Chapter 8 Finn Macleod's Missing Journalist
It was a declaration of renunciation of inheritance.
Evelyn Ross stared at the signature line on the document, her mind conjuring the gaunt face of her grandfather in his final days—had the members of the Sinclair family fulfilled even a shred of their filial duty, the old man would never have left his entire estate to his granddaughter. And his final warning to beware of Hogan Sinclair... this nominal uncle must have done unspeakable things to him.
Lifting her lashes, she fixed the middle-aged man across from her with a frosty gaze. "I won't sign."
Hogan Sinclair's face flashed with a flash of shock and anger, but he quickly rearranged his features into a kind smile." Evelyn, suddenly inheriting such a large estate will not only attract my attention. Your second uncle and third aunt will also come after you. If you share half of it with me, I can protect you from their schemes. How does that sound?"
Evelyn let out a sardonic laugh, tapping her fingertips lightly on the tabletop." Now that I have a way to protect myself, I no longer seem to need my great uncle's ‘protection’."
Hogan's expression turned to ice, his mask of false kindness peeling away. He squinted menacingly. "Then you'll stay here and think it through. You leave when you see reason."
A week later, in the CEO's office of MacLeod's Group.
"Mr. MacLeod, Skylar Hall has been missing for a week. Even her colleagues have no leads," reported assistant David Benjamin, sweat beading on his forehead. "I've assigned more personnel to the search. We should have news soon."
Finn MacLeod nodded slightly, a cold light glinting in his deep eyes. His fingers brushed over the press card on the table, the picture of a woman with delicate features reminding him of the mysterious figure on that rainy night three years ago.
Why had she vanished suddenly? Had she recognized him and fled? Or was she being held against her will? That necklace she wore... Just thinking of it made Finn's fingers tap the desk faster. "You have two days. Find her."
"Yes, sir." David stood straighter, wiping the sweat from his brow.
On the ninth day of her hospitalization under house arrest, Clara Sinclair visited Evelyn.
"Cousin, still haven't decided?" Clara smiled sweetly, swinging her Chanel tote as she perched on the edge of the hospital bed.
Evelyn stared back with bloodshot eyes, her nails digging into her palms.
“It seems you don't think we can make you obey.” Clara clapped her hands together and three gang members with dyed blonde hair walked into the room. One of them licked his lips and grinned at his companions." Damn, she's hot. I'll go first."
Clara moved closer to Evelyn." Last chance, cousin, remember that night of pins and needles three years ago? This time it will be even more memorable."
Memories flooded back, and Evelyn lunged at Clara, only to be seized by the wrist by one of the gang members. "I'd rather die than let you succeed!" she snarled, fire blazing in her eyes.
Clara's smile disappeared. She nodded at a couple of gang members. A towel soaked in ether suddenly covered Evelyn's mouth and nose. The pungent aroma flooded her senses and she felt her world spinning as her consciousness slipped away ......
After passing out, Evelyn is quickly wheeled out of the hospital disguised as a patient. In the backseat of the car, the gang member named Bobby began to tear at her hospital gown, exposing the pale skin around her waist. The driver glanced in the rearview mirror, the knot in his throat wobbling." Smooth skin. Shouldn't we have some fun before we dispose of her?"
"Bobbi, stop!" Harry, the gang leader, snapped. His eyes fixed on the necklace around Evelyn's neck, his voice trembling with dread. "She's Mr. MacLeod's woman. You want to get us killed?"
Bobby's hand froze at Evelyn's collar, cold sweat soaking his shirt. Everyone in the underworld knew the brutal ways of Finn McCloud.
"What do we do now?" the driver asked, voice shaking.
"Mr. MacLeod is looking for her. Handing her over might earn us some favor." Harry pulled out his phone and dialed MacLeod's associate.
Meanwhile, David Benjamin is accompanying Finn to social engagements at the hotel. When his phone vibrates, he nods apologetically to his client and goes out into the hallway to pick up the call. When he arrives in the parking lot, he sees three gang members guarding the car with the door open...
In the backseat lay the female journalist Mr. MacLeod had been searching for, Skylar Hall! She wore an ill-fitting hospital gown, buttons misaligned, her pale face glowing with fragile beauty in the moonlight. If not for the meticulous facial comparison during his investigation, David would hardly have recognized her as the tanned Starburst Media reporter from before.
"What's going on?" David demanded, his gaze sharp as he scanned the men.
Harry quickly spilled Clara's entire scheme, adding hastily, "We only used a small amount of ether. She'll wake up soon." (In reality, they'd administered enough to keep Evelyn unconscious until dawn—they couldn't risk her waking during their original plan.)
David frowned in disgust, but his instincts told him with a Sinclair involved, this was more complicated than it seemed. He took down their contact information and warned, "Breathe a word of this to anyone, and you know what Mr. MacLeod does to traitors."
After settling Evelyn, David was going to report back to Finn, but instead received a call about his mother's sudden illness. He rushed her to the presidential suite, instructed the maid to change her into clean clothes (he knew Finn had a cleanliness fetish), and then texted Finn in the cab.
By the time Finn concluded the dinner, it was early morning, and the whiskey had left him pleasantly buzzed. As the elevator ascended, he remembered his phone vibrating earlier. Fishing it out, he squinted at David's text—something about his mother being ill and... "found Miss Hall"...
Ding. The elevator doors opened on the presidential suite floor. Finn staggered into the dark room, collapsing onto the bed without turning on a light. Sleep took him quickly, but in his haze, he rolled over and felt a soft, warm body beneath his arm—
A woman?！