As her words fell, a sudden chill spread through the air.
Ethan dangerously narrowed his eyes, his handsome face becoming cold as frost.
Anna had never seen her son in this state before. Even when he was angry before, he would never display such an expression toward his biological mother.
Just when she thought Ethan would explode in anger, he merely coldly withdrew his gaze, glanced at Samantha, and emotionlessly said, "My mother wouldn't hit someone without reason!"
The implication was clear: if she was hit, it must be deserved.
After hearing this, Samantha was so infuriated that she almost spat blood. The anger stuck in her chest, unable to go down or come out, making her little face turn bright red.
Ethan coolly retracted his gaze, took out his phone, and dialed a number for Jade.
"Bring the person in."
After saying that, he hung up, put the phone back in his pocket, and took a seat on the sofa without looking at Samantha throughout.
His attitude delighted Suzy.
Even after being hit, there was no concern shown, enough to prove that in Ethan's eyes, Samantha's position was far below that of the Steele family.
Anna also sighed in relief. Just now, she was afraid her son would lay hands on her for Samantha's sake.
Fortunately, her position in her son's heart still surpassed Samantha's.
With this thought, her mood improved considerably, and she sat back on the sofa.
Not long after, Jade, along with a group of bodyguards, brought Tiger and his men over.
Tiger was in a dire state, on the verge of collapse, with not a single part of his body left unharmed.
His subordinates fared no better.
Tiger's entire body was covered in wounds, and his clothes were stained red with blood.
Ethan leaned against the back of the sofa, his long legs crossed, hands folded on his thighs, arrogantly watching Tiger and his remaining men who were barely holding on to life.
His eyes showed no sign of emotion.
Seeing Tiger in such a miserable state, Suzy felt a chill in her heart.
She cowered, not daring to breathe.
Secretly relieved, she thought, thankfully, every time she contacted Tiger, it was through a hidden number, and she always kept her face covered.
Even if Tiger confessed, Ethan wouldn't be able to trace it back to her.
Before Tiger and his men could speak, Jade reported first, "Sir, we have interrogated them. They claim a woman paid them to kidnap Young Master Alexander. Initially, their goal was to kill Young Master, but for some unknown reason, they suddenly changed their minds."
Like ants, Tiger crawled towards Ethan's feet, attempting to reach out and grab his legs.
However, before his hand could touch Ethan's pants, Jade kicked him away.
"Our master isn't someone you can touch. Dare to touch him again, and I'll chop off your hands."
Tiger trembled in horror. His mouth opened, and blood immediately gushed out.
"Mr. Steele, please spare my life. I didn't know whether that little boy was your son or not. If I had known, I wouldn't have laid a finger on him, even if I were beaten to death."
Ethan looked down at him with disdain, lips slightly parting as he coldly asked, "Who is that woman?"
Tiger desperately shook his head.
"I don't know. I really don't know! Every transaction was done with cash, and when we met, she always covered her face. I couldn't see what she looked like."
If he knew who that woman was, he would make sure to kill her.
Damn it.
He got played by her and ended up like this.
He had inadvertently provoked Ethan, known for his cold-blooded ruthlessness and cunning tactics. He wasn't sure if he would survive this time.
If he did manage to survive, he vowed to hunt down that woman to the ends of the earth and torment her mercilessly.
Ethan signaled to Jade, who promptly brought two sets of hats, scarves, and sunglasses, handing them to Samantha and Suzy.
"Please put on these three items," Jade urged.
Suzy panicked upon hearing this, her gaze evasive and guilty. "Why should I wear these? I won't wear them! I am the distinguished Miss Miller from the Miller Group; I won't wear such disgusting things!"
Samantha understood Ethan's intentions and didn't hesitate to put on the hat, scarf, and sunglasses. After all, she had nothing to hide.
Impatient, Jade urged Suzy, "Miss Suzy, please cooperate with me."
Suzy sought help from Anna, saying, "Aunt, what does this mean? Do they suspect that I am the kidnapper of Alex? He is my biological son; how could I possibly do such a thing? It's an insult for Ethan to doubt me."
Anna held her hand, about to say something, but then heard Samantha's cool voice, "If you haven't done anything wrong, why are you afraid to wear them? Seems like you have a guilty conscience."
Suzy clenched her teeth in anger, seeking help from Anna again, "Aunt, what they're doing is ridiculous. Alex is my biological son; why would I kidnap him? What would be my motive? Don't you think this is absurd?"
Anna thought Suzy had a point.
Suzy had no motive.
Compared to Suzy, Samantha seemed more likely to have a motive.
"Ethan, Suzy is right. You shouldn't force her..." Anna began to say, but Ethan interrupted, "I want results. If you believe you can find the mastermind, then let you handle it, okay?"
This sentence left Anna unable to utter another word. Anna reluctantly closed her mouth, casting a helpless glance at Suzy.
Ethan, expressionless, issued a final ultimatum, "If you refuse to wear them, I will order someone to enforce it."
With Anna no longer providing support, Suzy suddenly lost all confidence. She bit her lower lip, unknowingly breaking the skin.
Under Ethan's imposing gaze, she eventually took the scarf, sunglasses, and hat from Jade and put them on one by one. To avoid being recognized by Tiger, she deliberately wrapped the scarf around her neck.
Ethan signaled to Jade, who removed her scarf and tightly wrapped it from her forehead to her chin, leaving only her eyes exposed. Then he helped her put on the sunglasses.
Tiger looked at her, unconsciously furrowing his brows. She resembled the person, but not entirely.
Ethan positioned Samantha and Suzy side by side. Though not identical, as sisters, their height and body shape showed minimal differences. With the accessories on, they looked like a single person.
Tiger, feeling disoriented, shook his head hopelessly. "I recognize the figure; it's one of them, but they are too similar. I can't tell which one it is. But..."
He took a deep breath, causing Suzy's heart to leap into her throat. Tiger continued, "But I remember the woman's voice. It should be her..."
Pointing with his blood-stained hand, he indicated Samantha.
As he made the accusation, the air seemed to freeze, plunging into a deadly silence.
Everyone stared at Samantha.
Panicking, Samantha shook her hands, denying vehemently, "It's not me! I don't know him at all. How could it be me? I've just returned to the city, how could I know such a person...?"
Unfortunately, her words sounded feeble and powerless at this moment.
***