The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1610

Wolf's concern for Wynter had led him to act impulsively, making him vulnerable to false leads.

The location he had been tracking was actually a decoy Wynter had left behind, designed to prevent anyone from trying to monitor her movements.

In reality, the cars leaving the village were merely the usual distraction they used. It wasn't that anyone in Nexus had sensed something abnormal, it was just part of a well-rehearsed plan for them to put a few cars out at times like this.

The purpose was to divert and shift attention away from the town center in case someone from above came to investigate.

This method was thanks to Fredric working in the province. They would never have thought of it otherwise. After all, the ones most familiar with criminal investigation techniques were, of course, their insiders.

Thanks to powerful connections shielding them, it was easy to escape suspicions. As long as they used the right methods, no one would notice any suspicious activities other than the demolition project. Moreover, this project served as an ideal cover for them.

They were the safest as long as they were not found. This plan had allowed them to bypass numerous surprise inspections in the past.

The sudden power outage in town had set Edward on high alert. Paranoid by nature and meticulous in his methods, he mobilized the entire town, ensuring that every corner was active and ready to respond to potential disruptions.

For an ordinary surveillance team, his decoys and distractions could have easily gone unnoticed. And of course, Wolf, despite his skill, had allowed his emotions to cloud his judgment.

Tracking the decoy cars risked exposing their movements, just as Edward intended. His bait served a single purpose—to flush out any hidden threats.

In typical cases, a lack of movement was often a precursor to a major operation. If the Special Unit were to act on Wolf's impulsive decision, it could lead to a disaster.

Luckily, other than Wynter, the Special Unit also had an experienced criminal investigator on the team, Dahlia Carroll. She wore a pair of thick, black-rimmed glasses and looked like a character straight out of a TV show.

Normally, she appeared somewhat slow and detached, but in moments like these, she was sharp and quick.

She immediately raised her head to say, "Hold off. Based on the boss' style, she wouldn't leave without sending us a signal.

"Right now, the town's without power. The fact that she hasn't sent any updates means everything's proceeding as planned. Our job is to report the situation here. We should wait for the boss' order."

Despite his narrowed gaze, Wolf remembered Wynter's advice when he first joined. She had always told him to ask Dahlia when in doubt. This meant that if Wynter wasn't around, uncertain decisions would be left to Dahlia to make.

"I've analyzed the opposition's approach. This is an organized, highly intelligent group. For Valen Village to stay unnoticed all these years and for Nexus Corporation's records to be this airtight shows that they have strong evidence-covering and counter-surveillance skills.

"The cars may seem like they're leaving in random order, but they're actually following two distinct routes. I suspect they're very familiar with us, and this is a baiting tactic. We can't lose our cool right now." Dahlia adjusted her thick glasses.

She was speaking a lot, intending to calm Wolf down. After all, if Wolf really lost it, he could tear the place down, and only Wynter could truly restrain him. With Wynter's safety on the line, he was understandably on edge.

Wolf could barely hold still, feeling an urge to smash something. But since the message had emphasized that he should cooperate with the operation, he reluctantly lowered his ears, keeping a fierce look on his face.

He narrowed his eyes and placed his feet down. Nothing seemed to have changed on the surface, but something stirred underground.

The evil spirits who had emerged from the ground and shrunk back after the encounter with Dalton were now glancing at one another. They instantly realized that this place, once rich with the malicious energy to nourish them, no longer felt as hospitable for their survival.

If they weren't mistaken, they had just sensed an Ancient Beast's presence. They couldn't believe Ancient Beasts still existed at this age. They thought these creatures had long been suppressed by Heavenly Luck.

Legends said they'd been torn apart, some leaving only skeletons buried in icy wildernesses, while others vanished without a trace. Their existence was only a myth now. But now, here it was. Had an Ancient Beast awakened?

The evil spirits instinctively retreated. Though they couldn't identify which Ancient Beast had reawakened, they knew that whichever it was could devour them all in a single bite!

The evil spirits could sense the danger in the underworld. However, on the surface, everything remained calm and peaceful.

By early evening, villagers were starting to return from their jobs in the city. The influx of cars blended in with the typical rush-hour traffic, making it impossible to distinguish which vehicles might hold any real threat.

Thankfully, the Special Unit hadn't acted impulsively. Had they moved, their cover might have been blown. Soon, the very vehicles that had driven out earlier circled back, as if nothing unusual had transpired.

"They've managed to get the power equipment working again. It's already past 5:00 pm. Another outage would definitely raise suspicions," Dahlia murmured.

She knew their counter-surveillance measures were extremely thorough, so they couldn't afford any hasty moves. "Relay all updates here directly to the boss."

