Chapter 93

Hearing his wife's voice, Grant sighed in relief, his tense expression softening as he replied, "It's me, Grant."

Adele's joyful exclamation came through the phone, "Oh, God, you finally called!"

For U.S. troops stationed abroad, maintaining communication with their families was a challenge due to the vast distances and harsh conditions. Grant had resorted to using a satellite phone, taking a risk to stay connected.

"Is everything alright back home, Jenny?" Grant asked, his voice anxious.

Adele reassured him with a smile, "Of course, dear. Today is a school day, so Jenny is at school, but it's almost over."

"Mommy!" a child's voice chimed in the background.

Grant's relief grew as he inquired, "Is Jenny back?"

Adele, holding the phone, went to open the door and saw Jenny with her bear-themed schoolbag and a lollipop in her mouth, bidding farewell to someone outside. She replied, "Goodbye, uncle."

Adele felt a sense of doubt and observed a man in a Land Rover off-road vehicle with glasses, waving at Jenny. He had a friendly smile as he drove away, disappearing from Adele's view.

"Jenny, do you know him?" Adele asked.

Jenny cheerfully responded, "Yes, his name is Felix. He's nice. He came to pick me up from school today and gave me a lollipop. He also asked if Daddy was away and said he's friends with Daddy."

Adele couldn't help but find her daughter's enthusiasm adorable. However, her thoughts turned to Grant's sudden call, and she began to feel uneasy. Could there be something she didn't know?

She hurriedly brought Jenny inside, locked the door, and, while talking on the phone, helped Jenny remove her schoolbag. She asked, "Honey, do you have a friend named Felix?"

Grant's voice became tense as he firmly denied, "No! I don't know him at all."

Adele was taken aback, and she questioned, "What?"

Grant's response heightened her concern, "What's wrong?"

Adele then revealed the diamond ring she found in Jenny's schoolbag. "There's a gift box in Jenny's schoolbag," she explained. She continued, "And there's a piece of paper inside." Adele read aloud, "It says, 'to find you (found you).'"

Grant's mind raced with worry.

Meanwhile, Felix was waiting at a red traffic light. He casually checked his pager and sent a message indicating that his task was complete. As he relaxed, he played soothing music.

Suddenly, his attention was drawn to a red convertible sports car nearby, where a group of young people dressed in hip-hop style were causing a commotion. They had piercings, tattoos, and a rebellious attitude. One girl even had a tattoo reading "somebodyrapeme!" on her arm.

Felix recognized them as the type of wealthy young individuals who often got into legal trouble. Their reckless behavior seemed destined for disaster. He decided to ignore them, rolling up his window.

As the traffic light turned green, the sports car accelerated rapidly, accompanied by loud noises and laughter from the young occupants. Felix, calmly preparing to drive forward, was suddenly jarred by the sound of screeching brakes and a loud crash.

He looked up in shock to witness a terrible car accident. The red sports car had collided with the bottom of a large truck, and it was clear that the person inside had no chance of survival. The impact had been catastrophic.

Pedestrians nearby were in shock, and exclamations of "omg" and prayers filled the air. However, Felix couldn't help but think that there was a lesson in all of this: "When you push the limits too far, you're bound to end up a fool."

Having witnessed the accident, Felix calmly drove his Land Rover away from the scene.

Back in Grant's home, he ended his call with a dark expression, his fists clenched. The idea that someone might endanger his family infuriated him. For Grant, this was absolutely unacceptable.

Just as his anger reached its peak, the landline phone rang once again.

"Hello, who is it?" Grant answered, his voice still filled with anger.

A voice on the other end replied, "Lieutenant Colonel Grant, does your wife like the diamond ring I gave her?"

"Nicholas! It's really you!" Grant's anger flared up again as he recognized the voice.

Nicholas seemed unfazed and continued, "Don't be angry. It was just a gift from me. After all, your wife always liked Tiffany, didn't she? By the way, your daughter loves teddy bears, and her birthday is approaching. I was thinking of getting her an oversized teddy bear. She'd surely love it."

Through gritted teeth, Grant asked, "Are you threatening me?"

Nicholas's response was chillingly calm, "Is this considered a threat? Well, if you want to see it that way, then you're right. Your daughter is adorable, but her father is both clever and courageous. What can you do?"

Nicholas then proposed a meeting at a specific location under strict conditions, hinting at a sinister agenda. "I hope to see your wife's video on the largest website in the United States. I'll be waiting," he concluded before hanging up.

"F**k!" Grant swore angrily in response to the ominous call.

Nicholas's taunting words continued to fuel Grant's anger, and he couldn't contain his frustration. With a powerful slam, he pounded his fist onto the table, causing a loud noise that echoed through the room. The U.S. troops passing by outside were startled, and they quickly withdrew, fearing the lieutenant colonel's fury.

Nicholas, on the other end of the line, remained composed despite Grant's outburst. He downplayed the diamond ring he had given Adele, mentioning its high value, and even suggested a lavish gift for Jenny's upcoming birthday—an oversized teddy bear.

Grant clenched his teeth, trying to maintain control as he asked, "Are you threatening me?"

Nicholas nonchalantly responded, "Is this considered a threat? Well, if that's how you see it, then you're absolutely right. Your daughter is adorable, but her father is both clever and courageous. What can you do?"

Grant's patience wore thin, but Nicholas showed no signs of relenting. Instead, he invited Grant for a coffee meeting, but with strict conditions: Grant had to come alone to a specific location, refrain from involving anyone else or contacting the police. Nicholas hinted at a sinister plan involving Grant's wife's video appearing on a major U.S. website before hanging up.

Enraged, Grant listened to the call end, then forcefully slammed the microphone on the table, unleashing a torrent of profanities in his frustration.

Meanwhile, in another setting, Tang Dao picked up the African foldback tortoise, stroking it gently as if it were a cherished pet. He spoke to it with a hint of amusement in his voice, "You must obey, or else those who defy us will suffer."

The tortoise, surprisingly, seemed to understand Tang Dao's words and timidly poked its head out of its shell.

Tang Dao mused to himself, "You can understand what I say. Let's hope people will understand it too."