The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled-Chapter 277: A Swift Arrival

Gemma Thornton and her men arrived swiftly.

Unfortunately, before that, Thea Lockwood could hardly bear it anymore, so she could only ask the bodyguard accompanying Helen Lloyd to knock her out. By the time Gemma Thornton arrived with the convoy, Thea Lockwood was lying safely on the back seat of the car. All of Ethan Caldwell’s men formed a tight perimeter, standing guard strictly over the two captured individuals on the outside. Those two had been knocked unconscious and thrown to the ground, utterly stripped of any chance to resist.

Gemma Thornton opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle with an expression of immense urgency. She did not come alone, apart from her close aides, her father, Harrison Thornton, followed right behind her.

Faced with this man’s overwhelming presence, even someone who always maintained composure like Helen Lloyd felt her palms sweating slightly, her breathing growing tense. But very quickly, she took a deep breath to force herself to calm down. Normally, in crucial and decisive meetings like this, it would never be the turn of a subordinate like Helen Lloyd to speak directly with Harrison Thornton.

However, the situation was compelling at this moment; both her boss, Ethan Caldwell, and Julian Sterling were absent from the scene. She had no other choice but to step forward herself to face and explain everything to Harrison Thornton. She carefully arranged the words in her mind. Naturally, the information she provided remained perfectly consistent with what she had told Thea Lockwood earlier, ensuring no loopholes were exposed.

"Is that so?"

Harrison Thornton’s voice was quite deep and frigid. His bright, piercing eyes, incredibly sharp, swept over the scene before resting on Helen Lloyd. Even in the split second he spoke those words, Helen felt as if he had long seen through everything unfolding and assessed the truth behind it all. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Nevertheless, she could not reveal her discomposure, only able to maintain a facade of calm and firmly reply: "Yes."

Harrison Thornton cast another profound glance at her, then merely nodded slowly without probing further, seemingly accepting this explanation for the time being. He withdrew his gaze, shifting his attention to look at his daughter. At this moment, seeing that Gemma Thornton had carefully lifted Thea Lockwood from the back seat with a face full of anxiety, Harrison stepped closer and asked, "How is Thea?"

Gemma Thornton furrowed her brows tightly, feeling the abnormal heat radiating through the layers of clothing, and hurriedly replied: "Thea is too hot, the temperature is still not dropping."

Harrison Thornton looked back at Helen Lloyd: "Do you have the antidote?"

"The situation is urgent. We have contacted a doctor who is an acquaintance. His skills are excellent, and confidentiality is guaranteed. It is just that he has not yet landed..."

"What about your boss?"

"The boss has Julian..." At this point, Helen Lloyd’s voice trailed off. She did not need to continue the rest. Any adult would understand. If one was drugged and could not flush the stimulants out in time, the best method was simply to make love.

It was an aphrodisiac, after all; getting it all out was enough.

Hearing this, Harrison Thornton understood as well. His complexion darkened slightly. He frowned for a moment, a trace of sharp contemplation flashing through his eyes. Ultimately, recognizing the critical situation on both sides, he had to accept this alternative: "Would you mind if my daughter uses this private elevator to return to her room?"

Their rooms were all located on the same VIP floor. Furthermore, given Thea Lockwood’s current condition, Gemma Thornton and Thea could not possibly return through the main entrance of the hotel now. Doing so would easily attract unwanted stares and compromise the overarching plan. Naturally, with his influence, Harrison Thornton undoubtedly possessed a private passage similar to theirs. However, moving to that area now would waste even more time, and time was currently the utmost luxury.

"Of course, it is not a problem. I will personally accompany you to ensure safety. Are you coming up as well, Mr. Thornton?" Helen Lloyd answered swiftly, her demeanor measured and thoroughly professional.

Harrison Thornton shook his head in refusal, his cold gaze sweeping over the two figures slumped on the ground: "There is no need. I will handle the remaining matters here. Just hand those two over to me to deal with, and help my daughter bring Thea safely back to the room."

Having spoken, he signaled for Gemma Thornton to carry Thea toward the elevator doors. Meanwhile, the two unconscious culprits were quickly and roughly hauled up by his henchmen and stuffed straight into the trunk of a waiting private car. Seeing this scene, Colin Grant furrowed his brows and took a step forward, wanting to intervene. They had gone through so much trouble to capture those men, how could they easily let someone else take them away before managing to extract even the slightest bit of information?

But instantly, Helen Lloyd raised her hand to gesture for Colin Grant to stop, her eyes warning him not to act rashly.

Helen Lloyd understood the current situation with utmost clarity. Unless Ethan Caldwell himself were present to negotiate, with their status as mere subordinates, they possessed absolutely no right to obstruct Harrison Thornton’s decisive actions. If they stubbornly clashed head-on right now, it would inadvertently push the fragile cooperative relationship with Harrison Thornton into a much worse state. That would throw the grand scheme into chaos, ultimately only benefiting the mastermind pulling the strings from the shadows.

Helen Lloyd instructed Colin Grant to remain there and monitor the surroundings, while she walked briskly ahead to lead the way for Gemma Thornton and Thea Lockwood into the elevator. To ensure absolute security, Gemma Thornton’s side brought along a highly experienced bodyguard, and Helen Lloyd’s side also had one person accompany them.

The atmosphere inside the elevator was quite silent. The exclusive elevator ascended swiftly and smoothly. Helen Lloyd carefully carried a signal jammer that completely concealed their movements, successfully opening the doors to escort Gemma Thornton and Thea Lockwood into the room. Only after confirming that everything inside was in proper order did she and the two bodyguards quietly withdraw.