Chapter 333 Cecil Took Her Away

The scream hit just as the explosion rocked the place.

In a flash, the banquet hall turned into a madhouse.

I instinctively shielded my belly. Just when I thought I was done for, I fell into a familiar, warm hug.

"Jerry," I whispered.

The stench of burning filled the air. Another blast went off, and people scattered like crazy, making things even worse.

"Oh my God, it's acid!" someone yelled, sending everyone into a full-blown panic.

People bolted, making it impossible for Jerry and me to move.

Sarah was like a wild animal, not caring about anyone. Some folks got splashed, causing even more chaos.

Seeing Sarah charging at me, Steven burst out of the crowd and tackled her, but he got burned in the process. "Hope, you okay?"

I forced myself to stay calm. "I'm fine. Get Jerry to the hospital, quick!"

Grant and Declan showed up and helped us get to the car.

After we got Jerry to the ER, I felt dizzy.

"Hope!" Elissa, who had rushed over, caught me.

I hadn't even noticed Elissa was safe. Just as I was about to check on her, she screamed, "Doctor..."

I don't remember what happened next; it was all a blur of noise and chaos.

My vision went black, and I passed out.

When I came to, I realized I wasn't in the hospital.

First thing I did was check my belly.

At three months, there wasn't a bump yet, but I could feel the baby was okay.

I sighed in relief, got up, and looked around. It seemed like a room on a cruise ship. Just as I was trying to figure it out, the door opened.

I pulled the blanket over me defensively. When I saw who it was, I was stunned. "Why is it you?"

Back at the hospital.

Jerry was out of danger, but the burns on his back were bad and would probably leave scars.

But that wasn't the biggest problem today.

"Still no sign of her?" Elissa was pacing like crazy. "I saw her go into the ER. How could she just vanish?"

Francis had people looking into it, and Steven, despite his injuries, was on it too.

If they didn't find me before Jerry woke up from the anesthesia, he would lose it.

Seeing Elissa so worked up, Francis said, "Calm down."

"How can I calm down?" Elissa's eyes were red. "You shouldn't have pulled me away. If I had saved Hope, Jerry would be fine, and he could handle everything! Hope wouldn't be missing!"

Francis's face was just as grim. "If I hadn't pulled you away, that falling chandelier would've killed you."

"Stop it, both of you," Sophia snapped. 

Her carefully chosen dress, hair, and makeup, all done up early in the morning, were now a mess. "Arguing won't change anything. We need to figure out how to break this to Jerry."

Neil draped a coat over Sophia. He had just come from Madison's ward.

Madison was okay now, just waiting to wake up.

Today's banquet was hosted by Madison, and as her brother, Neil had to deal with the fallout.

Neil said, "Call me if anything happens."

Sophia looked at Neil. "Nolan hasn't woken up yet."

Neil replied, "Today's situation is a mess. The whole banquet hall got blown up. I have to handle the aftermath. Call me when Nolan wakes up."

Dark clouds loomed, and the wind howled with rain, making the city as dark as night.

The sea wasn't spared either; the wind picked up, and the ship rocked violently.

I had been feeling nauseous lately, and after one heart-wrenching event after another, I was now hugging a trash can, feeling miserable.

Suddenly, a bottle of water appeared in front of me. I knew who it was from and didn't take it.

But the person didn't give up, unscrewing the cap and bringing it to my mouth.

I turned my head, and the ship rocked, spilling water everywhere.

"Hope," the voice was too familiar.

My stomach churned even more, and my hands trembled uncontrollably.

It was Cecil, someone I had once trusted so much.

After vomiting, I wiped my mouth with a tissue and said coldly, "Don't call me that."

Cecil sneered, "Why can Jerry call you that, but I can't?"

I knew that everything that happened today was related to him. Sarah showing up at the banquet hall was probably his doing, and Jerry's injuries were also because of him.

The past schemes and everything now made me only feel repulsion and disgust towards Cecil.

I shot back, "How can you compare to him? He would never use such dirty tactics!"

Cecil tossed the bottle of water aside, wiped his fingers with a tissue, and walked towards me.

He wasn't pretending anymore, his face devoid of the gentle smile he had when calling me, now as dark as the storm outside.

"Don't come any closer!" I grabbed something nearby and threw it at him.

Cecil easily dodged and grabbed my chin forcefully.

He leaned in, coldly saying, "I'm not as good as him?"

His eyes were filled with near-mad obsession. "Hope, my love for you is no less than his. No, I love you more than he does."

I tried to break free from his grip but didn't dare move too much because of the pregnancy. "Let go!"

But Cecil lowered his head.

Seeing him about to touch my lips, I quickly covered his mouth.

