Third Person's POV
"I don't know, I can't find her!" Leo's voice was filled with frustration and anger. "If she really teamed up with Olivia to deceive me, I won't let her off the hook."
Blake detected the barely contained fury in Leo's tone, as well as the underlying despair.
He tried to soothe him. "Leo, don't jump to conclusions. Maybe they didn't flee together. Keep looking for Sunny."
"Alright, I'll keep looking," Leo agreed, more out of hope than conviction.
He couldn't shake the confidence that Sunny wouldn't betray him. He trusted the sincerity in her eyes; she genuinely cared for him.
After escaping from the hospital, Olivia immediately called Richard.
Her hands trembled as she dialed, fear and despair coursing through her.
When Richard answered with a casual "Who's this?"
Olivia erupted. "Richard, did you kidnap Sunny? Let her go right now! Our feud is between us—don't involve her."
"You've been avoiding me. Why the sudden call?" Richard sneered.
"You bastard, what do you want? I'm warning you, leave Sunny out of this!" Olivia shouted through gritted teeth.
"Did you tell Blake about what happened back then?" Richard's voice turned cold and mocking.
"I didn't! I told you, I'll take those secrets to my grave," Olivia insisted.
"You swore, but how can I be sure you haven't talked?" Richard's laugh was icy.
"Think, Richard. If I had, do you think I'd still be alive?" Olivia hissed.
"Olivia, don't take me for a fool. Your daughter is dating Leo. All she has to do is put in a good word for you," Richard said, sly as a fox.
Olivia's face drained of color. She clenched her phone, her breath catching. "What do you want from me? If you want me dead, fine! I'll jump off a building right now. Just let Sunny go, and I'll die in front of you!"
"Betrayal comes at a cost, Olivia. You understand that, don't you?" Richard growled, convinced that Olivia had leaked evidence and the Royal Pack was just waiting for the right moment to arrest him.
"What do you want from me? Richard, don't push me too far!" Olivia screamed into the phone, her face contorted with rage.
"I want you to turn yourself in to the police and confess to killing Marc all by yourself," Richard said coldly.
"Fine, I'll do it. Will you let Sunny go then?" Olivia was resigned, willing to do anything to ensure her daughter's safety.
"Not enough. You also have to tell Leo that Sunny is your daughter and that everything you've told him before was a lie," Richard added, his voice like ice.
"What? You can't do this! Sunny isn't my daughter……"
"You told me so yourself back then. Whether it's true or not, you'll tell Leo, and let him verify it," Richard said.
Olivia stood frozen, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"You're a devil! I'll turn myself in, I'll give up my life, but you can't ruin my daughter's future!"
Olivia wailed in agony, terrifying passers-by who hurried away, thinking her mad.
"Think carefully. Which is more important: her future or her life?" Richard was adamant, confident that Olivia would submit.
"Wait, I agree!" Olivia finally capitulated. A mother's love knew no bounds.
"Good. No tricks. If I find you playing games, your daughter dies. Such a beautiful girl, it would be a pity for her to meet a gruesome end," Richard warned indifferently.
"Don't touch her, or I'll fight you to the death!" Olivia was out of threats, forced once more to trust the devil.
"Rest assured. As long as you do as I say, she'll return to you unharmed," Richard sneered before hanging up.
Olivia collapsed onto the curb, her eyes hollow and lifeless.
Spotting a river nearby, she approached it and threw her phone in—she would follow Richard's orders. The phone was nothing but trouble.
"Hey, Olivia, what are you doing?!" A panting bodyguard, searching for her, rushed over and yanked her away from the river. "Trying to commit suicide?"
Seeing the two breathless, panic-stricken bodyguards, Olivia felt a stab of guilt and muttered, "I'm sorry."
"What's gotten into you? Why did you run?"
"Fear. I wanted to escape," Olivia said flatly, her eyes empty.
"What are you afraid of?"
"Because I'm a murderer," Olivia replied calmly, as if resigned to her fate.
Her words struck the bodyguards like thunder. Their faces drained of color.
"Are you alright? Murder is a grave crime. When did this happen?" The bodyguards tried to stay composed, but their voices betrayed their terror.
"Take me to Leo. I have something to tell him!" Olivia lifted her head, took a deep breath, and seemed to have made a monumental decision.