Chapter 487 Probing Eleanor
"He's gone after his Ishara, risking everything."
Winnie's cold laugh mixed with tears as she met Jeremy's eyes.
Jeremy approached to comfort her. "Don't get mad now! He just had surgery and can't afford to be reckless. Let's go find him!"
Winnie removed the IV needle from the back of her hand, blood dripping down. Her face was a mask of icy composure. "If he doesn't care about his life, I sure as hell don’t."
With that, she left the hospital room, returning with resolve to her own room next door.
Jeremy's forehead creased with exasperation. Mr. Lawrence had brought everything back to square one!
Frustrated, he bounded out of the room, chasing down the hall and calling out, "Mr. Lawrence!"
His anxious voice echoed in Winnie's ears as she stood by her hospital bed, numbed for a long while before lying down, fists clenched tight, unwilling to think about his fate anymore.
Her face was too pale, and Melanie, concerned, went to look for a doctor.
Sidney was napping on the couch, oblivious to the unfolding drama.
The doctor came and reinserted the IV for Winnie. About half an hour later, Carlos rushed into the hospital.
He was pale as he burst out, "Winnie! You've been through such a terrible ordeal; you nearly lost your life! Why didn't you tell me?"
"Dad, I didn’t have a chance to..." Winnie immediately sat up, shifting her gaze towards Melanie.
Melanie looked guilty and stuck out her tongue sheepishly.
Carlos was a mix of angry and concerned, "Don't blame Melanie! You had that car crash—it made the news. If I hadn’t wondered why you didn't show up for work, and called Melanie to check in, I would still be in the dark!"
"I'm sorry, Dad."
Carlos pursed his lips, scrutinizing her carefully, then attentively read through the medical report at the foot of the bed.
His eyes grew cold with seriousness. "Poisoned?"
"Some thug forced drugs on me." Winnie answered, eyes downcast and flickering.
Carlos clenched his fists, pacing back and forth, rage boiling within him. "On my way here, I called the traffic police department. Your car was pulled out of the water, and after the inspection, it turns out the brakes had been tampered with! That’s what caused the accident!"
"Who in the world is trying to hurt you? The car accident wasn't enough, so they kidnapped you to inflict more harm? My daughter is not someone to be trifled with, and I will ensure that whoever is responsible pays for this!"
Winnie calmed herself, only now having the chance to reflect on the accident and the abduction.
She looked up and shook her head. "Dad, I don't think the car accident and the kidnapping are connected."
Carlos's expression changed. "What?!"
"I agree, they're not connected." At that moment, Jeremy appeared at the door.
He had returned, and Winnie couldn't help but glance at him sharply.
He was without Lawrence R. Had he not found him?
Winnie felt a lump in her throat, but she wouldn't allow herself to ask.
Jeremy's gaze swept over Winnie, his expression somber.
He had caught up with Mr. Lawrence at the hospital's ambulance bay, but he couldn’t stop him from going to Lymington.
The man who could die at any moment resolutely refused his company, as if afraid that Jeremy's presence in Lymington would uncover certain secrets.
Jeremy was certain that this involved Madam Rodriguez and Ishara.
Lawrence R. had instructed him to stay behind to protect Winnie and somehow investigate the accident.
He was still very concerned about Winnie.
Jeremy sighed internally, stepping inside to say, "Whoever messed with the brake system wanted Winnie's death to look like an accident, to avoid getting implicated, but those who kidnapped Winnie had a different way of operating."
Winnie nodded in agreement, recalling that night. "My car had no issues before I drove to the bar, so I suspect it was tampered with in the bar’s parking lot. Checking the surveillance footage might provide some leads."
Melanie testified, "Yeah, I tagged along with Winnie and she drove us to the bar, and I didn't notice anything off."
Jeremy frowned, "That night, Mr. Lawson and I had the traffic police check the surveillance footage from before the accident, but it turned out the cameras in the bar's parking lot were busted."
At this, Winnie's eyes narrowed, "That's too convenient. It suggests that the person who tried to harm me first was tipped off about your investigation and destroyed the surveillance evidence immediately."
"Wait, the person who tried to harm you the first time, are they the ones who messed with your brakes?" Carlos asked with a knitted brow.
"Yes, Dad. Why do I get the feeling it was two different groups though? You see, my car was stuck on the overpass, and I was at a standstill for 20 minutes, waiting for Mr. DeRoss and the police to come rescue me. During those 20 minutes, I was fine, just afraid to get out of the car. But after 20 minutes, suddenly someone tried to push my car off, aiming to knock me into the river below! That had to be a second group, seizing the opportunity to harm me. Then, I figured out a way—to jump out of the car and engage with them, foiling their original plan."
Jeremy said, "So, you mean they kidnapped you as a last resort?"
"Exactly, staying in my car on the overpass, they would have just had me pushed into the river, so I left them no choice but to kidnap me instead. But later, I could tell they had changed their minds. They first intended to kill me, but then they drugged me, wanting to torture me completely. It had to be their employer's decision—those thugs even told me that their boss wanted me to suffer a painful demise."
Carlos's expression turned icy, "They had the audacity to do this to my daughter?! Two groups? Winnie, you've just arrived in Trenton City—have you crossed anyone?"
She was a newcomer, indeed. If anyone were to bear a grudge against her, the first name to cross Winnie's mind would be the Blanchet mother and daughter. And then there was... Hellen! She held a shocking secret about her. But Hellen bore no malice towards her, making it unlikely she would purposefully seek to torment her. Could Helen have something to do with the car accident? And the kidnappers who came after...
A chill ran through Winnie at the thought, and her gaze turned icy when she looked up at Carlos, "Dad, let's set aside who tampered with my car for now—we can keep digging into that. But the mastermind behind my kidnapping, someone who wanted me dead and was intent on torturing me, must deeply despise me. That has to be someone close, who do you think it could be?"
"Someone close to you?" Carlos wasn't naive. His gaze turned frosty at the thought of Eleanor, who had been targeting Winnie frequently as of late. His face hardened, and his hands clenched into fists.
Winnie saw Carlos wavering, a mixture of disbelief and indecision in his gaze. After all, he had been married to Eleanor for over two decades, and it was hard for him to accept that his wife could be so malicious, let alone suspect that Ishara was pulling the strings behind her mother.
It was only Ishara who harbored enough hatred to torture Winnie so mercilessly.
Winnie resolved that she had to expose the mother and daughter's conspiracy.
She confessed, "Dad, I really haven't wronged anyone. I don't want to suspect Eleanor either, but involving the police in the kidnapping will just tip off the real criminals. We should try a different tactic. When you go back, just mention that I've identified the faces of the three thugs and that the police have sketches to apprehend them. The person behind the kidnappers will panic, trying to silence them. Their slip-up will reveal everything. Just keep an eye on Eleanor's financial transactions to see if she's connected. If she's innocent, I'll apologize to her. However, if she's involved and manages to get away with it, next time I might not be so lucky."
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