II
"Serenity Grand is on lockdown? What do you mean? I have a facial appointment today!"
Luxury cars belonging to wealthy socialites were backed up outside the Serenity Grand Hospital parking garage. A massive line had formed, and nobody was being allowed in.
Naturally, nobody was being allowed out, either!
"Who knows? I have no idea what kind of case the police are working on to be raiding a place like Serenity Grand. It's a hospital! Do they think a fugitive came here for a nose job?"
"I have a massive gala to attend tonight. I booked my filler appointment a week ago!
If I can't get it done today, am I supposed to show up looking like this?"
"What about my husband's reputation?"
Similar complaints echoed from the interiors of a dozen luxury vehicles.
Some had already pulled out their phones, aggressively dialing their connections to demand the blockade be lifted.
Unfortunately for them, the order had come directly from Arthur Garrison.
No one dared to pull strings to bypass him.
Even if they could, no high-ranking official was going to risk their career for their wife's or their mistress's-botox appointment.
Unless they actually wanted to be investigated for corruption!
At that point, throwing their wives under the bus was the only logical choice.
All these women cared about was spending money and maintaining their looks anyway.
It didn't matter how pretty they made themselves; their husbands had grown bored of looking at them years ago!
Someone with a bit more sense discreetly called Arthur's office to inquire what kind of criminals warranted such a massive show of force.
Arthur gave a stark, calculated response: A genius-level student from The Cabinda University had been abducted by an elite Sundara syndicate, and their ultimate goal was to extract Solenia's top intellectual assets.
If they didn't lock down the hospital, were they supposed to just watch as one of the nation's brightest minds was dragged off to Sundara to become a weapon against them?
Once Arthur painted the situation in such severe terms, nobody dared to make a scene, let alone demand the hospital be reopened.
If it had been ordinary kidnappers, it would have been one thing. But anything involving Sundara espionage instantly triggered Solenia's absolute, iron-fisted authority.
No one questioned Arthur's extreme measures anymore. Doing so would imply sympathy for Serenity Grand, and by extension, sympathy for foreign spies.
Realizing the hospital was sealed and their connections were useless, the socialites were furious.
The smarter ones simply turned their cars around and went home.
Missing one facial wasn't worth interfering with a national security crisis.
But there were those who were so exceptionally self-absorbed they believed they were royalty.
For example, the woman in the lead luxury SUV. Having waited for the barricade to open and losing her patience, she threw her door open and marched out.
"What exactly is going on here? Do you have any idea how much money you're
costing me by wasting my time?"
"There are foreign dignitaries
attending the banquet I'm going to tonight. Were talking about billions of dollars in business deals! bet me inside right now!"
A security guard glanced nervously at the heavily armed police officers standing nearby and tried to reason with her. "Mrs. Monroe, it's not that we won't let you in. The police have Hocked down the perimeter
"What police?! If you're looking for someone, go look for them. What gives you the
right to shut down an entire hospital?"
"Who exactly did you lose? The President's daughter?"
This Mrs. Monroe genuinely spoke without a single thought passing through her brain.
Her screeching immediately caught the attention of Hillary, who had just arrived at the perimeter.
Hillary, already burning with adrenaline and desperate to breach the building to save Claire, marched straight up to the woman.
"What kind of garbage are you spewing?"
Silas reached out, but he wasn't fast enough to grab Hillary's arm.
He hesitated for exactly one second before letting her go.
Seeing someone dare to yell back at her, the wealthy woman flew into a rage.
"Excuse me? Am I wrong? If it isn't someone important, why the hell did they lock down the entire hospital?"
"People these days get a tiny sliver of authority and think they own the world..." Her mouth was a runaway train of entitlement.
This time, Silas did grab Hillary's arm, genuinely terrified she was about to beat the woman into the pavement.