Unexpected Second Chance at Love

Chapter 982: Signed your fate

Yue Ling was taken aback to see Liu Shan, Lin Hui, and Qi Li kneeling in front of her. She could see in their expressions how much guilt was eating them inside.

She takes a deep breath and gestures for the men to stand up.

”I’m not going to blame anyone for what happened, so neither should you.”

Her words fell, and all three men shook their heads in opposition to her.

Liu Shan looks up at her and his eyes tear with guilt.

”Boss, it is my fault. Had I paid more attention, I could have prevented your brother from getting kidnapped. If I had, Assistant Zhong and your brother wouldn’t have been involved in the car accident. I could have prevented it, but I did nothing.”

Lin Hui clenches his fists tightly at his sides. He knelt still, as if his guilt had anchored him to the ground. His shoulders sagged under the invisible burden, and his hands curled into uneasy fists at his sides.

”It’s my fault. I should have gotten to them sooner. I watched Ji Jingxu get taken right in front of me without being able to do anything. If you want to yell at anyone, yell at me. I’m the one to blame.”

Qi Li kneeled with his head lowered and eyes unfocused at the floor. There was a tightness in his jaw, like he was holding back words he couldn’t bear to say, and when he did speak, his voice came out low and uneven. Every breath he took seemed laced with self-reproach, every pause filled with silent apology.

”No, it’s my fault... I went after him, yet I still lost him. I shouldn’t have gotten distracted. The moment they switched vehicles, I should have given chase. Instead... I...”

He had yet to finish his words when Yue Ling stepped forward to stand in front of them. She looks at each person and lets out a sigh.

”Stop it. All of you.”

She gets down to one knee, her eyes never looking away from them.

”No one saw this coming, and neither can anyone prevent something like this from happening. It was unfortunate that this happened to my brother, but right now, I need you all to stay focused so we can get him back.”

She looks at Qi Li and places a hand on his shoulder.

”Where is the man you brought in?”

Qi Li let a shaky breath escape his lips, one he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

His eyes closed briefly, and when they opened again, they were softer, clearer—no longer clouded by fear or uncertainty.

Although he still felt guilty for failing to rescue Ji Jingxu, he knew he couldn’t just sit here and do nothing.

He stood up from the floor and looked his boss in the eyes with a serious expression.

”He’s in the garage.”

Yue Ling arched an eyebrow before nodding her head. She was slightly confused by the fact that they had locked the man in the garage.

From what she knows, all her and Lu Tian’s precious babies were there. Why would they even consider keeping such a person tied up there? Unless...

Realization dawned on her, and she turned to look at the man in question.

Lu Tian met his wife’s bluish-green eyes and knew what she was thinking from a glance. He walks over to her and gently takes her hand.

”I know what you’re thinking.”

Seeing her questioning gaze, he shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly.

”I may have added another thing to the house during renovations.”

Yue Ling’s eyes narrowed at his words. She had more questions to ask, but considering the situation, she turned to look at the three men now no longer kneeling.

”Take me to him.”

Liu Shan nodded his head before walking toward the back door. He was quickly followed by Lin Hui, Qi Li, and Gui Tian Lan.

Taking a step, Yue Ling was about to follow them, but turned to look at Lu Tian. He gives her a smile before taking her hand to his lip and kissing it.

”Go ahead. I will stay here and review things with Grandfather Ji and Jiangyu.”

Yue Ling nods her head, then turns around. She doesn’t waste any time and follows her team in the direction of the garage.

Watching her leave, Lu Tian waited until she was no longer in view. He turns his attention to the old man standing closely by.

”Did you check if the motive matches him?”

Grandfather Ji was thankful to Lu Tian for being able to bring his granddaughter back, but he shook his head to answer the question.

”I had my men check the surveillance, but there was nothing. I double checked it, just in case, but this isn’t his doing.”

He looks in the direction his granddaughter had walked away before continuing his words.

”If it had been him, he wouldn’t have left Zhong Yang alive, nor would he leave behind any witnesses.”

Lu Tian nodded his head ever so lightly in understanding. He had thought it was Choi Li Sun’s doing, but taking the old man’s words into consideration, it was true.

Choi Li Sun is notoriously known for his gruesome schemes. If Ji Jingxu’s kidnapping were his doing, he would have taken out everyone who was at the scene, leaving no limbs attached.

The question now is, who did this?

As Lu Tian continued to work with Jiangyu on the laptop, Yue Ling stopped in front of the garage. However, she did not enter.

Instead, she was guided to the side where a hidden door was opened. If she didn’t know it was there, she would never have thought a basement was underneath the garage.

Liu Shan looks at his boss and smiles at her before walking down the stairs.

”Lu Tian had this added in case of emergency when the hidden doors were added to the house.”

Yue Ling follows with Qi Li behind her, and Lin Hui and her assistant are in the lead. It didn’t take them long before they reached a dimly lit hallway, then a room half the size of the garage above them.

A bulky man was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. He was bloody and bruised from head to toe. His wrists and ankles were red from his attempts to get out of his restraints.

Liu Shan and Lin Hui stood on one side, while Qi Li stood on the opposite side. Yue Ling calmly approached the man. The sound of her shoes echoing in the room alerted the man to her arrival.

When he saw her through his swollen eyes, he smirked at her. She had stopped at a distance, but he was able to get a clearer look at her.

”Man, no wonder my boss took the deal. You’re prettier in person. I would want a taste of you, too.”

Yue Ling stops in front of the man, her expression void of all emotions. She doesn’t say anything but continues to stare at the man.

Seeing her silence, the man mockingly laughs at her. His laughter raspy and contracted, enough to give many nightmares, but the people in the room.

”You really have no idea who you’re getting involved with.”

He looks at the others, then back at Yue Ling.

”Keeping me here isn’t going to help you find that boy. You see, the longer I am kept here, the less time you have. So, how about it? You listen to me and I’ll make things easier for you.”

Yue Ling listened to the man before slightly tilting her head to the left.

”You know, you talk a lot for someone in that chair.”

The man was shocked by her unfazed demeanor. Despite his situation, he thought Yue Ling would be scared after hearing his words.

”Whose orders are you following?”

Yue Ling’s voice was low and measured, not rushed, not raised. Her expression remained unreadable as she watched the man.

”Why was my brother taken?”

The man laughs again at the question. His boss had told him about the deal he made. He found it amusing that a retired supermodel was questioning him. Then again, he had to play it safe, as the men who locked him in this room were not ordinary people.

”You really don’t know who you’re messing with. You live in your fancy mansions and flaunt your wealth for the world to see. You’re practically begging to be taken.”

He has been in this situation hundreds of times, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets out.

Turning his head a bit, he spat onto the ground where Qi Li stood. His blood and mucus mixed.

”Ask all you want. I’m not giving you the information you want.”

He sneers at Yue Ling before continuing his words.

”Trust me. You have no idea who you are messing with. All you need to do is be a good girl and wait. How about you keep my company?”

Lin Hui had had enough of the man’s disrespect. He took a step forward but was stopped by Liu Shan. The assistant shook his head, and he (Lin Hui) grunted before taking a step back.

”Interesting.”

Yue Ling smiles a smile that does not reach her eyes. It was a smile that could turn heads, but the dangerous glint in her eyes said otherwise.

She takes two steps to close the distance between her and the man. She leans forward and her bluish-green eyes stare into the man’s soul.

”Because you have no idea who you just signed your fate to.”