Chapter 550 Drank Poisoned Wine
"Ethan! Help me!" Ashley screamed, struggling against her restraints. The metal chains binding her to the bed held firm despite her desperate efforts.
"Shut up! Don't call out!" Andrei snarled as the sound of footsteps grew louder outside.
"The building is surrounded. Everyone inside, come out now!" a voice commanded from beyond the walls.
"Search every room, every corner!" Another voice directed as the search party moved closer.
Ashley seized her opportunity. "You should release me now. The Prince might spare your life if you surrender. Otherwise, you're looking at a death sentence."
Andrei's face darkened. "I don't believe you."
A knock thundered at the door, followed by Ethan's unmistakable voice, "Everyone out! Do you recognize this person?"
Ethan! The sound of his voice filled Ashley with renewed hope.
"Ethan, I'm in here!"
"Silence!" Andrei clamped his hand over her mouth, but Ashley bit down hard on his palm, causing him to grunt in pain.
"This is the police. Open up immediately!" The pounding on the door intensified.
Ashley's eyes brightened with hope, while Andrei's face contorted with panic. When she attempted to call out again, he quickly retrieved a small black pill from his pocket and forced it into her mouth. Caught off guard, Ashley swallowed it involuntarily.
She tried desperately to expel the pill, but it was too late. When she opened her mouth to scream, only a hollow sound escaped her lips. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't form words.
Ashley clutched her throat in horror.
"I warned you to stay quiet," Andrei whispered. "Don't worry—it's just my master's 'dumb pill.' Your voice will return eventually."
Relief washed over her knowing the effect was temporary, but frustration quickly followed. Ethan was just outside—she could hear his voice, his footsteps—yet she couldn't call to him.
"Pearl, I've always enjoyed defying expectations," Andrei sneered. "You say Totti will kill me? Then I'll rise to his challenge!"
He hastily threw a blanket over Ashley's bound form.
"Open up now, or we're breaking down the door!" The police warning grew more urgent.
Andrei peered through a hidden gap in the wall, watching police officers searching the basement level of the tenement building. Noticing they carried his picture, he quickly applied another of his facial prosthetics, completely transforming his appearance.
The pounding on the door continued as Ashley's heart raced. She watched Andrei changing his face, praying the door would give way before he finished.
Suddenly, the door splintered open!
But Andrei had completed his disguise and collapsed into a chair, pretending to be unconscious. He'd covered his tools with a tablecloth just in time.
Ashley tried desperately to communicate as officers burst into the room.
"Someone's here!" An officer approached the bed but recoiled at the stench Andrei had somehow created in the room. The officer saw what appeared to be an elderly woman in her eighties.
Another officer shook Andrei. "Hey, wake up."
Andrei feigned confusion. "Who are you?"
The officer showed him photos—Andrei's real face and his disguised appearance. "Have you seen this man?"
"No, never."
After a cursory search of the cramped space, the lead officer concluded, "Nothing here. Let's check elsewhere."
Ashley silently screamed, 'Don't leave!' Her spirit plummeted as she watched them turning to go. In desperation, she yanked at her chains with all her might, creating a distinct rattling sound.
"What was that?" An officer turned back, alert.
Ashley pulled harder, making the chains clatter loudly. Though her disguised face revealed nothing, her eyes blazed with hope and silent pleading.
Andrei moved to intervene but was blocked by one officer while another approached Ashley and pulled back the blanket. The sight of the elderly woman in chains startled him.
"Why is she restrained? What have you done to her?"
"Sir, she has severe mental health issues," Andrei explained smoothly. "She's violent—those restraints keep her from hurting herself and others. Please stay back for your own safety."
'No! I'm the person you're looking for!' Ashley screamed internally, but could only produce incoherent sounds. Between her aged appearance and unintelligible noises, she appeared exactly as Andrei had described her.
Unnoticed by Andrei, one officer discretely snapped a photo of the restrained woman.
"She's not who we're looking for. Let's move on."
As the officers filed out, Ashley watched her hopes disappear with each retreating footstep.
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