Dopamine Addiction - Chapter 55

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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55.
Hee-ju nodded, and Liam bolted into the darkness without a sound.
Had she not been watching him, she wouldn’t have noticed he was there at all.
Crouching low, Liam approached the window and quietly peered inside. Bingo.
…….
Margaret’s arms and legs were bound to a chair, and a dirty cloth was stuffed in her mouth.
Emma waved a document in her hand, her voice rising in fury.
“Sign it if you don’t want to die! Right now!”
Margaret shook her head firmly. Unable to contain her rage, Emma slapped her across the face.
The blow landed with a crack. Margaret’s head snapped to the side. Emma grabbed her by the collar, then seized a knife from the table.
“If you don’t sign right now, this blade goes through your belly.”
Muffled sounds escaped Margaret’s gagged mouth.
“Think I’m joking? Later, when you’re begging for your life, it’ll be too late.”
Emma seemed half-crazed. She’d taken the enormous risk of kidnapping Margaret, and the woman’s refusal to cooperate was grinding her nerves to breaking point.
Liam kept his eyes fixed on the window as he flicked his fingers. Hee-ju and Peter, moving low and silent just as Liam had done moments before, crept toward the garage.
Liam whispered softly to the two of them.
“I’ll kick the door open and go in. I’ll suppress Emma immediately, and you two protect Margaret.”
“Understood.”
Hee-ju nodded with solemn resolve, then tilted her head to confirm Margaret’s position.
Their eyes met for just a moment. Margaret’s widened in recognition. Hee-ju brought a finger to her lips.
At the same instant, Emma’s head whipped around.
!
Hee-ju flinched in alarm and quickly dropped her head. Had she been spotted?
Her face drained of color. Her heart hammered wildly, threatening to burst from her chest.
“Ready?”
Liam’s voice came calm and steady. At those words, her racing pulse settled into a steady rhythm.
Hee-ju drew a deep breath and nodded. He took position at the door while she and Peter pressed themselves behind the wall.
Liam held up three fingers. Two. One. The moment his last finger folded, he kicked the door.
Bang!
The ancient wooden door splintered with a crack. Liam sprinted into the cottage, while Hee-ju bolted in the opposite direction.
Liam suppressed Emma before she could even register what was happening, wrenching her arm behind her back.
“Aaaaaah!”
Emma screamed in agony. At the same time, Hee-ju reached Margaret.
“Are you alright, Margaret?”
She hurried to remove the gag, then worked at the rope binding Margaret’s hands. The knots were pulled tight and wouldn’t budge easily.
“Move aside!”
Peter picked up the fallen knife and began sawing through the rope.
The moment Margaret was free of the restraints, tears burst from her eyes. The relief had opened a floodgate of emotion.
“Oh my God. Thank you, Hee-ju, Liam. And Peter!”
“Are you alright, ma’am? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I don’t think so.”
Margaret rose to her feet with Hee-ju’s support. But her balance wavered, and she stumbled.
“Margaret!”
Peter caught her other arm. Leaning on both of them, Margaret steadied herself despite her trembling.
Liam took the rope that had bound Margaret and used it to tie Emma’s hands and feet.
“Let go! What are you doing? I can’t get free like this!”
Emma thrashed and screamed. Hee-ju released Margaret’s arm and walked over with purpose.
She bent down, picked up the dirty cloth from the floor, and walked straight to Emma. Kneeling, she shoved the gag into Emma’s mouth.
The positions of Emma and Margaret had been perfectly reversed. Hee-ju brushed off her hands and stood.
“Much quieter now. At least we can have a conversation.”
Liam let out a soft laugh and looked her over from head to toe, as if checking for injuries.
“I don’t know how to repay you both.”
At Margaret’s words, Hee-ju offered a warm smile.
“Rather than the Mansion, it would be better to go to Peter’s House. The Mansion needs to be cleaned first.”
Peter nodded without needing to be told, then turned his gaze toward Emma. His eyes had darkened with betrayal.
“How could you, Emma, how could you…!”
Margaret placed a hand on his arm.
“It’s all over now, Peter.”
A long sigh escaped him.
Peter’s eyes shifted to Liam.
