Chapter 182-1

"Dad, Mom, could you talk to David and have him release Fiona? If you ask, he’ll definitely agree." Geoffrey steeled himself and spoke under sharp glares from his parents.

"There’s nothing we can do about this. You should go to Nathor Palace and plead with him," Logan replied firmly.

Polly’s face darkened. ’These two old fools. Not only have they always been biased toward David, but now they’re unwilling to lift a finger for such a small favor,’ she thought indignantly.

Nevertheless, Fiona was still in the Nathor Palace, so she could only swallow her frustration. After all, she was still young—she would live to see them die.

"Logan, Tara, I apologize on behalf of my sister," Polly pleaded. "She’s been taken to the Nathor Palace. Who knows what kind of torture she might face? Even if we go, David won’t let them out. You know him. Besides, if something happens to them in the Nathor Palace, it’ll ruin David’s reputation too."

Logan had been in good spirits when he sat down for breakfast, but now, he had lost his appetite because of his son and daughter-in-law.

"Are you threatening me?" Logan’s gaze was piercing as he looked at Polly.

Polly smiled demurely and said softly, "Logan, how could I ever threaten you?"

"Show them out," Tara ordered, her patience running out. She had already given up hope on her son—he was hopeless.

Polly panicked. ’Without their help, how could I save Fiona? I can’t even enter the Nathor Palace,’ she thought.

The butler smiled and stepped forward to escort them out. "Mr. and Mrs. Charrington, please."

Reluctantly, the couple left the Charrington Manor.

In the car, Polly cried in Geoffrey’s arms.

"Geoffrey, it’s all my fault. I dragged you into this," Polly uttered between sobs. "I thought David simply didn’t like me and Sebastian, but now, he doesn’t even care about your reputation. I’ve been trying so hard to get closer to David, but nothing works."

Polly took the opportunity to sow discord between Geoffrey and David.

Her words seemed to touch a nerve in Geoffrey, and a seething anger rose within him. His tone was hostile as he spoke, "We’re going to the Nathor Palace."

*****

At Nathor Palace, a car from the Locke family slowly pulled up to the entrance.

Two rows of mercenaries stood at the gates, their faces stern. One of them approached the car with a weapon in hand. "Do you have an appointment?"

Quentin lowered the car window and responded coldly, "This car belongs to the heiress of the Locke family."

"Sorry, we don’t have authorization for you to enter. Please leave," the mercenary replied flatly, showing no intention of letting them pass—even if they were from the Locke family.

Cheryl sat in the car, her face twisting into a scowl. She knew the Nathor Palace was heavily guarded but hadn’t expected them to block her vehicle.

Cheryl wanted to lash out at these guards but couldn’t afford to cause a scene. She thought, ’Once I become Mrs. Charrington, I’ll have these impertinent fools fired.’ She lowered the car window and said, "I’m a close friend of David’s, so you can let me through. He wouldn’t mind."

The mercenaries remained unyielding. "If you’re such a close friend, you can contact Mr. Charrington."

As tensions mounted, a Bugatti sped towards the entrance, while infrared sensors scanned the vehicle’s information. The mercenaries recognized the familiar car and immediately saluted, raising the barrier to allow the vehicle to pass swiftly.

Cheryl kept her eyes on the car as it passed through the gates, the respect it commanded making her suspect that David might be inside.

"Who’s in that car?" Cheryl asked.

"We can’t disclose that information. Please leave now, Ms. Locke. If you stay here for over half an hour, we will be forced to take action," the mercenary replied firmly.

Furious, Cheryl could barely contain the urge to slap these guards. She had assured her grandfather that she would handle things today, but if she couldn’t even get in, she would have a hard time explaining herself when she returned.

"You better watch your mouth when you’re talking to Ms. Locke," Quentin snapped, ready to jump out of the car.