Chapter 419 Asking for Someone

The phone buzzed. It was the research institute calling.

Quentin pressed his tongue against his cheek and picked up.

"Mr. Black, Zaire's here with the cops," the voice on the other end said.

"Got it," Quentin replied, cool as a cucumber. "I'll be there soon."

"Okay, Mr. Black."

Just as the call was about to end, Quentin added, "How's the heart transplant going?"

"Smooth sailing. No worries."

"Good." Quentin nodded.

He hung up and glanced back at the villa perched on the cliff, a cold smile playing on his lips. Then he hopped in his car and took off.

Even though Zaire had called the cops, they didn't have solid evidence or a search warrant. All they could do was follow protocol, ask some basic questions, and wait for Quentin to show up.

Hours dragged by. Marvin's anxiety grew. He turned to Zaire, "If this keeps up, things could get really bad!"

Zaire frowned. He got it, but his hands were tied. If they were in Lakina, he could pull some strings, but here in Silvercrest, he had no connections.

The delay in getting the search warrant was probably Quentin's doing.

Just as Zaire was about to talk to the officers, Quentin arrived.

"Mr. Black, these folks are from Lakina. They say you took their relative and are holding her against her will. Have you seen this woman? Do you know her name? Is she at your research institute?" the cops fired off a bunch of questions.

Zaire frowned. This line of questioning was off. Quentin wasn't dumb; he wouldn't just admit to something like that. This was serious business!

Quentin glanced at the photo in the officer's hand, then nodded. "Yeah, I know her. Her name's Isabella Miller. She's at my research institute, but you can't see her."

Zaire and Marvin exchanged surprised looks. They didn't expect Quentin to admit it so quickly, but they didn't understand what he meant by 'you can't see her.'

Zaire said sternly, "Mr. Black, holding someone against their will and threatening their safety is illegal."

Quentin looked at Zaire. "Of course I know that, Mr. Jose. I'm not clueless about the law."

Zaire said, "If you know that, you shouldn't have brought Isabella here and detained her."

Quentin raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Jose, if you say I detained Isabella, do you have any proof? You know slander is illegal too."

Zaire said, "I'm not slandering you. Marvin here is a witness. He used to work at your research institute. He saw you detain Isabella and force a physical exam on her. Do you admit to that?"

"Except for the detainment part, the rest is true. Isabella's my sister. I did the physical exam for her health. What's wrong with that?" Quentin said, sounding all righteous.

This was Zaire's first face-off with Quentin, and he realized just how sharp Quentin was. The guy was slicker than your average businessman, always calm and logical, dodging every trap like a pro. How sharp must Quentin's mind be to pull that off?

Marvin stepped up. "Do you dare let us search?"

Quentin smirked. "It's not about daring. It's about can't."

He continued, "Isabella just had surgery. She's really weak, and I don't want anyone disturbing her. Sorry, but no search. Plus, you don't have a warrant, do you?"

Zaire gritted his teeth. "What did you do to Isabella? Why the sudden surgery?"

Quentin's smile widened. "That's Isabella's private matter. Sorry, can't disclose it."

"Quentin!" Zaire lunged, grabbing Quentin by the collar. "Are you even human?"

As the tension mounted, a voice cut in, "Mr. Jose."

Zaire turned to see Esme approaching.

When Quentin saw Esme step out of the elevator, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, but he kept his face neutral.

Esme walked over and addressed the police, "I'm Isabella's biological mother. Regarding my daughter, I believe I have the right to speak. First, Isabella came to Silvercrest with us voluntarily. Second, Quentin didn't detain her; she's always been free. She's just not feeling well and doesn't want to see anyone. She just had surgery and is still resting. Please, don't disturb her."

Zaire knew Esme was Isabella's biological mother, and when Isabella reunited with her, the whole Jose family was thrilled. So, Esme's words carried more weight for him than Quentin's.

Zaire asked, "Esme, what illness did Isabella have that needed sudden surgery?"

Knowing Isabella was alive gave Zaire some relief, but he still needed answers about the surgery.

Esme's eyes flickered, and she replied vaguely, "It's not convenient for me to say. What I can tell you is she's fine now and not in any life-threatening danger."

Zaire let go of Quentin and asked, "Can I see her?"

Esme shook her head. "I already said she needs to rest. You know Seb hurt her deeply this time. She doesn't want to see anyone from Lakina right now. I hope you understand, Mr. Jose."

Zaire frowned. "Seb's situation was a misunderstanding. I can explain it to Isabella."

"You?" Esme shook her head with a smile. "If so, why didn't Seb come to explain himself? Why did he send you instead?"

Zaire pressed his lips together.

The Forbidden Encounter
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