In an instant, everything around her turned pitch black. Lily hadn’t even had time to react before they lifted her off the ground. She hadn’t eaten anything all evening, and now, being carried by these men, her stomach was being pressed against their shoulders. A wave of dizziness hit her immediately, making her head spin, disorienting her completely. All she could hear now was the chaotic sound of footsteps, clearly indicating that it wasn’t just one person—it was several.
As Lily gathered the strength to call for help, she was suddenly thrown to the ground. She heard a man snort, and without a second thought, she pulled the bag off her head. Right beside her, a man lay on the ground, clutching his stomach, groaning in pain.
Lily’s eyes widened in surprise.
It was William Edsel?
She didn’t have time to wonder why William was at such an extravagant party hosted by the Thorntons. In that split second, one of the kidnappers drew a sharp dagger and aimed it at William. Without hesitation, Lily pushed herself off the ground. She kicked the dagger out of the kidnapper’s hand, then quickly removed her high heels, throwing them aside. Spreading her arms out protectively in front of William, she turned her head slightly and said to him:
“Go find help!”
But right after speaking, she realized something was off. Why was she, a fragile woman, telling a grown man to go find help while she stayed behind to fight off a gang of kidnappers trying to abduct her?
While still processing that thought, the kidnapper lunged at her again with the dagger. Swiftly reacting, Lily grabbed his arm and pushed the dagger downward, pinning it to the ground. At the same time, she landed a powerful kick, sending another man who was charging at her flying.
William’s eyes widened in astonishment. He couldn’t believe that the gentle, soft-spoken Dr. Bennett, who couldn’t even ride a bike, was someone with such incredible skills. The shock was so overwhelming that William stood frozen, staring at Lily in awe.
A woman, fighting four strong men to protect a man standing behind her—who could ever believe such a sight?
At that moment, the kidnapper aimed the dagger at Lily again. Without thinking, William pulled Lily aside, but the dagger plunged deep into his arm. Blood gushed from the wound instantly.
The kidnappers, likely mere thugs, had been avoiding fatal blows during the fight with Lily, afraid of causing a serious incident. But now, seeing the blood, they realized that this woman was no easy target. They glanced at one another before immediately fleeing. Lily wanted to chase after them and find out who had hired them, but when she saw William’s arm drenched in blood, it was clear that the injury was severe.
“Where’s your phone?” Lily asked William.
“It’s in the left pocket of my jacket.”
His right arm was too injured to lift, but at that moment, who cared about social propriety? Without hesitation, Lily removed his jacket and pulled out his phone to call the police. Fifteen minutes later, the sound of an ambulance siren echoed through the air. Lily had been carried to a location not far from the main gate of the Thornton estate. She didn’t have time to search for Maxwell, so she decided to accompany William to the hospital in the ambulance.
Maxwell had been waiting for a long time in the main hall, but Lily still hadn’t returned. Instead, Zelda Bennett was clinging to him, refusing to leave his side. Maxwell glanced down at his watch—Lily had gone to the restroom twenty minutes ago. There was no reason it should take this long. Without a word, Maxwell brushed past Zelda and headed straight to the restroom.
Zelda smirked coldly and followed behind him. At the same time, Caliy Thornton emerged from the restroom. When she saw Maxwell standing at the door of the women’s restroom with a grim expression, she raised her eyebrows in confusion, looking back at the sign to confirm she was in the right place. After verifying, she turned to her brother and asked, "What are you doing here?"
“Did you see Lily in there?”
Caliy shook her head, “No, I was the only one inside. She’s not there.”
Without another word, Maxwell rushed to the security room on the second floor. Two guards were sitting there, sipping coffee and eating their dinner. When they saw Maxwell suddenly storm in and start reviewing the surveillance footage, one of them couldn’t help but ask quietly:
“Mr. Thornton, is there a problem?”
Maxwell didn’t bother to respond. He had a bad feeling about what might have happened to Lily. The security monitors were connected to all the cameras around the estate, and Maxwell wasted no time in checking the footage to figure out what had happened to her.
The video from twenty minutes ago outside the restroom began to play. Maxwell frowned as he watched Lily get grabbed and carried away by a group of masked men. His expression turned icy cold. It was as if a heavy stone had been dropped into the darkest part of his heart—his face remained composed, but inside, he was burning with fury. His fists trembled as he watched the scene unfold. Without a second thought, Maxwell dashed out of the security room.
“Lily, please, don't let anything happen to you. I can't lose you.”
The two guards exchanged nervous glances before one of them jumped up. “Something’s wrong. Call for backup immediately!”