novelxo Chapter 1638
And Adrian, his best friend, as precious to him as Ariana and his children, had sacrificed everything to come here, only to disappear.
He didn’t know if Adrian was still alive or not.
Clenching his fists, Holden pushed the thought from his mind.
Since waking up, he had been frantically searching for Adrian, but all his efforts were in vain.
In the dense woods, a missing person often meant only one grim outcome: death at the hands of the wilderness.
Bennett was responsible for this.
Holden’s fury was reaching a boiling point.
He released one hand that had been holding Bennett down and reached for Bennett’s throat, squeezing tightly.
Bennett’s face turned crimson, his breathing became strained, and his brain was deprived of oxygen
.
“Holden…” Fear of death filled Bennett’s eyes.
After a desperate struggle, he grasped Holden’s hand with all his remaining strength, gasping, “If you kill me, you’ll never find Ariana.
I’m the only one who knows where she is.
”
When Bennett brought up Ariana’s name, Holden involuntarily loosened his grip.
He furrowed his brow and shot Bennett a piercing glare.
“I’ve already sent Ariana away.
You can’t deceive me.
”
Bennett, having narrowly escaped a grim fate, took several deep breaths before answering with a touch of sarcasm, “You really have no clue about your girlfriend, or about me, do you?”
He wore a smirk.
“Do you believe she’s safe now?”
A wave of dread washed over Holden.
Was it possible that Bennett had lured Ariana back into danger?
Fury built up inside him, and he could no longer restrain himself.
He seized Bennett by the collar and asked, “Where is Ariana? What have you done to her?”
“What do you think?” Bennett taunted with a sneer.
“The poor woman was too trusting.
She came back searching for you, still foolishly thinking you were unbeatable.
She climbed off a cliff in her search and was kidnapped again…”
He paused, his smile broadening.
“But don’t blame this on me.
I was just about to ensure her safety when she decided to distract the wolves to rescue me and ended up captured.
”
Bennett stressed “to rescue me” deliberately, eager to gauge Holden’s response, possibly looking for a spark of jealousy.