Chapter 5
The whole drive to the hospital, Ethan couldn’t shake this sick feeling in his gut. Something was very wrong.
Even when Olivia was crying about her ordeal, he barely heard a word.
Sitting on that hard plastic chair outside the OR, he kept glancing at Diana, Lily’s mom, who hadn’t said a word in hours.
“Diana, I’m really worried about Lily.”
“What if… what if she had nothing to do with this? We were married for seven years. I know who she really is…”
Ethan’s knuckles went white as he clenched his fists, Lily’s desperate eyes haunting him.
Had he gone too far?
Mrs. Winters stood up suddenly, her face tight with worry. She was heading for the door, ready to find the kidnapper and make a deal.
Olivia grabbed her wrist.
“Mom, where are you going? Noah’s still critical in there.”
“What if something happens while you’re gone…?”
Olivia’s voice cracked, stopping Mrs. Winters dead in her tracks.
“When those guys had me tied up, I heard everything. They flat–out said Lily hired them. She wanted to ‘teach me a lesson‘ about who the real Winters heir is.”
“Mom, Ethan. She’ll be fine. Trust me.”
”
Mrs. Winters hesitated for a second, then nodded.
“You’re right. Lily’s tough. She’ll be okay. Noah needs us right now.”
Ethan opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again without saying a word.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling in his gut that something was terribly wrong.
He called the cops, gave them the kidnapper’s location, and begged them to bring Lily back safely.
When she returned, he’d… he’d find some way to make it right. Somehow.
But as the hours dragged on…
Noah was stable. Besides the finger, the kid was physically okay.
Olivia just had some cuts and bruises that wouldn’t even scar.
Twelve hours had passed. Not a word about Lily.
The detective finally pulled Ethan aside, his face grim.
“The address you gave us was empty. They were long gone.”
“We found a pool of blood matching Ms. Winters‘ type, and a bloody kitchen knife with prints that don’t match hers.”
19:59
Whoops! My Revenge Plan To Trash EX Worked Too Well!
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Chapter 5
“Sir, I don’t want to be blunt, but… you should prepare for the worst…”
Ethan jumped up like he’d been shocked.
“What the HELL. are you saying?!”
His voice exploded down the hospital corridor, bringing Olivia and Mrs. Winters running from Noah’s room.
Mrs. Winters rushed over, her face tight with panic.
“Ethan, did they find Lily?”
Ethan’s chest was heaving. The detective’s words made the hallway spin around him.
He looked at his mother–in–law’s lined face and couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“It’s nothing, Diana. Stay with Noah. I need to go find Lily myself.”
But Mrs. Winters wasn’t buying it. Her voice shook.
“What did the police tell you? Where’s my daughter? Where’s Lily?”
Ethan couldn’t get the words out.
“Diana, come with me to where the kidnapper was. We need to find Lily now.”
He started walking fast toward the exit. Olivia chased after them.
“Where are you going? Your son isn’t even awake yet and you’re running after Lily?”
“This whole thing was her sick plan! She’s probably halfway to Mexico by now! You’re divorced, remember?!”
Olivia’s voice echoed down the hallway.
But this time, neither Mrs. Winters nor Ethan bothered to respond.
Olivia’s eyes flashed with something dark as she watched them leave, her jaw clenched tight.
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19:59
Whoops! My Revenge Plan To Trash EX Worked Too Well!