Chapter 481

Under his intense gaze, Ishara's heart raced; she offered a nervous smile, "Lawrence, are you done with your work? We're ready to leave, right? My blood pressure is normal."

"Come here, Ishara," he said, voice devoid of emotion.

But Ishara could sense something ominous in the way he clutched his phone under the harsh light.

She approached him slowly.

From his towering position, Lawrence scrutinized her, asking bluntly, "Did you take a call for me from Winnie... and then delete it?"

He offered no chance for Ishara to defend herself.

Her pale, delicate face struggled to remain composed under his piercing stare!

How could he know? She had made sure Uncle had intervened promptly; Winnie had no chance to contact him again, especially since his phone wasn't on him!

"Lawrence, what are you talking about...?"

"When did you find out, about my past with Winnie?" Lawrence asked sharply, his expression unyielding.

Ishara's delicate, doll-like face flickered with a tinge of fear.

Rooted to the spot, she didn't dare to move or answer before Lawrence's cellphone rang again.

To her shock, he pulled out another phone, and her expression turned to one of utter horror.

She had expected Winnie on the line, but when she overheard the leaked voice, it was that of a male.

Lawrence answered the call without averting his piercing gaze from her. "Jeremy, talk to me."

"Winnie's car was forced off the overpass, Mr. Rodriguez! There's been an accident! She didn't fall into the river, I'm sure of it. I spotted a woman's footprints on the ground and bloodstains from a struggle-someone took her! I'm one damn step too late, and someone's definitely out to kill her, damn it!"

Lawrence stumbled backward, struggling to maintain his composure.

His face was ashen as he mustered a sliver of rationale. "You're saying she's been kidnapped? Any leads on which way they went?"

"Nothing. I just got to the overpass. Get over here quick, I can't save her alone."

Lawrence clutched his phone tightly. "Got it."

After hanging up, he noticed his knuckles were white as the airplane taxied towards the runway. At eight sharp, he was supposed to be with Ishara, donating blood for his mother.

Only upon seeing his mother receive the blood and awaken would he be at ease.

But now, he faced a choice between his mother and Winnie.

He closed his eyes briefly, no time to question Ishara about snooping on his phone and deleting messages. His voice softened. "Ishara, I'll have Bryan take you to Lymington. Dr. Moore will be there to oversee your care. Please ensure my mother receives enough blood."

"I've got an emergency. I'll be there tomorrow."

"Lawrence!" Ishara had caught the gist of the phone call. How could she let him leave at a time like this?

To run off and save that wretched Winnie?

She immediately clung to his arm, her voice weak with a suppressed cough, showing dissent. "Lawrence, I can't do this alone... What if there are complications with my health?

"I agreed to donate blood for your mother with the understanding that you'd be with me. How can you just leave me all of a sudden?"

"And besides, can you really rest easy without seeing your mother receive the blood transfusion?"

"What if something critical happens to her? Will you be able to live with the regret?"

Lawrence's heart trembled.

But Winnie was the woman he couldn't abandon, the woman he loved.

Furrowing his brow, Lawrence pulled his arm free and gently pushed Ishara back into her seat before immediately instructing Bryan to stop the plane.

The aircraft halted abruptly on the tarmac.

With a coldness set upon his features and his temples throbbing, Lawrence no longer wavered; his heart had made its choice.

"Lance! Keep an eye on Miss Blanchet and get her to Lymington Hospital for a blood transfusion, stat."

"Laurence, I need you to come with me! Cough, cough, I can't be alone... Otherwise, I might not be able to donate blood for your mother." Ishara pleaded through her tears, her feeble voice betraying an undertone of desperation.

Laurence had already reached the cabin door, fists clenched, and without hesitation, he dashed out with urgency!

Ishara was livid, her face flushed with anger, her handkerchief twisted tightly in her hands as she doubled over with violent coughs.

Lance, in a panic, immediately called a doctor.

But Ishara refused to be examined. She stood up, heading for the restroom, and Claire quickly followed.

In the confined space of the restroom, Ishara furiously knocked things over, her eyes now burning red with intense jealousy.

With a cynical laugh shrouded in darkness, she sneered, "He's so fixated on Winnie that he's forsaking even his own mother's well-being, leaving me behind like this?"

"Miss..." Claire began tentatively.

Ishara's eyes were cold and sharp, "They think I'm going to Lymington to obediently give blood? No, I'll make him realize - we had an agreement, and he's been far from a satisfactory boyfriend!"

Claire understood her intentions. Miss Blanchet was determined to make Lawrence regret his actions.

Ishara clenched her fists and took a deep breath, "Text Mom and tell her to have the associates conceal Winnie well. Torment her, but make sure Mr. Rodriguez doesn't get a chance to save her!"

Her hatred for Winnie was profound; she had stolen all of Laurence's attention.

At the Grand River Bridge, Laurence arrived as fast as he could.

Summer rains were frequent, and the violent currents beneath the bridge beat against the pillars as if seeking to devour everything in sight.

Drained, with a parched throat, Laurence looked out over the river, "Are we certain she didn't fall in?"

"The car definitely went down!" Jeremy pointed at the bent railing.

On the road above, traffic cops, public safety officers, and firefighters were all on the scene in record time due to Laurence's influence.

The fire brigade descended, searching for Winnie's car taken by the current.

"Judging by the way the railing is bent, the accident didn't displace the front of the car much, suggesting Winnie was initially trapped but safe... But then, the back end must've been lifted deliberately, pushed forward to fall over!"

"Winnie must have managed to escape the car at the last moment. There's blood on the railing here, and some on the ground, proof that she got away!"

Jeremy pointed to the few drops of blood not yet dried.

Lawrence watched in agony, hardly able to fathom how she, a fragile woman, managed to desperately leap from the moving vehicle during such perilous moments.

His gaze followed the railing, landing a half-meter away on delicate footprints marked with blood.

Lawrence's pupils grew cold. "The ones who pushed the car into the river, they took her?"

"They must've planned to send both the car and her into the river, and that would've been the end of Winnie! But she must've realized, with the rapid waters, she wouldn't stand a chance..."

"So, she weighed her options and jumped out of the car in desperation!" Lawrence stared at the chaotic footprints as if visualizing her final struggle, his heart twisted so tight he struggled to breathe. "When those thugs realized she got out, they intended to drag her back."

"She was smart. She went barefoot, bleeding, leaving footprints as evidence."

"Exactly!" Jeremy thought to himself, impressed by how well Mr. Rodriguez understood Winnie, "These are the clues she left behind. Although there are just a few prints, she must've struggled violently. Those goons, fearing they'd draw attention from the nearby traffic, must've snatched her up quickly into a car."

"What about road surveillance?!" Lawrence turned and demanded, facing the traffic cop.