Silly Bride

Chapter 212

what I heard, she wandered off on her own and ended up being taken hostage by Zyon. Unfortunately, Granny also fell into his hands when she went looking for Rachel.”After a pause, Xavier continued, “Zyon has another accomplice with him, and they’re both armed, so the police have started negotiations with him to keep the hostages safe. He wants the police to provide them with a boat and cash, adding that he’ll only release the hostages once they’ve entered the high seas.”Upon hearing that, Winnie was speechless as her brows furrowed.Alas, the longer she remained silent, the more panicked Xavier was. “What’s the matter, Winnie? Please say something.”With that, Winnie took a deep breath and recomposed herself. “I’m heading over this instance. Where are you now?”“I’m also on my way there. In any case, don’t panic. I’ll be here for you no matter what happens.”Feeling a lot more at ease after Xavier’s reassurance, Winnie replied, “Okay. By the way, how did you find out about this? Is the information reliable? Are Granny and Rachel safe?”Xavier was quiet for a moment as he carefully weighed his options. He didn’t want to lie to Winnie, but neither was he about to tell her the whole truth. After all, he wasn’t ready to let her know that he had been surveilling Jacinta for the longest time.“Ever since Zyon escaped from the Fairchild residence, I was the one who contacted the police to track him down. Someone within the force then shared the information with me, so I have no doubt it’s reliable. Don’t worry. The hostages are presently safe and sound.”“Good! Zyon Fairchild deserves to go to hell!” Winnie said through gritted teeth. “I won’t be letting him off this time round!”As soon as the call ended, Winnie returned to the laboratory and explained the situation to Lionel and Sebastian.Thankfully, the two men were more than understanding.“Nini, this is undoubtedly your top priority, so go ahead and do what you need to do. Leave the work here to us,” Sebastian urged.“That’s right,” Lionel chimed in. “This a matter of life and death, and it should take precedence over everything else. Don’t worry about Sebastian. Once we’ve completed our work, my assistant and I will personally send him home.”“Exactly! I’ll send you a text the second I get home,” Sebastian added. “You need not worry about me.”Now that she had a weight lifted off her shoulders, Winnie jumped into her car and made a beeline for the docks.Since the docks were nearer to the university, it took her just over half an hour to get there.However, a security guard stopped her before she could even drive up to the gate, leaving her with no choice but to roll down the window and try bribing her way through.To her surprise, the security guard stood his ground.“Miss, as much as I’d love to accept your money, my hands are tied. There’s a big case happening inside, so I can’t let you in under these circumstances,” he explained. “Besides, a whole team of police officers has already shown up and sealed off the area. If I still let you enter, I might end up in jail! Please cooperate and drive away, will you?”Determined to give it another shot, Winnie frowned and replied, “Are you really saying no to free money? Don’t you have other entrances here? Point me in the right direction, and I’ll reward you handsomely.”“Of course, there are other entrances, but the security in those places is even tighter because they don’t want the felons escaping from the side doors. Please leave. It isn’t safe here. If you stay any longer, chances are the police will start questioning you.” As soon as the security guard had said his piece, an armed policeman began to march toward Winnie.“This area has been cordoned off! Leave this instance!”Annoyed, Winnie quickly opened the car door and stepped out. “Officer, please let me in. I’m a family member of the hostages!”My goodness, it’s so frustrating when I have no clue about the current situation or if Granny is still safe. I know this isn’t Yartran, where I can call the shots, but why can’t I even gain entry into the docks? How utterly ridiculous!Alas, Winnie’s outburst only heightened the armed policeman’s guard as he swiftly aimed his gun at her.“How did you know about the hostages? Where did you get the information from?”Despite having the gun barrel in her face, Winnie remained unfazed. “It was the hostage who told me herself. Now, if you don’t mind, please let me through. I know the abductor too, so I can try negotiating with him.”“Stand back! Put your hands on your head and lean against the car!” the policeman ordered, ignoring Winnie’s plea and explanation. After all, the only thing that mattered to him was that he did his job dutifully.Winnie knew the policeman had begun to suspect her, but it never crossed her mind to use force against him.That said,