The next second, something warm and wet fell into my palm, making me nauseous again.

Cecil finally let go of me, and I hugged the trash can again.

But I had already thrown up everything I could, and now, apart from some bile, there was nothing left. My throat burned painfully.

I didn't dare drink the water here, so I had to endure it.

Jerry would definitely send people to find me once he knew I was missing. So would Neil and Madison. I shouldn't be here for too long.

Cecil eyed me. "Hope."

My mind raced, seeking a solution.

Unexpectedly, Cecil suddenly pressed his hand on my lower abdomen.

I panicked and tried to retreat, but he held me down firmly, making it impossible to move.

Cecil said, "Hope, the only reason I'm keeping this child is because the doctor said your body couldn't handle an abortion, and the medical conditions on the ship are poor, making the surgery even riskier. So, Hope, don't provoke me."

I couldn't control my trembling. My fingers dug deeply into Cecil's wrist, drawing blood.

Cecil seemed excited by this.

I realized just how insane he was.

For the sake of the child, I had to comply. "Don't hurt my baby."

Cecil withdrew his hand, disdainfully glancing at my belly. "Once we get to my place, I won't keep this child."

I panicked instantly. "No, you can't hurt my child!"

Cecil laughed, patting my face, and suddenly asked gently, "Do you want to keep this child?"

I instinctively knew he was going to threaten me, but I had no other choice. "What are your conditions?"

Cecil's eyes turned affectionate. "As long as you love me, I'll keep this child."

Jerry woke up quickly, earlier than expected, so much so that Neil hadn't finished handling things on his end.

Francis and Steven still hadn't found any trace of me.

Elissa waited outside Jerry's ward, while Sophia waited next door for Nolan to wake up. Both were on edge.

Elissa was about to go get some hot coffee to calm herself and Sophia.

Suddenly, the ward door opened.

Elissa's head turned slowly. Seeing the pale-faced Jerry, her panic grew.

Elissa stammered for a while before finally saying, "You're awake."

Though Jerry looked sickly, the coldness and pressure he exuded hadn't diminished at all. "Where's Hope?"

Elissa had to tell the truth quickly. Even if Jerry went mad, he could find Hope faster. "She went into the emergency room but never came out. We went in to look, but she wasn't there. Now we still..."

"Jerry," Elissa was interrupted by Francis, who had rushed over, barely catching his breath. "Mrs. Harris has passed away."

"What?"

"What!"

Jerry was shocked, but his nature kept his emotions in check.

Elissa, on the other hand, was so stunned she almost screamed. "Are you sure?"

Francis's face was serious. "How could I joke about something like this?"

Elissa felt unsteady. She thought, 'What a mess this is. Hope and Claire reuniting should have been a wonderful thing, but how does it end up like this?'

"Larry is dead too," Francis added.

Jerry felt both shock and sorrow, but there was something more important. "Where's Hope?"

Francis answered truthfully, "Steven is still looking. He got burned by the acid and hasn't even treated his wounds properly. He's been searching non-stop."

Jerry's hand hung by his side, and he subconsciously rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.

He had some suspicions but didn't dare confirm them.

"Jerry!" Nolan had woken up, and the first thing he did was come looking for Jerry, with Sophia bringing him over.

Sophia reminded, "You can't run. Walk slowly."

Nolan couldn't wait. He hugged Jerry's leg tightly. "It's the guy who tried to take Hope from you!"

"What?" Jerry didn't understand what he meant.

Nolan, with a serious face, said angrily, "The one who sent the dog to our house, Cecil. He took Hope!"

Francis was shocked. "You saw Cecil?"

"Yes!" Nolan nodded vigorously. "Jerry, I saw it with my own eyes!"

Sophia didn't know about this.

The explosion had come so suddenly. Nolan was playing with other kids, a bit away from Sophia. 

Even though Sophia reacted quickly, Nolan was still injured. He had gone into the emergency room right after Hope.

Sophia asked, "How did you see that? You were unconscious at the time."

Nolan replied, "In the emergency room, I woke up and saw Hope being taken away, but the doctor quickly gave me another shot."

Jerry had suspected it, but he didn't expect Cecil to still be alive. It was utterly disgusting.

Francis was the most unable to accept it. "Nolan, are you sure you didn't see wrong?"

Francis had confidently told Jerry that Cecil was definitely dead.

Nolan shook his head. "I'm sure it was him."

He remembered clearly the person who wanted to take me away!

Francis found it unbelievable. "The chemical plant was blown to pieces. How did he survive and come to take Hope?"

"Why don't you ask yourself?" Jerry's voice was light, but his face was expressionless.

