Ethan Sullivan waved to his bodyguard. "Lock Nicholas Feng up. Just make sure he doesn't starve to death."

Twenty-four years ago, during that kidnapping case, the Evans siblings had been both accomplices and Sophia Laurent's saviors.

They weren't exactly good people, but neither were they irredeemably evil.

The bodyguard immediately responded, "Understood, Mr. Sullivan."

The car door opened, and Sophia and Ethan got in one after the other.

Sophia turned to him. "Nicole Zhi escaped. Why aren't you the least bit worried?"

Ethan played with her slender fingers, the corner of his lips curling slightly. "You need a long line to catch a big fish. Her escape is perfect—the mastermind behind this will surface soon."

Sophia suddenly understood.

The business world was a battlefield. The shrewdness he had honed over the years far surpassed hers as someone who spent her days dealing with antiques.

The sudden ring of a phone interrupted them.

A subordinate reported, "Mr. Sullivan, we've located Nicole Zhi's husband and son, but her daughter is missing."

Ethan's gaze darkened. "They've finally made their move. Keep watching them."

After hanging up, Sophia said softly, "We have to save her daughter. The child is innocent."

Ethan pinched her cheek. "Was that substitute dead baby not innocent? The timing was too precise. Do you really believe they weren't involved?"

Sophia fell silent.

She understood a mother's desperation.

Nicole Zhi had risked her life jumping into the river to escape—it had to be to save her daughter.

Ethan suddenly leaned in and nipped her lip. "Think I'm too cold-hearted?"

"You've always been good to me." Sophia looked at him, her eyes soft with affection.

His gaze deepened.

Without her, he might have become another Victor Sullivan.

At Sullivan Group, Sophia accompanied him as he worked overtime.

Amid the fragrant aroma of coffee, she glanced up at the man behind the desk.

His sleeves were slightly rolled up, revealing his well-defined wrists. His long fingers held a pen, making notes on documents. Thick lashes cast faint shadows over his sharp profile.

A man focused on his work possessed a deadly allure.

It was already 10 p.m. by the time they left.

The next morning, a shrill phone ring jolted Sophia awake.

"Please, save my daughter!" Nicole Zhi's voice on the other end was broken with desperation.

Sophia was instantly alert. "What happened to your daughter?"

"They've taken her! They're forcing me to kill myself!" Nicole sobbed uncontrollably. "I don't care if I die, but she's only eight!"

Sophia tightened her grip on the phone.

This was clearly an attempt to silence her.

"Sophia, please... for the sake of saving you back then..." Nicole's voice trembled. "She's such a good girl. I was forty when I finally had her..."

"I promise." Sophia's voice was resolute.

Nicole exhaled in relief. "I knew you were as kind as Evelyn..."

"Where is your daughter?"

"I don't know..." Nicole was incoherent. "They sent me photos, said they'd release her after I die... but they're so ruthless..."

Sophia's eyes turned sharp. "Who was behind what happened twenty-four years ago?"

"It was all through phone calls..." Nicole's voice shook. "They threatened my father's life... They were supposed to kill you and Evelyn, but Evelyn fell ill that night..."

"What about the baby?"

"I stole money to buy a sick infant..." Nicole wept. "I left you at the hospital entrance... All these years, I've been watching you in secret..."

Sophia's fingers turned cold.

The truth was far crueler than she'd imagined.

"Was Diana Grandelle involved?"

"I don't know..." Nicole choked back tears. "The ones who contacted me were all strange men..."

After hanging up, Sophia turned to Ethan. "Nicole Zhi is willing to testify—on the condition we save her daughter."

Ethan immediately made a call. "Tap her phone." After a pause, he dialed another number—Kyle Grant. "I need your help rescuing someone. You're the only one I trust."

Kyle responded without hesitation. "I'm on my way."