?Chapter 1390:


    She spoke with a fearless smile, the kind that could freeze blood.


    The advantage, ironically, had been handed to her by Howard himself. She didn’t know where Darian had gone, but his absence was now her greatest weapon. Howard’s obsession with the boy would keep him from doing anything reckless.


    “Nobody move!” Howard barked, his voice sharp and cold.


    The gunmen obeyed, their fingers hovering near the triggers, eyes trained on Christina, waiting for his next word.


    “Let her go,” Christina said icily.


    Howard’s expression hardened. He had no intention of releasing Ophelia. Grinding his teeth, he growled, “That’s impossible—unless you bring my grandson here for an exchange.”


    “Alright!” Christina shot back without hesitation.


    In truth, she was only buying time.


    In the corner of the room, a nearly invisible, scentless gas was already being released.


    Once inhaled, it would sap their strength, and when that moment came, she’d have a chance to pull Ophelia out safely.


    Under their wary stares, Christina calmly took out her phone. She dialed a number.


    “Put it on speaker!” Howard snapped, determined to keep her from ying any tricks.


    Without a word, Christina pressed the speaker button. The call connected, and she spoke coldly into the phone. “I’m sending you an address. Bring Darian here.”


    On the other end, Scarface—stationed with a sniper team in a hidden vantage point—heard her voice and understood immediately.


    Through his binocrs, he could see the standoff unfolding below. He yed along perfectly. With a grave, uneasy tone, Scarface asked, “Boss, are you sure you want to bring Darian here? What if it’s a setup…?”


    “Just bring him. No more talk!” Christina snapped, her tone sharp with authority.


    M0re detailz at g??l??ovels.??????


    “Yes, Boss!” Scarface replied, hanging up at once.


    Christina ended the call and fixed her gaze on Howard.


    “Wait a bit,” she said evenly. “Darian will be brought here safe and sound.”


    Even as she spoke, her mind ticked through the seconds.


    Ophelia stood motionless, pale and dazed, fear etched into every line of her face.


    Christina regretted firing earlier—it had drawn too much attention—but watching those men torment Ophelia had pushed her past the edge.


    Now she needed patience. When the gas took full effect, she’d make her move.


    Still, the thought of Darian being captured—or worse—felt like poetic justice.


    But why had Darian, of all people, gotten tangled up in trouble when she was the one who held a grudge against him? And then, out of nowhere, the mended squarely on her shoulders—so unfair, so utterly undeserved.


    A sharp thought cut through her mind. Could Terrence have taken Darian?


    Yet even after all this time, Terrence hadn’t surfaced to im responsibility. He’d vanished—gone without a trace.


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