N pressed her lips together and said nothing.


    "Hey, why aren''t you answering me? Say something!" Delia eximed.


    "I don''t feel like talking," N replied tly. "If you have the energy to waste, use it to think of a way out of here."


    Delia pouted. "I don''t need to. Mom will definitelye save me, and Darcy wouldn''t dare do anything to me.


    "But you? That''s another story. You always argue with her, so she might just leave you here."


    N ignored her childish remark and leaned against the cold wall, eyes closed.


    The fact that Darcy had locked them up instead of harming them right away meant he likely nned to use them as bargaining chips against Emerald. As long as Emerald hadn''t returned yet, they were probably safe.


    Delia grumbled to herself for a while. Seeing that N had no intention of responding, she eventually fell silent as well.


    After hearing about Brian''s car ident, Andre immediately sent a message to N, but there was no response.


    An hour passed.


    Still nothing.


    A deep sense of unease settled in his chest, so he immediately called Damon. "Damon, I can''t reach N. I have a bad feeling something''s wrong."


    Damon''s voice was ice-cold. "I just got word from someone inside the estate. She was taken by a man named Darcy. Do you know him?"


    Andre''s expression darkened. "Yes. He''s from the Nixons. He''s always been at odds with Emerald and supports Edward''s illegitimate son, Vik. If he took N, she could be in danger."


    Before Andre could say anything else, Damon hung up.


    Damon went straight to Ross and quickly ryed the information.


    Hearing that N had been taken, Ross immediately said, "Don''t worry. I''ll get in touch with Darcy."


    Minutester, Ross was on the phone with Darcy.


    Darcy scoffed at Ross'' request to release N. "Mr. Bumard, she''s Emerald''s daughter. I''m not letting her go until Emerald returns."


    Ross'' tone turned icy. "Are you sure you want to go against the Bumards?"


    Darcy chuckled darkly. "By


    interfering, aren''t you the one going against the Nixons? I''m making Vik the Nixon''s sessor. Anyone who stops me is going against me and against the Nixons!"


    "Don''t be ridiculous. Emerald is still the leader of the Nixons," Ross replied.


    "Really? With Brian''s ident, do you think she still has time to manage anything?" Darcy mocked.


    Ross took a deep breath, his voice turning even colder. "So, you refuse to release her?"


    "I refuse," Darcy replied curtly.


    "Fine. You''ll regret this." Ross hung up and turned to his assistant. "Gather our men. We''re surrounding Darcy''s vi."


    Darcy''s ambition to make Edward''s


    illegitimate son the head of the Nixons wasughable. Even if Brian couldn''t inherit the family there were plenty of other qualified sessors.


    Vik? The only one supporting him was Darcy. He had no real chance.


    Darcy was nothing more than a fool, blinded by Mary''s maniption. It was pathetic how he was willing to do. ything for that woman and her son.