After the video was over, Chandler immediately objected and said, "Erin, I absolutely disagree with you doing that. I don't believe he will keep his word.""I don't believe him either!" Kylan objected as well.Erin said calmly, "He must have expected that I would agree. That's why he used this condition to exchange with us.""If you were to go, then there would be one more hostage," Calix said indifferently. He also did not agree for Erin to sacrifice herself.Tina frowned and asked, "Why does he want to get Erin involved? What kind of psychological game is Anderson trying to play?"Chandler's gaze was cold as he looked at the big screen. "Anderson is insane. Maybe he treats everybody who has helped Jill as his enemy.""Hmph! Maybe he wants to kill all of us," said Calix."What would Anderson do next if we do nothing?" Taylor asked.They were still seven hours away from midnight.It was actually enough time for them to save Ryder and Jill.They just had no idea what Anderson
Chandler was somewhat surprised when he asked, "Is it really such a coincidence?"Erin sighed. "Based on the information I've gathered, it's very likely!"Chandler mused, "How can we make them leave…"The couple was troubled when suddenly, outside the door, a hoarse male voice asked, "What are you two up to?"Another voice replied, "Boss, these two kids won't leave. If they discover the people in the wine cellar, it will be troublesome…""Just drive them away! Why bother darting them with tranquilizers? Now, we can only keep them in the villa!" the first man shouted.The other man suggested, "Boss, we'll carry these two back to their rooms and lock them inside. Besides, the tranquilizers will keep them asleep for ten hours. When it's daylight, we can send them away…""Alright, quickly carry them upstairs, and don't let Mr. Gates see them! He's already on his way here," said the man."Yeah, got it," replied the other.Once the people outside left, Erin breathed a sigh of relief
Anderson's methods sent chills down Erin's spine. It seemed that she had only tonight to rescue Ryder and Jill.Hiding behind the red wine racks, she remained quiet while waiting for Anderson and Julio to leave.After ten minutes without hearing any movement, she slowly emerged. Before she could approach the iron door that separated her from Ryder and the others, a gun was pressed against her back.From behind, Anderson questioned, "Who are you? How dare you eavesdrop on our conversation?""Handsome, please don't shoot! I didn't intentionally eavesdrop on your conversation… A handsome man paid me to come in and find him, but I didn't see him. I got scared and hid because there were so many strangers around.""Oh really? Who are you, and what are you doing here? Turn around!"Erin pretended to be scared and slowly turned around, smiling nervously."Handsome, do I need to explain it so clearly? You can tell from my attire…" she said, deliberately throwing a seductive look at him.
Erin spoke up, hoping to buy Chandler and the others extra time. "Anderson, going against us won't help you! Do you want all of us to suffer together?"But Anderson waved it off, saying, "I don't want trouble, but you guys are just too nosy! What Jill and I have together is none of your business."Erin smirked and shot back, "Jill is a close friend of mine, and I can't stay silent. I wouldn't meddle if you two were truly in love. I would wish you the best instead. But that's not the case."You've been bothering Jill for years. Can't you see? Jill doesn't love you at all!""Shut up!" Furious, Anderson tried to slap Erin, but she quickly dodged the blow.Standing protectively in front of Jill and Ryder, Erin wore a serious expression as she addressed Anderson. "Anderson, put a stop to this before it's too late! You'll land in prison if you go through with murder."Anderson scoffed. "You think sparing them will keep me out of prison? I've done plenty of dirty work for Clifford. How
Erin had just finished speaking when people stormed into the dungeon.Chandler appeared as his usual self, joined by Taylor, Calix, and Kylan. All four of them pointed their guns at Anderson and Julio."Everybody, calm down!" Erin stepped up to protect Anderson.Anderson was taken aback. He never expected Erin to try and make peace."Julio, put the gun down," Anderson commanded.Fearing that Chandler and the others might open fire any second, Julio hesitated for a moment before lowering his gun.To his surprise, everyone holstered their guns."I underestimated your strength. If you're here, you must have all my people, right?" Anderson commented."Anderson, our goal is to rescue, not to hurt anyone," Chandler asserted firmly, pulling Erin behind him.Kylan quickly positioned himself as a protective barrier in front of her.Anderson wasn't surprised to see Erin being shielded by two men. A smart woman like her deserved all the protection she could get.Erin gently pushed Kyla
Chandler and Erin tried to avoid the topic, but Ryder surprised everyone by bringing it up. It was obvious that Ryder didn't overhear their conversation from earlier."We're discussing Anderson's shamelessness," Erin quickly said.She was afraid Chandler might accidentally reveal something. Chandler's expression grew cold, and he quietly walked over, sat, and leaned back in his chair."Yeah, Anderson is shameless! Did he return my laptop?" Ryder asked."Yep, he did. It's in Chandler's car. You can grab it later," Erin replied."How did you guys manage to rescue us?""Stop with the questions! If you're finished, just go!" Chandler snapped impatiently.His words hung in the air, casting a chilly atmosphere over the room. Unlike his usual playful exchanges with Ryder, Chandler seemed a bit distant today.Ryder's face turned somber, and he left without saying another word. After Ryder left, Erin closed the study door and hurried over to Chandler."Chandler, why did you talk to Ryd
Jill's unexpected question caught Ryder by surprise. Even though Jill was aware of the photos, the situation felt awkward, and they both stood there, frozen.Ryder freed his arm from her grasp and said, "I'd guess Chandler and Erin probably already know about this."Jill, who was always hopeful, countered, "You're simply guessing. They might not know at all!"Ryder sneered and replied, "Maybe. I should leave now."Chandler and Erin's knowledge didn't matter to Ryder. He was determined to leave, and Jill couldn't change his mind. All she could do was watch him go.After ten minutes, Jill decided to look for Erin.Erin felt bothered by the situation. While working on the flower beds and trimming the vibrant flowers in the garden, she couldn't shake off the disturbance in her mind.Shortly after, Jill found Erin in the garden and greeted her with a smile. "Erin, you look great. Are you trying your hand at flower arranging?""Yeah, I was about to arrange a few bouquets at home. The
Ryder's disheartened appearance made Jill feel deeply saddened.Jill complained, "Why are you behaving so lifelessly now? Weren't you the one who urged me to confess just a moment ago? I've already admitted my wrongdoing, so why did you have to intervene? "You've rendered my willingness to take responsibility before Erin meaningless! Even if I hadn't confessed, both Erin and Chandler were already aware of the situation! Ryder, face the reality!"Jill felt somewhat disheartened and sat down as well.She looked up at the sky, feeling terrible about the situation, even though it had been Ryder's fault.Anderson was the reason Erin and Chandler found out about this incident. To save her and Ryder, they had become Anderson's enemies. Anderson wouldn't be so kind as to help Ryder hide the truth.His goal was achieved. Everyone was embarrassed once the situation was revealed.Ryder said, "Jill, thank you for bravely standing up to take the blame for me, but this has nothing to do wi