Chapter 823: Self-Rescue

Preston Vance looked at the white sweater she was wearing and said in a low voice, "Your clothes are too conspicuous. Put on my jacket."

He handed her his black jacket, revealing the dark turtleneck sweater he wore underneath.

Chloe Reed nodded, thanked him, and put on his jacket to lower her chances of being spotted.

Preston observed the situation outside again before moving to the door. After confirming the coast was clear, he grabbed Chloe by the wrist and led her straight out. They couldn’t hide in one place forever; they needed to find a vehicle and get out of there. The darkness was the signal for those mysterious assailants to begin their hunt, but it could also serve as their own protective cover.

Chloe looked around nervously but didn’t see any sign of Fiona Linton. A wave of worry inevitably rose in her heart. She wondered where Fiona could be right now.

Meanwhile.

Fiona Linton and the bodyguard had taken refuge in a bar prep room.

The cabinets were lined with all sorts of liquor. The window was open, and the chaotic sound of footsteps and faint screams drifted in from time to time. The bodyguard was busy contacting his teammates.

Fiona was extremely worried. "I haven’t seen Chloe at all. She couldn’t have been caught, right? Ugh, have you gotten in touch with your team yet?"

The bodyguard’s face was ice-cold. "Shut up!" he hissed.

Through his earpiece, his teammate’s voice sounded grave. "I’m sending you the topographical map of the estate. We’re outnumbered, and the situation is bleak. I’ll try to cause a commotion on my end to draw away some of their attention. You need to find Mrs. Grant as quickly as possible and get her out of there."

After a pause, the teammate added, "Also, Mr. Grant is here. He arrived just five minutes after the power went out at the estate."

The bodyguard’s expression grew even colder. Walker Grant’s eyes hadn’t recovered yet; things were really getting out of hand.

He simply replied with a "Copy that" and fell silent, leaning by the window to survey the terrain outside. The map was quickly sent to his phone. He studied it carefully and confirmed their current location.

Fiona leaned closer and whispered, "What’s the plan?"

"We need to go out, find Mrs. Grant, and then leave," the bodyguard replied.

Fiona blinked her large eyes. "Can’t we just make a huge noise to attract the attention of the people outside?"

The bodyguard frowned. "We could try, but the success rate is low. Today is the Spring Festival. At this hour, people are already setting off fireworks everywhere. No matter how much noise we make here, it will be hard to catch anyone’s attention. People would only assume someone was setting off firecrackers nearby."

"What are we supposed to do, then..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the door was suddenly thrown open.

Fiona and the bodyguard snapped their heads toward the sound. The bodyguard already had his pistol drawn and aimed at the doorway. When they saw Preston Vance and Chloe Reed walk in, they both breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Fiona immediately rushed over and pulled Chloe into a tight hug. "Chloe!"

Suppressing her excitement, she called her name in a tiny whisper. "I was worried sick about you. Thank goodness you’re alright."

Preston was quite surprised. "I can’t believe you guys are here, too."

Fiona looked at him. "What do you mean by that?"

Preston looked at Chloe and said, "She just came up with a plan to set the entire estate on fire. It’ll create a commotion big enough for the people outside to notice us. It’s our best glimmer of hope."