This time, Wynter might need to handle everything by herself until nightfall. To catch them in the act, they would have to wait until the group finally did the things they wanted to.

When Wynter received the message, she was scanning documents in the examination room. The wording alone was enough to make her feel sick to her stomach.

The records mentioned phrases like "The Great Fox King wants a lamb's uterus", "The Tiger King prefers lamb's hearts", and "Defective lambs are best for soup".

At first glance, it looked like an assortment of metaphors involving animals. But Wynter couldn't take them at face value, especially in this environment.

If her suspicions were correct, then "fox", "tiger", and "lamb" referred to people. The first two represented those seeking twisted pleasures. And the "lamb" was most likely a chilling reference to the female students brought here!

In some of Cascadia's oldest myths, spirits and monsters referred to humans as "four-legged lambs". Here, it seemed clear that these girls' fate involved far more than mere trafficking or exploitation.

What was more alarming were the words "uterus" and "heart".

Wynter didn't hesitate. She quickly took out her phone and captured every detail of the documents and the scene before her.

The facility boasted cutting-edge medical equipment, yet its purpose starkly contrasted with that of a hospital. While a hospital saved lives, this place was meant to strip life away.

The guards stood outside, casually smoking and chatting, blissfully unaware of their critical oversight. Their biggest mistake was being adamant in bringing "Eliana" in. Now that they had captured her, they failed to keep an eye on her.

Elsie had previously already observed her behavior with suspicion. Wynter, however, was shrewd enough to sense this and had calmly sipped her fruit juice, ensuring they saw her drink.

What no one knew was Wynter's immunity to common sedatives. And while she drank, she pressed a silver needle hidden in her sleeve against key acupuncture points, keeping herself fully alert.

Wynter had always been ruthless, not just toward criminals but toward herself as well. This relentlessness had been the reason why she was able to take on Special Unit operations from a young age.

Once she'd gathered enough evidence, she sent everything to the team.

Moreover, these customers were all wealthy and influential. They hadn't come for maintenance in some time, and now they'd finally gathered together.

Naturally, the staff had to step forward to serve them, and the salespeople were especially eager, hoping to perhaps sell another luxury car.

"It's too dark of a color. Let's pass on that today," a middle-aged man said, dressed sharply in a suit with a family ring glinting on his finger. He placed a black card on the table. "I only want a maintenance service today."

The moment the black card touched the surface, one of the attendants, who had been keeping an eye on the proceedings, stepped forward. "Excuse me, sir, may I ask who you are?"

The man, Hozier Moodie, was gaunt to the point of emaciation. He removed his sunglasses and spoke with his lips tinged with purple. "Tiger," he murmured.

"Ah, it's a pleasure. Welcome, our new guest. Per our standard procedures, please come with me to change into the attire you previously reserved with us," the attendant replied smoothly.

Hozier was visibly anxious. He hurriedly asked, "Am I really able to—"

"Sir, this isn't the place for discussion. Please change first," the attendant interrupted.

Hozier gritted his teeth. A friend had referred him here. He didn't quite understand the place, but the more complicated the process, the safer it was.

At first, following the GPS, he could hardly believe that someone would actually conduct this kind of business around the city center. But the fact that it existed was good—it was his only chance to survive!

Just then, the electricity came back. Every machine roared to life in an instant.

Listening to the sounds outside, Wynter reclined back on the hospital bed. Edward, who had vanished for quite some time, rushed back in.

"We don't have time. Get them all to the venue first. You all know who the rare goods are meant for. There shouldn't be a need for me to say more.

"Make sure everyone checks each guest's information carefully—no mistakes allowed. Alright, notify them to start letting people in," Edward instructed.

Melanie merely replied with an unenthusiastic nod.

Thus, the girls were carried out of the dark room. However, they did not ascend to the surface. Instead, they were led into a dimly lit, cold interior where a faint light barely illuminated the surroundings. In the center of the basement was a stage with a table, surrounded by dozens of chairs.

Wynter and the others were brought there with their eyes covered. They couldn't see anything but could smell the strong scent of disinfectant mixed with the noisy voices around them.

The other two girls were terrified. "Where is this? Didn't they say we were going through a second round of interviews and were sponsored to study abroad?"

But no one responded to them. Meanwhile, Wynter had already figured out their purpose. She kept quiet, trying to convey fear of the unknown through her expression.

Soon, the leader gave orders to a few masked individuals, "Take them to another room and wait for the boss' instructions. I'm heading to the auction site now, so keep a close eye on them!"

After speaking, he too donned a mask and walked toward the stage.