Chapter 1143

Chapter 1142:
Just as Elliana had predicted, it wasn’t long before her phone pinged with a message from Carlos: “Three hours have passed. I assume you’ve confirmed the blood belongs to your mother?”
Elliana’s eyes narrowed as she read. She’d never thought Carlos could be involved. He hadn’t reached out once during her pregnancy. Now he contacted her with her mother’s blood—what was his angle?
A second message arrived. “I’m sorry to disturb you so close to your delivery. It’d be a shame if stress caused complications for the babies. But you failed to deliver the Medical Codex as promised. You left me no choice.” ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ.net
Elliana’s reply was sharp. “Cut to it. I don’t play games.”
Carlos sent another message. “If a vial isn’t enough, maybe this will.” A video followed.
Elliana tapped it open. Milton leaned in, eyes fixed on the screen.
The footage flickered on. Rita filled the frame. A timestamp showed it was recorded ten years ago. She was young and still had her beauty, but she looked frail. Her clothes were dark with blood, her hair tangled. The wind made her sway.
She stood on a huge rock at the cliff’s edge. The sea screamed below. Her eyes were on someone off-camera—sorrow and stubbornness warring on her face. She stepped back until her heels hung over the void. There was no way out.
A cold dread squeezed Elliana and Milton. They had not expected their first sight of their mother in years to be her so cornered and defeated.
The video kept playing.
A rough voice barked from off-screen. “Stop running! This ends now. Make it easy and come with us quietly, or we’ll make it much worse.”
Rita wiped blood from her mouth and let out a bitter laugh. She wouldn’t give in. “Dream on! You won’t even get my body.”
Then she turned and stepped off the cliff.
Elliana and Milton sprang up, hearts hammering for what came next. The screen went black. The clip ended right there. It was cruel and deliberate—a trick to leave them dangling in torment.
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As the shock settled, another message from Carlos popped up: “Finished the preview. Trade me the Medical Codex, and I’ll send the rest of the video and tell you where the vial came from.”
Rage flared through Elliana. “You said you had nothing to do with my mother’s disappearance. You swore you never hurt her. That was a lie!”
Carlos texted back, “I didn’t lie. I didn’t film it, and I didn’t force her off the cliff. But I know who did. I know what happened after she fell. I want a trade: that information for the Medical Codex. Give it to me, and I’ll send the rest of the video and tell you where the vial came from.”
Elliana could tell Carlos wasn’t just reaching out by chance. Either he wanted to make things difficult, or he was setting a careful trap. The timing said it all. Still, no matter how uneasy she felt, she couldn’t turn away from her mother’s situation. After a brief pause, she typed slowly, “I can give you the Medical Codex, but I’m due any moment now. I can’t come out to meet you. Can we handle this after the babies arrive?”
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