I thought the second one was from Marcus too, but I heard another man’s voice instead. “Mr. Taylor, I think there is someone else investigating Marcus, and they appear to be foreign. Should we find out more about them?”
Not wanting to stop halfway, I tapped on the last one as well and heard the same man’s voice again. “Marcus seems to be in contact with them, so it’s possible that they have his wife and daughter. We’ve been tailing him for half a year now, and Marcus is getting increasingly cautious as a result. Would you consider having a different group of men tail him instead, Mr. Taylor?”
It was the man’s voice again, and he sounded like he had lost all hope of finding Marcus.
I had a bad feeling in my heart as I placed the phone back down on the table. This isn’t good news at all… M Country is an unfamiliar territory for them… Even if Marcus is able to look after himself, what about Camelia and their daughter? Would they even be able to escape unharmed? If even Holden’s hardened men find the situation hopeless, what are the odds of Marcus making it back alive?
After giving it some thought, I turned towards Holden and asked in a questioning tone, “You wouldn’t go back on your word and just leave Marcus for dead in M Country once I sign this contract, would you?”
Holden shot me a frivolous glance through the corner of his eyes. “What are you saying? I am running the risk of getting on Mr. Fuller’s bad side just by coming over today, and this is what you think of me? How hurtful…” he said with a huge sigh and his head hung low like he was somewhat wronged.
He’s telling the truth, though. The closer my babies are to being due, the more Ashton didn’t want me getting involved in these sorts of things for fear of any accidents that may occur as a result. I know Holden must’ve snuck his way here to see me, but he doesn’t understand the reason behind Ashton’s concern. While I am grateful for his efforts, I could tell that he only did it because of the profits he stood to gain from it. Had the conditions not been favorable enough, he would probably have left Marcus for dead.
With that in mind, I handed him the phone as I said, “I do trust you, Mr. Taylor. However, your inability to locate Marcus after so long has me starting to doubt the capability of your men. Perhaps I should take some time to reconsider our contract…”
Holden narrowed his eyes. “I thought we had a deal.”
“All is fair in war. It’s better for the both of us to be a little more cautious with each other,” I said with a shrug.
He sneered with an icy-cold look in his eyes. “And here I thought Ashton was a sly one… Turns out, you’re a lot more cunning than he is! You haven’t even fulfilled the promise you made me over half a year ago, and now you’re demanding that I put more men on the search for Marcus?”
He had hit the nail on the head, as that was exactly what I wanted from him.
“I would very much appreciate it if you are willing to do so, Mr. Taylor,” I said with the most innocent-looking smile I could muster.
Holden leaned back against his chair and eyed me from head to toe as if he was considering my suggestion.
After a brief moment of silence, he burst into laughter all of a sudden. “Hahaha! Very well, I’ll make one last exception for you, Ms. Stovall! However…”
He then pointed at his phone on the table, and the look on his face turned vicious as he continued, “If you do not fulfill your end of the bargain when I bring you a video of Marcus on my next visit… I will resort to extreme measures, Ms. Stovall.”
Considering the amount of violence and deaths he had witnessed in his life, I had no reason to doubt that he would carry out his threats.
“Of course,” I said with a forced smile as I clenched my fist under the table in an attempt to appear unfazed.
Holden glared at me briefly before storming off irritably, having completely forgotten about the blonde woman he brought over earlier. I had to admit, she looked quite hilarious running through the soft mud in heels as she chased after him.
“Who were they?” Emma muttered right after they left.
