Chapter 6
When Joshua saw the unfamiliar number, a strange sense of fear crept over him.
He looked like he couldn’t bear to answer it–frozen, hesitating, afraid to face whatever was on the other end.
Standing nearby, Amelia noticed his hesitation. Without warning, she grabbed the phone from his hand and hit the answer button.
“Priscilla, I’m warning you–come back right now,” her sharp voice rang out through the room.
Her fingers, tipped in red polish, clenched tightly around the phone.
She continued, “You’re unbelievable! Running off like this? Are you trying to scare us into doing what you want, huh?
“Remember, you’re blind. Let’s see how long you last out there without
us.”
Joshua suddenly snapped out of his daze and lunged for the phone, but Amelia dodged him with ease.
She purposely switched to speaker mode and leaned into the phone, her voice cold and mocking. “Oh, I get it. You’re jealous that Joshua treats me better, right?
“Thinking you can run off and play the victim to get his attention? What a joke.
“Listen carefully, you better get back here now. If you mess up Joshua’s career, let’s see if he even bothers to look at you again.”
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Chapter 6
“Give me that phone!” Joshua shouted.
There was a deep panic in his voice that hadn’t been there before.
“Ms. Devlin.” Out of nowhere, a cold and unfamiliar male voice spoke through the phone, terrifyingly calm.
211 Vothers
As soon as Joshua heard it, his chest tightened. A wave of dread washed over him.
He had heard that voice once before, and it was impossible to forget.
“The way you handled the corpse was sloppy. You’ve got three hours left before it’s found.”
“Ahhh! Who are you?!” Amelia screamed and threw the phone away, her hands shaking with fear.
Joshua’s eyes blazed with rage as he turned toward Niko and Mila. He ordered sharply, “Get out!”
The two people were scared by what they had just heard and quickly ran away, disappearing from sight.
Joshua took a deep breath, grabbed the phone Amelia had tossed aside, and slowly lifted it to his ear.
“Are you the Shadow Dealbringer?”
The man on the other end chuckled before speaking in a slow, steady tone. “Want a way out of your situation?
“Bring the token and find me at the trade house.”
“Where’s Priscilla?” Joshua asked in a panic.
The man replied in a cold voice, “You’ll know when you arrive.”
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Without wasting a second, Joshua rushed upstairs and began searching through the main room cabinets like a madman.
Amelia followed him, confused. “Joshua, what’s going on?”
He didn’t respond. He only stopped once he discovered a bloodstone hidden in the cabinet. He clutched it tightly.
This was the item used to make deals with the Shadow Dealbringer.
I had planned to retrieve this bloodstone that day, but Joshua and Amelia talked me out of it.
Now the two of them raced off to the trade house with the bloodstone.
Inside the dimly lit house, I was sorting out the account books with my head down, my hair falling on my pale cheeks.
When the bell above the door rang, I looked up with a calm, professional smile. “Hello, Sir. How can I help you?”
Joshua stopped in his tracks at the entrance, and the bloodstone slipped from his hand, landing on the floor with a soft clink.
His mouth quivered as he looked into my eyes. The eyes that were supposed to be blind were now sharp and full of life again.
“Pris… Priscilla? Please… help me…”
His voice sounded rough and broken, and he tried to reach out and touch my face.
I stepped back slightly, a puzzled look on my face. “Sorry, Sir. Do I know you?”
