Barnaby was baffled.

Silas saw the confused look on Barnaby's face and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "You know Dr. Yoder who's always around the boss, right?"

Barnaby's expression turned dark immediately.

"Of course, who doesn't know him? That guy's got no filter. His words cut like a butcher's knife."

Many of them had been verbally attacked by Finley. If the boss was around and Finley was there too, it was best to keep their distance. Otherwise, they'd find themselves caught up in something before they even realized it.

Silas nodded in agreement. "Yeah, his curiosity gets the better of him. His mind can't catch up with his mouth.'

Barnaby was at loss for words.

Silas continued, "So, don't be curious!"

Curiosity always led to trouble when one's mouth was faster than their brain.

Silas walked off, while Barnaby scratched his head, still intrigued by the woman Hull had brought back.

He quickly caught up with Silas. "The boss has always been a look-but-don't-touch kinda guy. Do you think things have got better in there now?"

Silas paused, his heart lurching. His hand instinctively flew to clamp over Barnaby's mouth, eyes contracted as he glanced at him.

He dragged Barnaby towards the car.

"Goodness, Barnaby! You trying to pull a Dr. Yoder here? Let me remind you, Dr. Yoder almost ended up swimming with the fishes thanks to our boss."

Silas made a mental note to keep a safe distance from Barnaby in the future. There were plenty of gossipers around, but Barnaby seemed to have a talent for picking the most dangerous topics to chatter about.

...

Up on the second floor of the villa, Susanna lay sprawled on the bed, half-conscious. In her hazy state, she thought she heard someone ranting nearby.

Something cool brushed against her lips. Parched as she was, it felt like a blessing sent from above, and she drank eagerly.

Hull observed Susanna's flushed face, her fever clearly raging. He administered some fever-reducing medication, followed by a few sips of water.

Once she swallowed the pill, Hullnoveldrama

attempted to retrieve the glass from her grip, only to find her clinging tightly to his arm. She seemed desperately thirsty.

His expression turned stormy. He barely controlled his urge to throw this weak woman out. "Spoiled princess can't handle a breeze, can you?"

If she fell into certain hands, who knew what kind of suffering she'd endure.

After ensuring she'd drunk the entire glass, Hull thought she'd let go of his arm and hence, tried to pull away, but Susanha only held on tighter. Her delicate brows furrowed, and

she mumbled softly, "Mom, Mom..."

Hull's face darkened further. Who was she calling "Mom"?

"Open your eyes and look at me."

He grasped her feverish chin, trying to force her to open her eyes, but she was too far gone to respond. The proximity was unnerving; he could feel the heat of her breath against his skin.

Suddenly, the phone buzzed. Fishing it out, he saw it was Susanna's, displaying an unfamiliar number. Hull answered it, and before he could speak, a cold, threatening voice crackled through the line. "Ms. Tucker, hand over the items. If you don't, then..."

The voice paused, and then went on chillingly. "Then, you'll find no safe haven in this world. Everyone around you will suffer for your choices."

Hull's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that a threat?"

The voice on the other end demanded, "Who are you?"

"Didn't they tell you today? Hull Miguel."

Silence followed, and then the unmistakable sound of the line disconnecting.

Whoever was on the other end

clearly hadn't expected to hear Hull's name and hung up immediately. But those few exchanged words were enough to paint a picture of the perilous situation Susanna found herself in.