She couldn't be bothered to waste another word on him. Even looking at him filled her with disgust. She lowered her head and, without a second thought, sank her teeth deeply into his arm. Zane let out a muffled grunt—he didn't let go at all. His eyes blazed with bloodlust. "Bite me. The harder you sink your teeth in, the stronger our bond gets." Psycho! Darcy clenched her jaw, fury humming, and swung her knee toward his groin—then a chill pricked the side of her neck. She looked back in panic and saw a needle jabbed into her shoulder. An icy liquid flooded her system. Before she could struggle, her whole body went limp, like cotton, and she began to slide towards the ground. Zane caught her by the waist and held her tightly. He closed his eyes, joy surging through him like something lost and found again. "Darcy, we'll soon be back to how we used to be." After placing her in the car, Zane received a call from Ines. "Zane, that ship you're catching later? All sorted—no one's gonna hassle you. Hey, you still haven't spilled what you're planning, though. Why take a ship instead of a plane?" Zane said, "Don't ask too much. I have my reasons. Ines, go abroad tonight too. Take the earliest flight you can get." With Jethro's resources, he'd trace it back to Ines before the night was over. Ines panicked. "Wait, what did you do? You didn't kill someone, did you?" "No. I'm taking Darcy away for a while.""...What the hell? You say what?" "Ines, don't ask. The less you know, the better for you." After hanging up, Ines wiped cold sweat from his brow. Mad! They're all mad! Every last one of them! He hurried upstairs to pack a suitcase. Ten minutes later, passport in pocket, he ran downstairs, not even noticing his jacket was on inside out. "Mom, I'm going on a trip abroad for a few days!" Before his mother could react, he took off like he was on fire. His mother sighed heavily, "How old are you, still running around all the time? Never grown up." Meanwhile, at the entrance to Darcy's apartment complex, Jethro, impeccably dressed, sat in his car waiting for her. He was incredibly nervous, taking deep breaths.He had just calmed down a bit when he couldn't resist checking his appearance in the mirror again. After inspecting every detail twice and confirming nothing was amiss, he suddenly realized how dark it had gotten outside. He checked his phone. His last chat with Darcy was from an hour ago. What could Uncle possibly need her for that takes this long? Ah, Uncle... please be considerate. Your nephew's future happiness depends on tonight. Don't hold me back! Unable to wait, Jethro called his uncle. "Hello, Uncle. What are you up to?" He was testing the waters, his underlying message being—If you're not busy, let my girl go. Alistair snorted, "You greedy boy! Did you hear Seren made steak tonight? If you want some, come over. It's just ready, still hot." The smile froze on Jethro's lips. He quickly asked seriously, "You're at home right now? Not at the campus?" "I didn't have any classes today. Why would I be at the campus?" If that was the case, why did Darcy say Alistair wanted to see her? If Alistair hadn't summoned her, she should have been home long ago if she was riding a bike. Why was she still missing after an hour? A heavy, ominous feeling settled in his chest. He hurriedly ended the call with his uncle and immediately dialed Darcy's number. No one answered the first time. Maybe she's riding and didn't hear it. After a few minutes, he called again. But still no answer. He began to panic. Gripping his phone, he immediately turned the car around and sped towards the university. He didn't see Darcy along the way.Maybe she went home first? He took a deep breath, turned back to her apartment complex, ran to her building, and rang the doorbell. Ione opened the door. Jethro asked breathlessly, "Ms. Gale, is Darcy back?" Ione was taken aback, shaking her head. "No. I called her ten minutes ago, but she didn't answer." Jethro's heart sank to the depths. Darcy really is in trouble. Ione saw the change in his expression, her own heart leaping to her throat. "What's wrong with Darcy? Is she missing?" "Ms. Gale," Jethro said, steadying her, "she'll be okay. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to her." Ione's eyes reddened. "I'll come with you to look for her." Jethro hesitated. What if I find Darcy and then her mom goes missing? That would be even worse.He placed a hand on Ione's shoulder. "Ms. Gale, let me go. I promise I'll bring her back home safely." Ione wiped away her tears. "Alright." Downstairs, Jethro closed his eyes, forcing his mind to work. Uncle clearly didn't summon her, yet she said he did. That means someone deliberately passed her a false message. Who? And for what purpose?