Chapter 1169 Austin Rescued
Lassie's brow furrowed deeply, and without a moment's hesitation, she firmly refused, "No way! I'm not letting her go. And I'm definitely not letting you two be together."
If Tina left Sunset Bay with them, it would put Violet in danger again.
If Tina hypnotized Violet again, they would lose track of her once more.
If Violet wasn't hypnotized, she could alert them when they weren't paying attention, giving them a chance to rescue her.
But if Tina were there, Violet would surely forget them again.
She couldn't let that happen.
Austin, however, sat there resolutely, bargaining with Lassie, "If you don't release Tina, I'm not leaving either!"
"You…" Lassie was so angry she almost lost her breath.
Austin didn't want to upset her, so he softened his tone, "Tina made mistakes because of me! She had a bright future ahead of her! I owe her, and I don't want her life ruined because of me."
Lassie sneered, "If you knew this would happen, why did you drag her into your mess in the first place? She could have been a renowned psychologist."
Austin gave a bitter smile. "Yeah! Why did I drag her down with me? Even I don't know! I just know she's the only person I can trust."
And it was true. Even now, Tina hadn't betrayed him. That day in the warehouse, until the very last moment when Charles's men dragged him away, Tina was still worried about him.
She had been so loyal to him, he couldn't just abandon her.
Lassie remained firm. "I can agree to let you go, but not her! As long as she's around, Violet is in danger! I won't let the same thing happen a third time."
She was referring to the times Hannah had been hypnotized and lost her memory. Once in middle school, and again during the engagement.
Austin understood what she meant. He knew if he insisted, it would backfire, so he compromised. "I won't ask for her to come with me! But you must promise to release her and not hold her responsible anymore!"
Lassie still wouldn't agree. "No, Violet's hypnosis hasn't been broken, and only Tina can do it! If we let her go, Violet's hypnosis will never be undone."
Austin's lips curled in a self-deprecating smile, "Mom, you know me! If you don't agree, I'm not leaving! This is my biggest concession! Oliver is in someone else's hands now. If you don't agree, he'll be in danger! If something happens to him, do you think Violet won't resent you?"
"You…" Lassie was furious, her molars grinding. "You're threatening me!"
Austin looked up at her, softening his tone, "Think of it as a plea!"
Lassie couldn't see any plea in his expression.
Austin continued, "Whether Violet regains her memory or not, you've already found her! It doesn't matter if she remembers or not! Besides, Tina wasn't the one who hypnotized Violet back then, and she might not be able to restore her memory completely. If you try recklessly, it's risky for both of them! So, Mom, I'm begging you, let Tina go! I can ensure Oliver's safety. As soon as he's released, you can release Tina."
Lassie's hands clenched into fists at her sides. For the first time, she truly wanted to strangle Austin. The son she had raised with such care was now threatening her.
Thinking of Oliver still in someone else's hands, she knew that if Violet were here, she would agree to Austin's terms for Oliver's safety.
Despite her reluctance, Lassie had to agree. "Fine! I promise you! Once Oliver is safely returned, I'll release Tina! That's my promise! I won't break it."
Austin didn't doubt her, smiling, "Thanks, Mom. I believe you. Since you've promised, you won't go back on your word!"
Lassie bit her lip, feeling a complex mix of emotions.
After their agreement, Lassie brought Austin out.
Standing at the prison gate, Austin shielded his eyes from the glaring sunlight, looking at the outside world. Even though it was a desolate area, it felt like a different world.
He was out.
He thought he'd never have the chance to leave the cage again.
Lassie led Austin to a black SUV.
Austin immediately saw Hannah in the back seat, her lifeless eyes suddenly filled with spirit.
At that moment, his eyes were only on Hannah, not noticing anyone else around.
It wasn't until Carter spoke that he shifted his attention from Hannah to Carter. "Austin, I can overlook your past actions, and I can forgive you for pushing me down the stairs! But remember, you must not harm Violet this time. You must protect her! If she gets hurt, our father-son relationship is over."
Austin's eyes reddened.
Thinking of what he had done to him, guilt surged in his heart, and he knelt before him, ashamed, "Dad, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I caused you pain!"
Carter didn't help him up.
He had heard too many apologies, but none had ever led to change.
He didn't want to hear any more insincere apologies.
"It's in the past. I can pretend it didn't happen! But forgiving you is impossible! However, I won't hold it against you anymore! Remember what I said, Violet is your sister. No matter what, you must protect her! I don't know who kidnapped Oliver! But if she dares to harm Violet, I'll hunt her down to the ends of the earth and tear her apart! Especially you! Remember how good Violet was to you and protect her."
Austin nodded vigorously, promising, "I will. No matter what happens, I'll protect Violet and won't let anyone hurt her."
With his promise, Carter felt somewhat relieved.
Lassie, Carter, Austin, and Hannah got into one car, while Martin and Patricia got into another.
The two cars headed to the airport.
On the way, Patricia immediately called Charles, eagerly asking, "Have you developed the tracker? They're about to leave, and we're running out of time!"
Charles asked in a deep voice, "Where are you now?"
Patricia looked out the window. "Austin has been rescued. We're on our way to the airport!"
"Okay, I got it! We'll meet at the airport!"
He hung up quickly.
Patricia was momentarily stunned.
Did Charles mean the tracker was ready? Or was he planning to intercept them at the airport?
He didn't say what the plan was now.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
