Chapter 462


    The kitchen knife in Gabby''s hand rose and fell with relentless fury, its de sttering her face and clothes with a macabre


    painting of red. Unperturbed, she continued her onught on the lifeless body of the woman on the floor, releasing the tempest


    of rage that had been brewing within her.


    Finally, when the de of the knife curled from the violence of her strokes, Gabby shook as if waking from a nightmare. The


    once seductive figure lying motionless on the ground was now unrecognizable—a canvas of violence. Yet, fear didn’t touch


    Gabby. Instead, her eyes shone with a chilling, sinister light.


    She tossed the ruined knife onto the floor, her pale face breaking into a twisted smile. She got up, her movements ghostly, and


    drifted over to the sink. With the water running, Gabby washed away the bloodstains with no more concern than if she were


    rinsing off spilled wine, indifferent to the possibility of Luciusing down the stairs.


    Once she cleaned herself up, a low chuckle escaped her lips. How could she have forgotten? The man she loved with all her


    heart had never loved her in return. The other woman had been nothing but his ything. Would he reallye downstairs out


    of concern for anyone?


    Gabby lifted her hands, now clean of the blood that had coated them just moments before, her body trembling slightly. She left


    the kitchen and left the house that had once felt like a home.


    The night was deep and dark as she stepped out of the vi, gazing up at the bedroom window. Lucius was probably still asleep.


    Sleep well, she thought bitterly.


    That man was not her destiny. And if he had cared for her, even a fraction, maybe she wouldn''t have found herself in this dire


    predicament.


    With a lingering look at the bedroom window, her eyes filled with a mix of longing and sorrow, Gabby disappeared into the night.


    The solitude of the night mirrored the destion in her heart. She pressed a hand to her racing pulse, staggering toward the


    hotel like a specter at midnight.


    But she wasn’tpletely alone. Anna was waiting at the hotel, the daughter she had imed as her own—a sweet,


    understanding child who always seemed to warm Gabby''s aching heart at just the right moment.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    With thoughts of Anna’s sweet, smiling face, Gabby stumbled back to the hotel. She opened the door to her room, intending to


    scoop up Anna and leave that very night.


    However, the room was a scene of chaos, as if ransacked by thieves. Gabby''s heart lurched. She hurried to the bedroom, to the


    bed where Anna had been sleeping peacefully just hours before. Now, only an empty bed remained. Gabby was stunned. She


    frantically turned on all the lights and began a desperate search for Anna.


    The kitchen was empty. The living room was also empty. The bathroom was empty. The balcony was empty.


    After a thorough search with no sign of Anna, tears streamed down Gabby’s cheeks. How could Anna just vanish in the short


    time she was gone?


    Returning to the bedroom, Gabby’s eyes fell on a note on the bed—a detail she had missed in her panic. She snatched up the


    note, her voice trembling as she read aloud, “If you want your child back, bring ten million dors to the pier. Call the police, and


    you can collect her body instead.”


    Gabby’s mind reeled. Anna was kidnapped, and they wanted ten million dors. God, where would she get ten million? The


    money she had taken from Magnus had all gone to Lucius, and she hadn''t kept a cent for herself.


    Then she remembered—the bank card Lucius had thrown at her. There had to be money on it!


    Gabby clutched the note and ran to the nearest ATM. All she could think about was saving Anna; the thought of calling the police


    didn’t even cross her mind. If the police got involved, who would be arrested first? After all, she had just killed someone. Between


    kidnapping and murder, murder probably carried the heavier sentence, right?


    Gabby reached the ATM, her hands shaking as she inserted the card and checked the bnce. There were only two million


    dors. She slumped to the ground, hit by the realization. Lucius, oh Lucius, she had handed him three hundred million from


    Magnus, and he had dismissed her with a mere two million.


    Tears continued to fall as regret overcame her. How could she have been so blinded by rage, so reckless to lose Anna?


    For over a year, she had lovingly raised Anna. Unable to find love from Lucius, she had poured all her affection into Anna,


    treating her like her own daughter, ready to sacrifice everything for her. And now, because of her mistake, Anna was in danger.


    Gabby was frantic, nearly out of her mind with worry.


    No, she couldn''t let anything happen to Anna because of her mistake. Absolutely not!


    Gabby took the note and stumbled towards the pier indicated in the address.


    Overwhelmed with urgency, she forgot about taxis and ran on foot to the pier. Her desperation was such that she felt no fatigue


    as she reached the dark, deste waterfront.


    Calling out for Anna in the dead of night, her voice echoed off the silent docks. But there was no answer, only the indifferent


    lapping of the waves.


    The chill of the night air cut through her, and her voice grew hoarse from calling. However, the physical difort was nothing


    compared to the despair in her heart.


    “Anna, where are you?”


    Gabby wrapped her arms around


    herself and sank to her knees. She


    stared out at the tide andpeadeta |


    ingamnest. raha, where are you?


    ommy’s here! Anna, please, where


    are you? Mommy''se to find you!


    Anna, I''m here, pleasee out!”


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    .


    Her sobs echoed far and wide along the pier, yet there was never an answer to her cries.


    Gabby cried for what felt like an


    eternity before finally standing up,her


    heart heavy with ￠jgeopbintehetnt


    Shpwas sure now that she had been


    duped by the kidnappers; otherwise,


    they would have shown up. Please


    read the original content at


    .


    With a sinking feeling, Gabby turned to leave the pier. Just then, a man who had silently approached her from behind suddenly


    gripped her arm.


    He was one of the kidnappers who


    had snatched Anna. Ever since


    Gabby had arrived at emeSpie He had


    bean alosaty watching her every


    move, wary that she might have


    secretly called the police and led


    them to their hideout. Please read the


    original content at .