Free Web NovelChapter 266: Chapter 269: Pulling a Disappearing Act
Felix Preston held Sandy, coaxing him to sleep as he spoke to Simon Abbott on the phone. "So, are you convinced now?"
Simon Abbott replied, "I am. I’ll send you everything you wanted within half an hour."
"Good." Felix Preston smiled as he gazed at Sandy.
"Then my mom and my girlfriend..." Simon Abbott’s tone was tentative.
Felix Preston said, "I’ll have people look after your mother and girlfriend. Don’t worry."
But Simon Abbott couldn’t feel at ease.
"They aren’t in Aethelburg. How long do you think it will take for your people to find them?"
Felix Preston grabbed his phone, opened WeChat, and scrolled through his chat history with Evan Yates before saying in a low voice, "One day."
"...Huh?" Simon Abbott was taken aback.
Felix Preston explained, "If you can get me the materials today, I can find your girlfriend and mother within the day and have them put under protection."
"Really?" Felix Preston’s speed was almost too much for Simon Abbott to believe.
"Of course." Felix Preston set his phone down and gently squeezed Sandy’s soft, tender hand. "You’re helping me, so naturally, I’ll do everything in my power to help you. Ethan Lockwood is not a man to be trifled with. If he finds out you’ve turned against him, your mother and girlfriend will definitely fall into his hands."
"To ensure you can focus on cooperating with me, I must guarantee your family’s absolute safety. Yvette Fuller is the best example of this."
"...Alright!" With Felix Preston’s assurance, Simon Abbott was finally able to relax.
"Mr. Preston, please, you must protect my family. I’m sending you what you need right now!"
After saying that, Simon Abbott hung up.
Less than ten minutes later, he had sent over everything Felix Preston wanted.
Felix Preston checked everything over, and after confirming there were no issues, he replied with a simple "Received."
Simon clutched his phone, his heart pounding as he waited for a second message from Felix Preston.
That message didn’t arrive until nine in the evening.
—Your mother and girlfriend have been picked up by my people. Please explain the situation to them so they don’t get too alarmed.
Seeing those words, the weight that had been crushing Simon Abbott’s chest all day finally lifted.
He quickly replied: Okay, Mr. Preston. I’ll explain everything to them.
But before that, he needed to send something to Ethan Lockwood.
"A resignation notice?"
Ethan Lockwood stared at his computer, his sharp brows knitting into a tight knot.
"Simon Abbott actually sent me a resignation notice?!"
"What?" Charles Collins was stunned. "Abbott wants to quit?"
SLAM!
Ethan Lockwood slammed his mouse down and ordered in a frigid voice, "Call Simon Abbott right now! Ask him what the hell he thinks he’s doing!"
Charles Collins: "...Yes, sir!"
He tucked the folder in his hand under his arm and quickly pulled out his phone to call Simon Abbott.
RING... RING... RING...
"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later..."
"He’s not picking up!" Charles Collins said, looking at Ethan Lockwood.
Ethan Lockwood’s face was dark, his voice terrifyingly cold. "Again! Keep calling until he answers!"
"Yes, sir!" Charles Collins had no choice but to call again.
He dialed Simon Abbott’s number dozens of times, but Simon never answered.
On the final attempt, the automated message changed from "unavailable" to "switched off."
"Mr. Lockwood..." Charles Collins held up his phone, a helpless expression on his face. "Abbott’s phone is off."
"...Damn it!" Ethan Lockwood swore, his patience gone. "Send people to find his mother, now! Once you find her, ’invite’ her to Aethelburg. I want to ’entertain’ her personally!"
Charles Collins: "Yes, sir!"
He placed the file on Ethan Lockwood’s desk, turned on his heel, and ran out of the office.
As the sound of hurried footsteps faded away, a terrible premonition suddenly welled up inside Ethan Lockwood.
’I clearly threatened Simon Abbott this afternoon, yet he still dared to defy my orders. Not only did he brazenly send me a resignation notice, but he also had the nerve to just disappear on me.’
’Does he no longer care about his family’s safety?’
’Or is he already confident that I can’t touch his family?’
Ethan Lockwood narrowed his eyes as one person, in particular, came to mind—
Yvette Fuller.
’Could it be that Simon Abbott’s and Yvette Fuller’s disappearances were orchestrated by the same person?’
An hour later, Charles Collins rushed back into Ethan Lockwood’s office.
"Well?" Ethan Lockwood stared at Charles Collins, a rare hint of panic on his face.
Charles Collins was panting heavily. Under Ethan’s anxious gaze, he slowly shook his head. "They’re gone."
"...What?" Ethan Lockwood’s expression turned frigid.
Charles Collins repeated, "Mr. Lockwood, they’re gone."
"Gone?" Ethan Lockwood shot up from his chair, the panic in his eyes intensifying.
BANG!
He slammed both hands on his desk, his voice suddenly rising. "How could they be gone?! Didn’t I tell you to monitor their movements at all times?!"
"Mr. Lockwood, I..." Charles Collins wore a pained expression, stammering, unsure how to explain.
Ethan Lockwood glared at him, cursing through gritted teeth, "Useless! You can’t even keep an eye on two people! I might as well throw you in jail in my place!"
The two words "in jail" made Charles Collins’s face turn deathly pale.
"Mr. Lockwood, I was wrong!" he immediately apologized to Ethan Lockwood, bowing his back subserviently.
Ethan Lockwood shot back, "What damn good is an apology? Why don’t you go find Simon Abbott for me!"
"I think Simon Abbott must have been taken away by Felix Preston’s men!" Charles Collins, terrified that Ethan Lockwood might actually throw him in jail, blurted out his suspicion, hoping to prove he was still of some use.
But Ethan Lockwood just shot him a vicious glare. "Do I need you to tell me something so obvious?"
"..." Charles Collins was instantly speechless.
Ethan Lockwood was panting with rage. "I had just told Simon Abbott to take the fall for me, and he immediately turns around and runs to Felix Preston. Isn’t that a little too fast?"
Charles Collins said, "Mr. Lockwood, are you suggesting... Simon Abbott had already been in contact with Felix Preston?"
Instead of answering, Ethan Lockwood fired back a question, "Charles, has Simon Abbott been acting strangely at the company lately?"
Charles Collins thought for a moment, then said, "Yes! For the past month, Simon Abbott’s attitude at work has been extremely negative. He’s been listless in everything he does, giving off the feeling that he was ready to quit at any moment."
"..." Ethan Lockwood sucked in a breath, a headache coming on. "That explains it."
Ever since joining Lockwood Group, Simon Abbott had always been an exceptionally proactive employee. It hadn’t been easy for him to get to where he was, so he deeply cherished the opportunity Ethan Lockwood had given him. Over the years, no matter how many tasks Ethan assigned him, he always completed them with a manic energy, never slacking off or cutting corners.
The thought of quitting would have been completely out of the question.
"So he’d already established a connection with Felix Preston. No wonder he had the guts to send me a resignation notice without a shred of fear."
