Chapter 228 Finding Isabella
"This is just too weird," Joshua muttered, starting to think someone was deliberately covering their tracks. It felt like an invisible force was keeping them from finding the truth, with all the clues cleverly hidden.
As night fell, the lights outside the Russell Villa were dim. George and Joshua were still busy trying to figure out where Lucas and Isabella were. Just as George anxiously awaited a phone call, there was a rapid knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Joshua asked cautiously.
"Joshua, it's me, Lucas!" a faint, urgent voice called out from outside. Joshua's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly opened the door.
Lucas stood there, disheveled and covered in dirt, with scratches on his face. He looked utterly distressed, his eyes filled with fear and urgency, like he'd just been through a nightmare.
"Lucas, what happened to you?" Joshua asked, shocked, pulling him inside and shutting the door, worried about any danger outside.
"Quick, Joshua, we need to save Isabella!" Lucas's voice was urgent, almost shouting with all his strength. Tears glistened in his eyes, showing his desperation.
"What did you say? You know where Isabella is?" George's heart tightened as he quickly asked.
"I know where she is!" Lucas panted. "We need to go now! If we're too late, Isabella will be in danger!"
At that moment, Anna snapped out of her shock, her mind reeling with disbelief that Lucas had actually returned.
She had hoped Lucas would die out there, but she couldn't show this in front of others.
"Lucas..." Anna forced a smile, stepping forward to embrace him, her voice trembling slightly. "You're finally back. I was so worried about you."
Lucas instinctively stepped back, fear evident on his face.
He desperately wanted to keep his distance, his heart filled with dread towards Anna. Despite her current gentle demeanor, he couldn't forget the terrifying experiences from before.
"Mom, I..." Lucas stammered.
Anna tried to stay calm, though her mind was in turmoil. She struggled to keep her voice soft, trying to hide her true feelings. "Lucas, don't be afraid. Did Isabella hurt you? Are you injured? Just tell me what happened, and I'll make sure she pays for it."
"No..." Lucas was overwhelmed by Anna's barrage of questions and didn't know how to respond.
Anna, fearing he might say too much, quickly interrupted him.
"I know you've been through a lot of danger. Isabella kidnapped you and tried to kill you. You worked so hard to escape, right?"
Lucas hesitated, "No..."
"I saw it all! When Isabella took you away, I tried to stop her and got hurt in the process!" Anna gripped on Lucas's arm, her nails digging into his flesh. He winced in pain, trying to pull away, but her hold was too strong.
"Anna! Let go!" George shouted sternly.
"I won't!" Anna didn't even glance at George, her eyes fixed on Lucas with a fierce intensity. "Lucas, I'm your mother. Tell me, am I right?"
"No!" Lucas finally found the courage to shout back at Anna.
"It was you who had me kidnapped! I... I don't want to be near you." Lucas finally voiced his true feelings.
"Is that so? Lucas, don't talk nonsense!" Anna kept her smile, but inside she was boiling with anger. She knew Lucas was scared of her, but she couldn't show her true feelings in front of George, so she continued to fake concern.
"Enough, Anna!" George pulled Lucas's arm free from Anna's grip. He lifted Lucas's sleeve to reveal red marks on his delicate skin. "You're hurting him!"
"Lucas, tell George you're not in pain." Anna's eyes glinted with a strange light, scaring Lucas into hiding behind George.
"Dad, I'm scared..." Lucas began to sob, recalling the days Anna had locked him in the storage room. He was truly terrified of Anna.
At that moment, George reached out and gently embraced Lucas, offering him a warm hug. "Don't worry, Lucas. I'll protect you."
Lucas felt the warmth and strength of George's embrace, and a sense of comfort and safety washed over him. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment of peace, as if all his fears had dissipated.
"Thank you, Dad," Lucas whispered, filled with gratitude and reliance.
For the first time, he felt his father's presence. He realized that George would be his safe haven, providing a sense of calm amidst the storm.
He wasn't a pitiful child with no one to care for him. He had his dad.
"Lucas, let's go," George whispered to Lucas.
Lucas nodded, knowing they had to act quickly to save Isabella.
On the way, Lucas stumbled through his story.
He had been captured by bad people and locked in a dark place. They didn't hurt him, just kept him confined and gave him something to drink.
Lucas felt dizzy and then fell asleep. He didn't know how long he had slept, but he was awakened by voices. He heard the kidnappers saying they were waiting for Isabella to come and kill him herself.
That way, Isabella would become the enemy of the entire Russell family.
The kidnappers hadn't expected Lucas to wake up so soon, so they spoke loudly without trying to avoid him. Lucas heard their entire plan.
After some time, they actually brought Isabella in. Lucas was terrified and pretended to be asleep.
He also overheard Isabella's conversation with the kidnappers and learned that Anna had orchestrated the kidnapping to kill him and frame Isabella.
The kidnappers then locked Lucas and Isabella together, demanding that Isabella kill him, or they wouldn't let her go.
"Isabella cared about me and refused to kill me, so the kidnappers decided to kill her instead," Lucas's voice trembled as he recalled the recent events, filled with fear.
"And then?" George asked urgently.
"At the critical moment, a man appeared and saved me," Lucas said, his voice filled with gratitude and fear. "But he was alone and couldn't fight off the kidnappers. He could only take me away first. Isabella stayed behind to hold them off so I could escape safely."
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