This was worse than kicking Francis or cursing him; Jerry's attitude made him feel even more guilty.

Francis said, "Indeed, I was careless. I admit it."

"Is this the time to admit mistakes?" Jerry returned to the ward, and with just a few steps, cold sweat broke out, soaking his wounds and making his lips turn pale from the pain.

Francis followed behind. "I will definitely find her and bring her back to you in one piece. You can't strain yourself with these injuries. If they get infected, you might die."

Jerry didn't listen at all. He walked around the room and asked Francis, "Where's my phone?"

Knowing Jerry's stubborn nature, Francis handed him the phone.

Jerry called Steven.

Steven already felt guilty about the chemical plant explosion and had been looking for a chance to make amends. Now, things had gone from bad to worse.

Steven answered, "Jerry."

"Any leads?" Jerry asked.

Steven knew what Jerry was asking about and immediately replied, "No, the hospital's surveillance footage was deleted. I've checked the highways, airports, and train stations. Now I'm heading to the docks."

Jerry sneered and thought, 'The arrangements are meticulous. They even deleted the hospital's surveillance footage. The hospital has already replaced its staff after the incident with Claire, yet there are still loopholes. Cecil can't have done this alone.'

Jerry ordered, "Check with Sawyer and Sonny, especially the border ports."

Steven and Francis had dealt with Sawyer and Sonny abroad last time, and they didn't have the qualifications to enter the country.

Though puzzled, Steven followed Jerry's instructions.

After all, Steven was responsible for the hotel's security, but the hotel had exploded. He hadn't even detected Sarah. He was at fault.

Steven replied, "Don't worry. Even if it kills me, I'll bring Hope back to you safely."

Jerry simply said, "Cecil took her."

Steven was stunned. "What did you say?"

Jerry didn't bother repeating himself. He hung up and started contacting others.

Seeing the fine beads of cold sweat on Jerry's forehead from the pain, Francis felt uneasy. "I can't persuade you, but if Hope sees you like this, she'll be upset. If you don't want her to worry, take care of yourself first. Tell me what needs to be done, and I'll handle it."

Jerry didn't respond, busy with his calls.

Francis understood; he hadn't handled the Cecil situation well.

Jerry made many calls. At one point, he asked Elissa how long he had been asleep and when they noticed I was missing.

Elissa answered truthfully.

Hearing that I had gone to the emergency room bleeding, Jerry's eyes filled with pain. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "Is the baby still there?"

Elissa couldn't answer that.

Given the circumstances under which Cecil took me, it was uncertain if the baby could be saved.

Jerry had some guesses from Elissa's silence. He asked Nolan, "Did you see or hear anything else?"

Nolan shook his head. "I just saw him take Hope. Hope had blood on her."

Nolan started crying. "Jerry, you're so strong. Please save Hope. She was bleeding a lot, and I'm worried."

If anyone was most worried, it was Jerry.

Losing the baby would be heartbreaking, but the most important thing was my safety.

"Dad!" The room fell into a suffocating silence when Nolan suddenly called out.

Neil walked up to Jerry. "Mrs. Harris and Larry have both passed away. Hope is missing, and the Harris family has no one left. You need to decide whether to cremate them or wait for Hope to return."

Today was an extremely gloomy day, with the rain outside seemingly never-ending.

As night fell, the entire city was shrouded in damp darkness.

I didn't know everything that was happening in Maple Valley.

Without a phone or a clock in the room, and only a small window to see the dark sea, I couldn't tell the time.

It wasn't until Cecil came to bring food that I guessed it was probably evening.

Cecil asked, "Why aren't you eating?"

I didn't trust Cecil. I didn't even dare drink the water, let alone eat the food he brought.

Cecil saw through my thoughts and said, "I don't care. In the end, I can just give you a nutrient injection. I never intended to keep this child anyway."

I couldn't starve my baby, but if the food was tampered with, it would be even worse.

Caught in a dilemma, my hatred for Cecil grew.

Cecil met my hateful gaze and laughed. "Then stay hungry."

With that, Cecil left, closing the door behind him.

I leaned against the headboard, looking out the window, my hand on my lower abdomen, certain that Jerry would find me soon.

Jerry searched all of Maple Valley, checking every port and dock, especially those near the border.

But there were no results.

Ignoring advice, Jerry left the hospital and personally went to each port.

Francis couldn't persuade him, so he had Grant lead a team to follow, bringing all the necessary equipment just in case.

It had been almost five hours since I went missing. The longer it took, the greater the danger I faced.

"Steven, prepare a boat," Jerry ordered.

