Chapter 1179
“I’m doing okay, really,” Elliana insisted, her worried eyes scrutinizing Arthur and Milton. “Both of you are injured. How bad is it? Why not have your injuries treated now?”
At that exact moment, the door swung open again to reveal Clifton, Kieran, Heather, and Damian—the specialized team that Elliana had sent to Skythread Gorge to rescue Arthur and Milton.
Though none of the four appeared to have serious injuries, their clothes were absolutely filthy, plastered with thick mud and covered in bits of dried grass and leaves. They looked like they’d been dragged through the wilderness.
“They’re just minor cuts and scrapes, nothing serious at all,” Milton said reassuringly, trying to ease her worry. “We’re incredibly lucky you sent Clifton and his team when you did. Without their help, Dad and I probably wouldn’t have made it back home.”
A heavy wave of self-chastening crashed over both Arthur and Milton as they thought about what their rescue had cost. Elliana had sent her own trusted people to save them, which had left her dangerously vulnerable and exposed. That decision had given Maxine and Miguel the perfect opportunity to strike at her when she was most defenseless.
But Elliana didn’t feel even a hint of regret about her choice. She was just overwhelmingly grateful that her father and brother were standing here alive and relatively safe. “Milton, please tell me exactly what happened out there.”
“It was Miguel who set the whole trap,” Milton began, his voice dark and angry. “He used Carlos as his messenger to lure us to Skythread Gorge. Miguel had prepared this incredibly elaborate ambush with one single goal—to kill both Dad and me. We were so terrified about what might happen to my mom if we didn’t cooperate that we didn’t dare bring backup or reinforcements. We followed the instructions to the letter and walked straight into Miguel’s trap. We almost died there, but at the very last moment, something unexpected happened. Carlos went against Miguel’s orders and deliberately gave us a chance to escape.”
“Carlos actually let you escape?” Elliana asked, her eyebrows pulling together in complete confusion. Nothing about that made any sense at all. Why would Carlos suddenly turn against Miguel at such a crucial moment, when everything was on the line?”
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Her mind immediately jumped back to the security footage she’d watched of Carlos leaving the hotel. There had been something about the way he moved, something that had struck her as strangely familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it at the time.
“It was absolutely intentional on his part,” Milton explained, his voice still carrying traces of disbelief. “But we have absolutely no idea why he would choose to betray Miguel like that. After we managed to get out of Skythread Gorge, we were both in…”
The entire experience had been an absolute nightmare from start to finish, but at least they’d all survived.
Thinking about that, Elliana could only let out a quiet breath of relief and gratitude. Suddenly, a specific person flashed into her mind—someone whose build and silhouette matched Carlos’s figure perfectly. They looked far too similar to be a coincidence. Their body shapes were absolutely identical. Quentin. Carlos had to be Quentin.
.
.
.