Playtime's Over, CEO: She's Really Done With You-Chapter 478: Closer Than We Ever Were?

Caleb Lawson hadn’t hung up the phone the entire way, and the voices of everyone here could be heard on the other side.

Clara Huxley was about to explode with anger!

"Chairman Lawson, our Hawthorne Family hasn’t wronged your Lawson Family!" Clara shouted loudly, "Don’t tell me Serena is one of the Lawsons, she divorced Julian Lawson long ago, and it was Julian who let her down first!"

"Serena is a free woman!"

"Today, Serena is marrying Silas, what does the Lawson Family mean by kidnapping her!"

Clara was practically shouting.

She had already seen the surveillance footage, Serena didn’t want to go; it was Julian who covered her mouth to stop her from calling for help.

They had just checked the door to the dressing room, which still had scratch marks, likely left by Serena as a signal.

This was violence, a forced kidnapping!

Silas Hawthorne’s anger surged even more. He had already mobilized all his resources, checking the surveillance footage to see where Julian had taken Serena!

He still remembered the last time...

The last time Julian almost forced himself on Serena, she nearly broke down.

This time, what was Julian intending to do to Serena?

"Serena, wait for me..."

Silas picked up the walkie-talkie: "Dig three feet through Aeston to find them!"

"Yes!" came the chorus response from the other side.

Everyone sprang into action.

Everyone outside the venue started searching, and the scene became chaotic in no time.

Then, all of Aeston was in an uproar.

At first, people didn’t know what had happened, but soon everyone knew.

Serena was taken by Julian, and the Hawthorne Family was searching for her.

And it wasn’t just the Hawthorne Family.

The chapel was a scene of uproar, everyone knew Serena had disappeared.

All those who could help sent people to aid, the Ford Family, Quentin Family, Lynch Family, Lloyd Family...

On the ground, people and vehicles were everywhere; in the sky, countless drones and helicopters were flying, a complete mess.

Everyone was looking for Serena!

The police were also alerted, immediately setting up roadblocks and checking surveillance once they understood the situation.

"What’s going on?"

"How did Julian manage to kidnap her?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"We’re not sure. I heard Silas Hawthorne had security strengthened tenfold for this wedding, with countless additional manpower. Who knows how Julian got in."

"Is there a mole? Someone let him in?"

"Very likely..."

...

The commotion was too great; the whole city was practically turned upside down.

Even the Lawson’s Moonlight Manor opened its doors for people to search.

But they couldn’t find anything.

They had no idea where she was taken.

About half an hour later, Silas received the latest news.

"They’ve left the city." It was Chloe Langley’s voice, "Surveillance on the cross-river bridge exiting the city caught sight of Julian’s car."

"Which direction are they heading?" Silas asked, veins bulging on his hand gripping the steering wheel.

"Wait, there’s another car?" Chloe said, "Silas, wait, there are several cars exiting the city in different directions. Determining which one Julian and Serena are in will take some time."

"Bang!"

Silas punched the steering wheel, accidentally hitting the horn, creating a loud honk.

"Beep——"

Silas picked up his phone again, reaching out to countless people, pursuing every direction out of the city.

They must catch up!

Tears welled up in his eyes.

He hated this feeling of helplessness.

Unable to protect the one he loved.

It was like being back to his weaker self from before.

"Serena, where are you..."

...

On the other side.

Serena’s hands were handcuffed behind her, tied to the back seat of Julian’s car.

Her mouth was taped, preventing her from making any sound.

She kicked the door hard with her legs, but to no avail.

"Mmm, mmm!"

She tried to make a sound, but Julian only focused on driving, ignoring her entirely.

Silas must be worried, along with all their friends at the scene, Bianca, Jasper Ford, Ethan Lynch...

And Seraphina.

Would Seraphina be scared?

Thinking of this, Serena struggled harder and kicked the front seatback vigorously.

Only then did Julian glance at her through the rearview mirror.

Their eyes met in the mirror.

Julian’s eyes were bloodshot, and he said, "Serena, don’t blame me, I can’t just watch you marry him."

"Mmm!"

Serena kicked again.

This time, Julian didn’t pay her any more attention.

Instead, Serena’s effort pulled at her bound arms.

The pain of tearing shot through her, bringing tears to her eyes.

Through her tear-blurred vision, she saw the car driving further into a remote area, now heading into the mountains.

This was a place without surveillance cameras, making it harder to find her later.

Julian glanced at Serena in the rearview mirror, the events from half an hour ago still vividly clear.

"You look beautiful."

After he said this, Serena turned around, the smile on her face slowly fading.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I’m here to see you," he said.

"Well, you’ve seen me, you can leave now." She turned to the side, "I don’t want to keep you for the wedding feast."

"Serena, do you have to be so heartless?" He looked at her, sorrowful, "We were happy together once."

"That was your happiness." She turned around, her eyes slightly reddened, "I wasn’t happy."

His words were blocked, leaving him speechless.

While she seemed to have opened a floodgate of emotion.

"I wasn’t happy when you ignored me."

"Seeing you with other women, not happy."

"Day by day, waiting for you to come home to an empty house, not happy!"

"Losing the child... not happy at all!"

Her voice echoed in the dressing room.

He stood in the corner, head bowed, finally pleading, "It was my fault, I’ll treat you well from now on."

He said, "Serena, don’t marry him, okay?"

"I can’t agree to that," she replied, then reached for her phone, "I’ve already accepted Silas’s proposal."

The next moment, he snatched her phone away.

"Silas?" Jealousy and anger simmered in him as he looked down at her.

She turned her face aside and said defiantly, "Yes, it’s a pet name between us."

"Closer than what you and I once had?" he asked.

She looked at him with reddened eyes, firmly replying, "Yes, I love him."

She reached out her hand, "Give me back my phone."

But there was no way he would return it.

He locked his red eyes on her, "Serena, I really have my reasons, please hear me out."

"After hearing your reasons, will you leave?" she asked, her face void of any love for him.

He stopped, heart aching terribly.

The next instant, two things happened at once.

She shouted for help, and he covered her mouth as soon as she uttered the first sound.

She struggled fiercely, even biting his hand until it bled, but he didn’t let go, forcibly taking her to the car.

He had to take her away.

He couldn’t let her marry Silas Hawthorne!