Steven wasn't in much better shape. The rain was relentless, and running back and forth, he couldn't avoid getting soaked. The burns stuck to his clothes. But he couldn't cry out in pain or stop to rest. "Jerry, get on the boat."

Once Jerry boarded, the rest of the team followed.

Elissa was still in her dress. It was fine on the road, but once the boat started moving, the sea breeze mixed with rain made it cold.

Francis offered her his coat, but she refused.

"Jerry," Steven walked over and handed him a phone. "It's Sonny."

A flash of murderous intent crossed Jerry's eyes as he took the call but remained silent.

Sonny, however, liked Jerry's attitude. "Jerry, as long as you come to me and become my man, I guarantee your woman will be safe."

It was indeed related to Sonny.

Jerry had suspected that Cecil couldn't have orchestrated such a complete plan alone.

He had been careless, not dealing with Sarah in time. 

He had thought that without Cecil, Sarah wouldn't have the capability to cause trouble.

Jerry's voice, mixed with the sea breeze, was icy, "Since you're in such a hurry to die, I'll be kind enough to send you off."

Sonny seemed to find this hilarious, laughing uncontrollably. "Jerry, maybe you're powerful in Maple Valley, but I'm not someone you can kill just because you want to. I'll give you ten minutes. If you keep this tough attitude, you'll never see that woman again."

Jerry hung up the phone immediately.

On the other end.

Sonny was confused and looked at Sawyer. "Didn't you say that capturing that woman would make him obedient?"

Sawyer was equally puzzled.

He knew how much Jerry cared about me and from Cecil, he had learned that I was pregnant.

Under such circumstances, how could Jerry not compromise?

Sawyer asked, "Cecil is your man?"

Sawyer had just found out that Cecil had long been in contact with Sonny.

These plans had been in motion since Cecil learned of my pregnancy.

Even luring Jerry to Sonny's territory was part of Cecil's scheme.

Previously, Sawyer had thought Cecil was exposing himself for me.

Who would have thought Cecil had a backup plan?

His cunning was on par with Jerry's. But they couldn't underestimate Jerry.

I had been taken, yet Jerry remained defiant. Something was off.

Sawyer suggested, "Why don't you have Cecil record a video and send it to Jerry?"

Sonny understood and called Cecil.

Cecil had thought I would eat for the sake of the baby, but I didn't.

He waited a long time, reheating the food repeatedly, but never heard I beg him.

As midnight approached, Cecil saw through the surveillance that I hadn't even taken a sip of water.

I had been vomiting earlier, my face pale, looking like I might pass out any second.

In the end, Cecil couldn't bear to see me suffer.

But just as he picked up the food, his phone rang.

During my pregnancy, Ellen had taken meticulous care of me, ensuring I ate three meals a day at regular times.

Now, my stomach was growling with hunger.

If this continued, the baby might be fine, but I wouldn't last.

I didn't know if Jerry had found any trace of me yet. I couldn't just wait here; I had to think of a plan.

Suddenly, the door opened from the outside.

I didn't need to look to know it was Cecil.

I didn't want to speak. If I opened my mouth, it would be to curse him, but that would only anger him. He was a complete madman.

"Hope," he called out.

I pretended not to hear, staring out the window.

Cecil grabbed my arm and pinned me to the bed.

I protected my abdomen with my other hand, trying to break free from his grip.

Seeing it was futile, I spoke, "Please, don't hurt my baby. As long as you don't harm it, I'll do whatever you say."

If force didn't work, I had to try a softer approach, stalling for as much time as possible.

Jerry must be on his way to rescue me.

"Do whatever I say?" Cecil asked.

Every hair on my body stood on end. This was beyond my control.

Cecil tightened his grip on my arm. "Hope, you're lying."

If it weren't for the baby, I would have fought back.

Even if it meant mutual destruction, no one would come out unscathed. But now, I couldn't gamble with my child's life.

I explained, "It's just an uncontrollable instinct, but I mean what I say. As long as you don't hurt my baby, I'll do whatever you want."

"Since you said so," Cecil let go of me and stood up, taking out his phone. "Then record a video with me."

I didn't understand but didn't dare let my guard down. "What kind of video?"

Cecil's smile was meaningful. "Kiss me. I'll record it and send it to Jerry."

This was something I couldn't do. But sending it to Jerry might be an opportunity.

"Okay," I agreed.

Cecil seemed surprised at how readily I agreed. "You want to send a message to Jerry in the video, don't you?"

I only asked, "Are you recording or not?"

Cecil's hand holding the phone suddenly trembled violently, as if he was extremely excited and couldn't control it.

I didn't know if Cecil truly liked me or if it was something else. But since there was a chance, I couldn't let it slip by.