Chapter 676

"Brandon White refused the call. He only sent a message guaranteeing he wouldn't harm her."

The investigator reported in a low voice.

Liam Sullivan's knuckles rapped against the desk, his gaze dark and cold.

Brandon's sudden move was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

"Investigate all the forces he's been in contact with recently, and all his hidden assets," Liam's voice was icy. "I want to know all possible locations where he could be hiding someone within three hours."

"Yes, sir."

The office fell into silence again.

Liam leaned back in his chair, fingertips pressing against his brow.

Luna Clark had disappeared again. Vivian Bennett had been taken.

The two incidents were like vines reaching out from the shadows, quietly coiling around the same main trunk.

He had to tear through the fog.

Vivian woke up in an unfamiliar bed.

Her limbs were sore and weak, but her mind was terrifyingly clear.

The room was decorated in a European复古 style. The curtains were tightly drawn, allowing only a sliver of pale daylight to seep in.

She pushed herself up. Her feet sank into the carpet as if stepping into cotton.

She pushed the door open. The long corridor was empty and silent. At the far end, she could vaguely see the枯山水 stone garden in the courtyard.

It was too quiet.

Quiet like a meticulously crafted cage.

Barefoot, she moved along the base of the wall, her fingertips lightly tracing the texture of the wallpaper.

She wasn't trying to escape.

She was trying to memorize every turn, the width of every window.

"Don't bother."

A voice tinged with amusement came from behind a corridor pillar.

Brandon White strolled out, idly playing with a silver lighter in his hand.

"There are three layers of infrared security around this house. Even a bird flying past would trigger the alarm," he said, his lips curling. "You won't get out."

Vivian turned, her back pressing against the cool wall.

"Did you take me to use as leverage against Liam Sullivan, or to hand me over to Isabella Sullivan for her to vent her anger?"

Brandon tilted his head, studying her, then suddenly chuckled softly.

"Vivian, I'm helping you."

He took two steps closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Don't you want to know... how much you're worth as a bargaining chip in his heart?"

Vivian's pupils constricted sharply.

"You're using me as bait?"

Brandon took half a step back. The lighter clicked, a flame springing to life.

The firelight illuminated half his face. His eyes in the shadows were bottomless.

"The game has already begun."

He turned and walked deeper into the corridor, his voice drifting back.

"Enjoy it. This gamble—it's betting on your life, and also on his heart."

The sound of footsteps faded away.

Vivian slowly slid down to sit on the floor, her palms pressed against her throbbing temples.

She didn't trust Brandon White.

But this cage, for now, she couldn't break out of.