Betrayed, But Not Defeated novel Chapter 10

As Charlene stepped outside, she didn't see any trace of Daniel. She opened the front door, only to find Jennifer banging on it frantically.

The moment Jennifer saw Charlene, she grabbed her by the arm. Frustrated, she asked, "Charlene, be honest with me—are you secretly involved in something illegal?"

"What? No! Absolutely not!" Charlene waved her hands nervously, her heart pounding with unease. Fear crept into her thoughts. She dreaded the possibility of Jennifer finding out about her relationship with Daniel.

With a skeptical snort, Jennifer strode into the house. "Don't lie to me! We're best friends. Even if you've done something wrong, you should tell me so we can figure it out together. But if you keep it from me...

"Where's Daniel? Daniel, come out here!"

Striding into the living room, she began calling for him.

Charlene, still flustered, quickly said, "Jennifer, calm down. Nothing is going on between me and Daniel. We... Um... Have you had breakfast?"

Jennifer sat on the couch, but not seeing Daniel convinced her that something was off. "Charlene, just tell me—where did you hide Daniel? I know I said you could borrow him for a month and do whatever you want, but I didn't mean for you to… To kill him!"

"Huh?" Charlene was stunned, staring blankly at Jennifer.

With reddened eyes and a voice full of concern, Jennifer said, "Sure, Daniel may be a fool and my dog, but I've cared for him over the past three years! I lent him to you, and now, you've gotten rid of him so soon? You…"

Charlene finally relaxed, laughing as she sat down beside Jennifer. "What nonsense are you spouting? I'm not some crazed killer. How could I have killed Daniel? He probably just went out. He's fine—alive and well."

"Really?" Jennifer exhaled deeply, unable to hold back a relieved smile. As long as Daniel was still alive, that was all that mattered.

"Of course," Charlene confirmed, nodding vigorously. "Jennifer, you know me. I'm afraid of even stepping on an ant, let alone killing someone.

"Besides, we live in a society governed by law. Even if Daniel's a fool, he still has the right to live. Killing him would be a huge problem for me. And honestly, he's not entirely foolish."

Jennifer chuckled. "He's not foolish? That guy can barely find his way back home. Charlene, why don't you just return him to me? I can see you're not really interested in tormenting him anymore. I'll just take him back today."

"What? No. That won't work!" Charlene quickly waved her hands. "He's out right now, and I'm not sure when he'll be back. We agreed I could borrow him for a month. Don't tell me you're getting attached to him?"

"Charlene, be very careful when dealing with them. That company is nothing but a bunch of thugs—ruthless, overbearing, and completely unreasonable!"

Charlene sighed helplessly. "There's no other choice. My cosmetics company is struggling right now, and Obsidian Group happens to be representing a major airline procurement. My company is done for if I can't secure this deal."

The two friends continued chatting, and the topic soon shifted away from the suspicious smell in the living room.

Meanwhile, Daniel was already speeding toward an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town, moving as fast as lightning.

A red SUV was parked not far from the warehouse. Inside the car, Laila was trembling with fear.

"Ms. Ballard, I'm here," Daniel said, appearing beside the vehicle.

Laila finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him. She pointed toward the warehouse and whispered, "Mr. Ashcroft, they took Mr. Fuentes in there. We should call the police. They have at least 200 people, and many of them are armed…"