Chapter 256

When Bianca received a call from Jasper, she remained motionless for several seconds before reacting.

She quickly shouted into the phone, "Jasper, where are you right now?"

Sitting beside her, John paused for a moment upon hearing Bianca's shout, then quickly leaned in to listen to the phone.

In the shadowed recesses beneath a bridge, Jasper, clad in a black jacket, was completely hidden in the darkness.

"I can't tell you where I am right now. I can't guarantee if your phone is being tapped. Have John call me back on this line later," Jasper said indifferently before hanging up the phone.

Bianca frowned as the call ended. She looked at John beside her, her gaze seeking his advice.

John immediately dialed the number again, and soon, Jasper's voice came through the phone.

"I didn't expect you to react so quickly. It seems you're right next to Bianca," Jasper said lightly with a smile.

John, not in the mood for small talk, coldly responded, "You didn't tell me about embezzling so much money from the company."

Jasper didn't care about John's accusation and said with a smile, "This family's fate is sealed. Rather than wasting money on a lost cause, it's better to keep it for ourselves."

John squinted and asked on the phone, "Have you made up your mind?"

Jasper nodded on the other end of the line, his tone becoming very serious. "I don't have much time to waste with you. I need to leave this country. If you want shares, I can sign a contract with you, but you have to give me money and help me leave the country."

"You think you can mess with me and still make demands?" John said with a cold smile, shocked by Jasper's nerve.

Jasper's voice grew colder. "Mr. Williams, the amount of money I need is nothing for you. This shouldn't be an issue. If you don't want the shares, I can go to Mason. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to snap up my shares."

With that final declaration, Jasper ended the call, knowing that John wouldn't want Mason to have the shares. He remained by the river, enveloped in the stillness of the night, awaiting John's inevitable response.

Soon, Jasper's phone rang, and a smug smile appeared on his face.

"It seems Mr. Williams has made a decision. Have you agreed to my terms?" Jasper asked with a smile.

With a cold expression, John clutched the phone and intoned, "Give me a location. I'll send someone to meet you and sign the contract. They will also help you leave the country."

"Fine. Meet me at the Moonlit Lounge in Coral Haven Port at 3:00 AM," Jasper said curtly, and hung up.

Jasper stared at the gloomy river, his face a mask of grim determination. Betrayed by his wife and daughter, he had nothing left now. He needed to skip the country with that embezzled cash, but being on the run, he couldn't do it alone. So he'd gone to John for help.

"I'm not some powerless, vengeful loser. Once I leave this country, I'll leave behind my wife and daughter, start a new family, and not cause any trouble for you," Jasper murmured with a cold smile, then rose and made his way toward the Moonlit Lounge.

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit apartment, a man was bound to a chair, his body and the chair securely fixed with tape, making it impossible for him to break free. His mouth was gagged with a piece of cloth and taped shut, rendering him unable to call for help.

The man struggled to move the chair with all his might, but his efforts only caused only the slightest movement of the chair.

Finally, as the man was running out of strength, he managed to reach the stereo.

With one last effort, he pushed the chair over, hitting the switch on the stereo with his head.

Loud music blared from the stereo as the man lay on the ground, waiting quietly.

Due to the late hour, the loud noise irritated the neighbors. Some came to knock on the door to ask him to lower the volume, while others called the police.

Soon, the police arrived, but no matter how hard they knocked, there was no response from inside.

In the end, amidst strong protests from the surrounding residents, the police were compelled to force entry.

As the door was kicked open, the police saw the scene inside the room, and the man who was tied up flashed a hint of relief in his eyes. He was finally rescued.

"What's going on here?" the officer asked as he untied the man.

The man shouted in anger, "It's Jasper! I'm his assistant, and that bastard stole my phone, my clothes, and my wallet!"

The two officers exchanged worried glances and quickly escorted the assistant back to the station.

On the other side, Michael was sleeping in bed with Isabella when suddenly his phone rang, causing Isabella, who was half asleep, to frown and squirm in Michael's arms.

"Who is it, dear? Who's calling you so late?" Isabella murmured in Michael's arms.

Michael also frowned as he picked up the phone from the bedside and glanced at the display.

"It's Jerry calling. Must be something urgent, or he wouldn't call at this hour," Michael explained before answering the call.

Jerry knew about the relationship between Michael and Isabella, so he wasn't worried about Jerry exposing his identity.

Isabella, with languid grace, fluttered her eyelids open, holding onto Michael, listening to Jerry's voice coming through the phone.

"Mr. Williams, just got word from the police station that Jasper's assistant was kidnapped by Jasper. Jasper broke into his home, stole a phone, some money, and a piece of clothing. Jasper's assistant has been rescued and is currently giving a statement at the police station," Jerry said urgently.

Isabella and Michael, their senses now fully roused, exchanged a glance laden with silent concern.

"And what about my father? Did his assistant mention where he went?" Isabella asked.

Jerry on the other end of the line paused for a moment, realizing that Michael and Isabella should be sleeping together at this time.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Williams. Still no news about your father. After Jasper robbed his assistant, tied him up, and questioned him about recent events, he left. We suspect he might call John, so we investigated the assistant's call records and found a call to Bianca," Jerry reported over the phone.

Isabella, now fully alert, leaning against the bed with the covers, contemplating seriously about what to do next.

Meanwhile, Michael gave direct orders to Jerry, "Keep a close eye on John!"

Isabella and Michael weren't fools; they quickly caught on to Jasper's intentions. He was clearly planning to sell his shares to John and use John's influence to escape the country.

Jerry had already figured this out before he called Michael. However, the information he received left him feeling uneasy. The informant he had planted near John had been dismissed. According to the intel, John hadn't discovered his presence yet, but he had gathered a group of his most trusted associates, clearly gearing up for something significant.