“What will we do with Emma?”
“We’ll leave her as she is. If someone finds her, that’s fortunate. If not, so be it.”
Muffled protests burst from Emma’s gagged mouth.
Emma thrashed in fear, suddenly aware that this was a remote, isolated cottage far from any help.
Peter looked down at her with cold eyes.
“Yes, let’s.”
More frantic sounds from Emma.
The four of them left the cottage in turn. As Liam was the last to exit, he switched off the lights so that if anyone passed by, they wouldn’t suspect anything amiss.
After a long walk, Peter and Margaret got into the back seat while Liam took the wheel.
Liam turned the car around and retraced their path. The vehicle pulled up in front of Peter’s House as they entered Downtown.
Peter got out first and offered Margaret his hand to help her from the car.
But then he looked back at the two still inside and frowned in confusion.
“Aren’t you coming in?”
“We’ll say goodbye here.”
Liam leaned across Hee-ju’s shoulder to answer. She turned to look at him.
“I have a feeling something troublesome might happen.”
The meaning dawned on her. Since Margaret had called Peter from the Mansion, the CIA might show up here at any moment.
She asked quietly.
“You think they’ll come here?”
“Better safe than sorry.”
Liam replied in a low voice, then turned to Margaret.
“Your niece won’t trouble you again.”
His certainty made Margaret close her eyes tightly. She placed one hand over her heart, then opened her eyes and nodded.
“Thank you both. I think perhaps my husband sent you to me. I will pray for your futures.”
“You said you have connections with the Police Department chief? Ask him to handle the aftermath.”
“I will.”
Hee-ju offered her a kind smile.
“I hope we can meet again. Take care of yourself. Oh, one more thing.”
A thought had just occurred to her.
“Tell me.”
“Do you know anyone named Allan Smith?”
“Allan Smith?”
Margaret gazed upward as if searching her memory. After a moment, she shook her head.
“I’ve never heard that name. Is it someone I should know?”
“No.”
Hee-ju laughed as if it were nothing. Margaret leaned forward slightly to meet her eyes.
“Be careful on your way, Hee-ju.”
“It was good to meet you.”
“It was good for me too. Very good.”
Then Liam turned his attention to Peter.
“Could I ask you for a favor, Peter?”
“Anything.”
Peter nodded with solemn conviction.
“Anything at all. I’ll do it with my life on the line.”
“You don’t need to go that far.”
Liam paused there and reached out his hand to Hee-ju.
“Can I have your Cell Phone?”
Hee-ju handed over her Cell Phone without question, though her expression showed confusion. Liam passed it to Peter and left him with a few instructions.
Peter’s face brightened with confidence.
“Don’t worry. I can drive for three hours if I need to, not just two.”
“Then I’m counting on you.”
“Actually.”
Peter suddenly spoke up, meeting Liam’s eyes directly.
“If you two are in trouble, why don’t you take my car instead?”
“Hmm.”
“I’ll put this one in my Garage. And if I’ve said too much, you never heard it.”
Liam smiled at that. By now, the CIA would have the vehicle’s license plate, so switching cars was a smart move.
“Then while we’re at it, let’s accept one more kindness.”
Peter nodded and quickly ran to the Garage, returning just as fast with his vehicle.
It was a Jeep Truck, the most common model. With the engine already running, Peter stepped out of the driver’s seat and walked toward the Sedan, saying:
“The key’s in the ignition. I’ll park this car in the Garage, so go now.”
“Thank you, Peter. I don’t know how to thank you.”
Peter shook his head firmly at Hee-ju’s words.
“I’m the one who should be thanking you. You pulled us out of hell.”
Liam had already settled into the driver’s seat, and the moment Hee-ju took the passenger seat, he drove off.
After Peter had parked the Sedan in the Garage and closed the door, he walked back to Margaret, who stood alone.
A faint smile crossed his lips.
“It truly seems Melpis sent those two to us.”
“If it hadn’t been for Liam and Hee-ju…”
Margaret trailed off, exhaling deeply. Peter patted her shoulder gently.
“Let’s go inside for now. We can figure out how to explain this to the chief later.”
“Yes.”
The two of them turned and walked into the house.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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