Chapter 202

Officer Mathew stepped forward slowly. He bent down and picked up the two sophisticated guns with his gloved hands. The weapons were heavy, polished, and clearly not ordinary. He turned them slightly, checking the make, the trigger, and the small details on the metal body.

A small smile curved on his lips.

“Interesting,” he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else.

He straightened up and turned to face Magdalene. His eyes were sharp, cold and experienced.

“Woman,” he said firmly, “how did you get these guns?

Who gave them to you?”

Magdalene stood there, her hands shaking slightly, her face looked pale. But she refused to speak. Her lips remained tightly sealed. She stared straight ahead, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.

Officer Mathew chuckled softly.

He had seen this kind of silence many times before. He knew her type very well. People like Magdalene believed silence would protect them. They believed that if they said nothing, they could not be blamed.

The type that prefers to see their lawyer before saying a word. Very smart indeed.He did not waste time asking again because it was pointless asking.

Instead, he turned to Stone.

“I think you should come with us to the station,” Mathew said calmly. “Trust me, we witl get them talking soon enough.

Stone nodded slightly in agreement. But even as he nodded, his eyes never left Magdalene. She avoided his gaze completely, looking away as if she could escape his stare.

She had been caught.

Yet Stone still felt disbelief twisting inside him.

Who would have thought that Magdalene was not who they believed her to be?

For years, she had been loyal. For years, she had been trusted with everything-Gabriel, Isla, the house, the family secrets. Despite all his training, despite all his experience, Stone realized that he had trusted her too.

And that hurt more than he cared to admit.

Magdalene and the gardener were dragged forward by the police officers and pushed into the waiting police van.

Neither of them resisted or spoke.

Stone stood quietly at the entrance of the mansion as his men began locking the doors and securing the entireproperty.

The sound of the police sirens filled the air as the vans drove out of the compound, their red and blue lights flashing through the estate like a warning.

Stone watched until they were gone.

Only then did he turn away.

***

Far away from the Wyndham estate, somewhere on the outskirts of Carminton, close to a quiet village called Nadea, stood a high wall. Behind that wall was an old, isolated mansion.

Armed men patrolled the area constantly.

Inside the mansion, Stephen Winthrope stood in his large office.

Delphine’s grandfather.

The old man was dressed completely in black-black shirt, black trousers. A thick gold chain hung around his neck, ending in a skull-shaped pendant that rested against his chest. In his hand, he held a gun casually, as though it were part of him.

Three men stood before him, their heads bowed.

“You are the best of my men, Razor,” Stephen said coldly, his voice dripping with anger. “And yet, you failed me.”

He spat the words in an irritating manner.

“We had the perfect chance to take that man out,” he continued. “But no. You couldn’t even handle one simple job.”

The three men remained silent.

Stephen began to walk around them slowly, circling them Like a predator circling weak prey.

His intelligence sources had already told him the truth.

The only man standing between him and total control over the Wyndham family was Stone Raymond.

Stone was not just an ex-military man.

He was trained in national intelligence.

A strategist.

A man who planned ten steps ahead.

Stephen knew better than to underestimate him.

Stephen Winthrope was known publicly as a casino owner.

But rumors whispered that he was deeply connected to a powerful mafia group. He was not the leader-but he was dangerous enough.

But he wanted more.

He wanted more power, more influence and more control.

When Alfred Wyndham had once come to him, trying toprotect his family from internal threats, Stephen had seen an opportunity.

If he coutd plant his blood into the Wyndham Family, if his granddaughter could become a Wyndham.

Then he could steal everything from the inside through her.

But Alfred had refused. The old man saw right through Stephen. He knew that he was hungry for power, for his wealth.

And that was when Stone Raymond entered the picture.

From that day, the Wyndham family had been protected- until betrayal came from within.

“That man you failed to kill,” Stephen growled, “is the brain behind Wyndham security. The boss said once he was gone, my daughter’s wedding would go smoothly.”

His voice rose with fury.

“Do you know how many years I tried to get my graddaughter into that family? How many times have l failed?”

He slammed his fist against the desk.

“The two pawns I used are rotting in jail right now. And who put them there?” His eyes burned. “Stone. That ex-military dog.”The men flinched.

“You had him when he was defenseless,” Stephen screamed. “And yet you failed!”

“We underestimated him,” Razor said quietly. “We will try again.”

“No,” Stephen snapped immediately. “You will do nothing.”

He took a deep breath, calming himself.

“We have a bigger problem now,” he continued. “Lene has been caught. Others might have been caught too. I cannot reach them.”

He stepped closer to his men.

“I need you to get Lene out,” he ordered. “Do whatever it takes. She is a valuable asset.”

“Yes, sir,” the men replied in unison.

***

Back at the Wyndham mansion, Mia was restless.

She could not sit down.

Landon was missing.

Sia was missing.

Even Gladys was nowhere to be found. The house felt empty, too quiet for her liking.

Mia walked around the large sitting room, her heart pounding with fear. Even the domestic workers were gone. Stephen the butler was missing too.

She felt like she was alone in a house full of nothing.

She had called John earlier. He told her to calm down. He said everything was under control. He even promised to be with her soon.

But “soon” had turned into almost two hours.

Mia could no longer wart..

She decided she would go to the police station herself and réport her husband missing. She could not sit and do i nothing.

She grabbed her purse and car keys and walked quickly toward the front door.

Just as she reached it, the door opened, and John walked in.

Stone followed behind him. And behind them, was Landon.

Mia’s face lit up instantly when she saw her husband.

Relief rushed through her.

But that relief faded the moment she saw the deep frown on Landon’s face.

Her heart sank.”What is going on?” Mia asked, her voice shaking.