on the ground in an abandoned
house somewhere. A sack had been pulled over her head, and she could see nothing but darkness,
though she did pick up the sounds of footsteps and people talking around her.
She struggled to break free of her restraints as she let out muffled cries. “Mmph!”
“Stop struggling. Miss Tillman. There’s no way you’re getting out of here alive,” said a weathered male
voice.
For some reason, she found the voice extremely familiar, but she couldn’t match a face to it.
“You’re just like your mother, scrambling to die by my hands,” drawled a cold voice close to her ear.
Upon hearing this, Anastasia froze. My mother? Why did this man bring up my mother all of a sudden?
Who is he? Judging by his words, he could very well have been my mother’s killer all those years ago.
Who is he? Who the hell is he?
These thoughts clamored in her headspace, but just as panic and adrenaline filled her, the man . spoke
up once more. “Would you like to know more about your mother before you die, Miss
Tillman? She could have actually escaped death all those years ago.” There was mock sympathy in his
tone as he added, “Do you know who really killed your mother?”
Anastasia was still trembling with fear, but when she heard this, her fear was intermingled with
curiosity. She was desperate, she realized, to learn the truth of her mother’s death.
“The actual person who killed your mother is none other than Old Madam Presgrave!” the man said
insidiously, his voice loud and clear.
Although she had a sack over her head, she still struggled and moved around after hearing this,
indicating that she refused to believe him.
“Skeptical, are we? Hah! Well, let me tell you exactly what she did when she found out that her
precious grandson had been kidnapped!” The man elaborated icily and acerbically, “Old Madam
Presgrave personally called up the mayor and told him that if he did not save her grandson and left him
for dead, she would cripple the entire stock market. Given Presgrave Corporations power, she could
have easily crippled the entire nation’s economy if she wanted to. Hence, she threatened the mayor
and demanded that he bring her grandson back alive. As expected, the mayor took her threats
seriously and quickly called the police headquarters.
Not daring to dawdle on this, the station dispatched all their available uniformed officers and ordered
them to bring Elliot back alive no matter what. Your mother happened to be one of those unfortunate
souls who were sent out on the rescue mission. As far as Old Madam Presgrave was concerned, her
grandson’s life was the only one that mattered, and she couldn’t care less about what happened to
your mother.”
Shock rippled through Anastasia as she listened to the story. She could understand Harriet’s fear of
losing her grandson, but she didn’t think that the old lady had so forcefully threatened the mayor.
“As such, your mother got a call from the top brass and went on duty. She could have been spared, but
she dashed out to shield the little boy and took the stabbing in his place. She was determined to protect
him even though she had taken thirteen stabs to the back and practically bled to death. She sacrificed
herself for the little young master, all because of one phone call from the old lady.”
Anastasia felt like her heart might burst from the grief and pain. Hot tears welled up in her eyes and
spilled over. Is that truly the reason why Mom died while on duty all those years ago?
“Can you imagine how much pain and reluctance your mother must have been in during her time of
death? She was going to leave behind an adorable daughter who was barely even two years of age! I
even heard her whisper, “I’m sorry, Anya…” while her life seeped out of her!”
Anastasia shook her head furiously, not wanting to hear any more of this as torrential anguish seized
her.
“Yet, here you are now, in love with the boy who had been the reason for your mother’s death all those
years ago. Do you think your mother is going to rest in peace in the great beyond?”
The man was crouching right in front of her and rubbing a liberal amount of salt in her wounds. The fear
in Anastasia was now gone, and it was replaced by a surge of strong hatred. She knew that the man
was her mother’s killer.
Just then, he let out a bark of ominous laughter, and it was such a familiar sound that her mind felt as if
it had imploded with the recollection. The man was none other than Elliot’s uncle, Riley. It had to be
him.
He was the one who killed my mother all those years ago! The sudden realization filled her with anger
as she struggled violently. Although she knew she couldn’t do anything, her instincts were urging her to
unleash vengeance on this man.
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