Chapter 279: Chapter 279: "My Only Demand Is That Rory Linden Is Safe.

Even through the phone, Charlotte Rhodes could feel Sean Harrison’s fury.

Their relationship had never been like that of a typical mother and son.

During the days Evan Hollis had been taking care of her, Charlotte had come to realize more and more what she wanted in a son.

Someone just like Evan—someone who would stay by her side and look after her.

Charlotte had already decided to live out her days like this, and when she died, she would leave all her assets to him.

But Sean’s tone made it clear he wasn’t lying.

’How could he be so foolish...?’

After a long silence on the line, Charlotte spoke. "Son, if—and I’m just saying if—you find Evan, can you bring me there? I’ll talk to him, convince him not to do anything stupid." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Son.

It had been years since Charlotte had called Sean "son" in such a calm tone.

Her purpose this time was obvious.

Her voice had a rare softness to it.

"Impossible." Sean’s tone didn’t change. "Even if you went, you wouldn’t be able to change anything."

"Yes, I could. Evan listens to me. He’ll definitely..."

"I have another call. I’m hanging up."

Sean hung up without hesitation.

The incoming call was from the police officer he had been in contact with.

The police were taking the matter very seriously. After a thorough investigation, they had narrowed down the search to a general area.

In the southernmost suburbs of Veridia, there was a large cluster of abandoned, half-finished buildings. Over twenty years ago, a high-speed rail line had been planned to pass through the area. A developer had planned a new city there, buying up land and starting construction on a massive scale. But when the railway was rerouted, the place was left with little more than unfinished structures.

All these years later, the buildings had become a veritable ruin. Ordinary people stayed away, though some homeless people with nowhere else to go would take shelter there.

There were also a few wild ponds that would occasionally attract fishermen.

The entire area was immense.

It was overgrown with weeds and had no streetlights or surveillance cameras, making the search area enormous.

A few years ago, there were two cases of body dumping. The bodies were discovered in this area by fishermen.

After that, even the fishermen came less often.

Sean immediately told his driver to turn the car around and head straight for the area.

After more than two hours, the car finally reached the main road closest to the abandoned buildings. The path leading further in was a narrow dirt track, with overgrown weeds on both sides obscuring the way.

The car could go no further.

Even the police cars were parked to the side.

One team of officers had already gone in to search, while a few others remained outside as backup.

On the way, Sean had also called in a number of his own bodyguards to help with the search.

Two police officers were waiting nearby. "President Harrison, please instruct your men to report any developments immediately. Don’t rush in recklessly, or the hostage could be harmed. We have a bomb disposal expert and a negotiator on their way. They’ll be here shortly."

"Alright, I understand."

Sean glanced at the vast expanse of abandoned buildings, his brow furrowed.

The situation here was worse than he had imagined.

The area had originally been planned as a villa district, filled with densely packed two- and three-story townhouses. After being abandoned, climbing plants had grown wild, making it difficult to see inside any of the structures.

An officer sighed. "He really knew how to pick a spot. This area isn’t just hard to search, it’s also a bad place to set up a sniper position."

There were no tall buildings nearby to station a sniper.

"It’s fine. She’ll be fine."

Sean’s voice was quiet, but his tone was firm and certain.

He was convinced that Rory Linden would be alright.

She had already suffered so much.

Now Leo Linden was older and more mature, and she was an irreplaceable doctor at the hospital. Everything was finally getting better.

’She won’t die here.’

The officer nodded. "Don’t worry, we have a lot of professionals on site."

Sean couldn’t bear to just stand there. "I’m going in to look, too."

With that, he turned, jumped down from the road, and headed into the sprawling ruins.

It was morning, and the day was growing warmer. But because of the dense vegetation, the temperature in this area was actually a bit lower than elsewhere.

Walking among the buildings, a damp chill clung to him.

The entire area was unnervingly quiet.

The bodyguards Sean had called arrived and joined the search party.

In less than two hours, they had locked onto the target’s location.

It was a two-story villa in a corner of the development.

It looked like someone had been living there. Curtains were installed, and a dilapidated bicycle and sofa were discarded outside.

By the time Sean approached, Evan Hollis had already spotted the police.

What surprised him was that Evan was standing alone by a window on the first floor, a knife in one hand and a simple remote control in the other.

The police recognized it instantly: a bomb detonator.

"President Harrison is here," Evan said, looking at Sean. "In this world, I suppose only Dr. Linden could make the great President Harrison lower himself and come running to her rescue in such a sorry state."

Evan spoke to Sean Harrison in a light, casual tone.

As if he were chatting with a friend.

He didn’t seem tense at all—completely different from a typical kidnapper.

Sean didn’t reply, instead turning to the officer beside him. "Where is Rory Linden?"

It was quiet enough that Evan overheard him. He chuckled. "Looking for Dr. Linden? She’s on the second floor. I gave her a little something to help her sleep. She should still be out."

’Something to help her sleep...’

Evan was an anesthesiologist. His "sleep aid" definitely wasn’t a normal sleeping pill.

At that moment, the negotiator who had been waiting nearby spoke up. "Evan Hollis, we’ve reviewed your situation. It’s not a major crime. If you just..."

"Don’t talk to me. I know my situation. I just want to talk to President Harrison."

Evan cut the negotiator off.

He had illegally smuggled drugs. These drugs weren’t licensed in the country, which meant he was selling counterfeit medicine.

Given the quantity of drugs he had sold, his sentence would be at least ten years, not to mention espionage and other charges.

Even if he avoided the death penalty, after a decade or more in prison, he would be deported. The outcome was predictable.

"Evan, regarding your crimes, I can hire a lawyer for you. When you get out of prison, I can guarantee you’ll be financially secure abroad."

Sean first stated what he could offer before adding, "All I ask is that Rory Linden is safe."

"President Harrison, I actually want very little. I just wanted to experience a mother’s love in my lifetime."

Evan’s lips twisted into a smirk. "A mother’s love must be the last thing you care about, isn’t it? Something you’ve always had, yet something I could only dream of."

"Charlotte Rhodes never saw me as her son. I’m the child she had with a man she didn’t love. She never treated me the way she treats you," Sean said bluntly. "For all these years, she’s only ever regretted one thing: keeping me and giving you up."

"And that’s because you never once fulfilled your duties as a son!"

A savage expression finally twisted Evan’s face.

"Regardless, in her eyes, you’re the perfect son now. She just called to ask about you. She’s very concerned."

Sean took out his phone. "If you don’t believe me, you can call her right now."