Quinn found herself seated at the dining table, her chin resting on her hands, her eyelids heavy with the weight of sleep.


    Without warning, her phone buzzed, jolting her from her drowsy stupor. With a start, she fished the device from her pocket. The screen illuminated with a message from Abigail."Quinn, is there trouble with the Kennedys?" it read. Brow furrowed in confusion, Quinn quickly responded, "What happened?""Aren''t you watching the news? Your sister-inw was taken away, I got the alert here," Abigail replied.A wave of surprise washed over Quinn. Before she could check the news online, Abigail had already sent her a link. Quinn clicked it open, and the headline zed before her eyes, "Murderer of Valerie Captured."


    The incident had urred just half an hour ago.


    The apanying image was blurred, but she could still recognize the Kennedy''s vi. The photo was teeming with people, Kaitlyn and Xavier among them. But Alexander was conspicuously absent.Could he have been taken too? Quinn thought, her heart pounding. She hurriedly texted Alexander, but there was no reply.Suddenly, she stood up, ncing at the clock on the wall. It was midnight. Biting her lip, she went online and summoned a car. She rushed out of the vi to wait by the roadside, and before long, the ride-share pulled up. Quinn slid into the backseat, her fingers anxiously clutching her clothes.


    She continued to send messages to Alexander, but none were answered.She was about to dial his number when a voice suddenly cut through the silence from the front seat. "Forget it; that guy won''t be that easy to catch."At the sound of that voice, Quinn jerked her head up and gazed at the driver''s seat. Though she could only see the back of the driver''s head, the distinctive hairdo confirmed the driver''s identity.Quinn''s grip on her phone tightened.


    She scrambled to pull at the car door, but it was locked. She couldn''t get out.Panic surged within her, and she quickly pressed the call button.


    Quinn stared at the phone screen, which now showed the call was in progress. Her heart sank as the device slipped from her grasp and fell at her feet. Walter nced in the rearview mirror, noting the line of cars following closely, and let out a tsk.


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    "Quinn," he said, "Tell me, does Alexander really care about you or not?"Quinn lifted her gaze to meet Walter''s eyes reflected in the mirror, holding a hint of a smile. "But it doesn''t matter anymore. You wanted to leave Amber Bay, right? Consider it done. I''m granting that wish for you." With those words, Walter floored the gas pedal, and the car shot forward like an arrow unleashed. Meanwhile, Alexander had just ended a call and immediately received a flurry of messages from Quinn.


    [Are you okay?]


    [Where are you?]


    [Will youe back tonight?]


    Another call came in quickly; this time it was Kyle Astor."Alexander, Quinn, she...""What happened?""She got into a car, and she''s gone... We thought she was heading your way, but the direction seems off... But our people are on it!" Kyle''s voice quivered through his report.


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    A long silence followed, and, checking his phone, he found the call still connected."Alexander?""Follow them." Alexander''s voice was devoid of emotion, yet filled withmand.Kyle''s anxiety grew, "Okay, got it."


    After hanging up with Alexander, Kyle made another call to check on the situation. Walter pushed the car to its limits, the relentless pursuers hot on their trail. As they neared dangerously close, a fleet of vans materialized out of nowhere, forming an impromptu blockade, effectively halting the chase.


    The trailing vehicles had no chance to react, careening into each other with a deafening cacophony of metal on metal.


    A thunderous collision reverberated from behind, prompting Quinn to whirl around, witnessing a chaotic spectacle of multiple vehicles colliding, rendering the road impassable in an instant.


    Her fingers intertwined anxiously as she stole a nce at the rearview mirror, meeting Walter''s gaze just as he nced back at her and shot her a knowing look.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Quinn quickly redirected her gaze and bent down to pick up her phone.