Ethan answered Jordan's incoming call.
"Jordan, what's wrong?"
"Ethan, is Natalie still at your place?"
Jordan's voice was frantic, bordering on sheer panic.
Ethan frowned. "She left a long time ago. She walked out right as I was calling you earlier. Why? Hasn't she made it home? Maybe she went out, or went to see her mom. Can't you just call her?"
Jordan breathed out, his voice shaking. "We're screwed. It's really her."
"Jordan, what the hell are you talking about?"
Jordan spoke rapidly. "Natalie sent me a text. She said the police dragged her in for questioning. She claims she was set up, that someone framed her. I tried calling her back, but it went straight to voicemail."
"I thought maybe it was one of those scam texts, which is why I called you to see if she was still there. I already checked with Cynthia, and she hasn't been to her mom's house either."
"If the cops actually took her in, God knows what kind of mess she's dragged us into this time. I told her to just stay home and rest, but she refuses to listen!"
Despite the massive cracks in their marriage, Jordan still cared deeply about his wife.
The thought of her sitting in an interrogation room, screaming about being framed, had his nerves completely frayed.
"What did she do this time? Did she go after Isabella again and finally get herself arrested?"
Ethan hadn't connected the dots between Natalie's arrest and Barbara's kidnapping.
Given the Carter family's strict information blackout, very few people knew about the abduction. Jordan, lacking the vast intelligence network of the Adams family, was completely in the dark.
"Wait, that doesn't make sense. She couldn't have run into Isabella today."
Ethan corrected himself.
Isabella had left early that morning for a beach getaway. Only when Barbara was taken did Harold and Isabella cancel their trip and rush back to the Carter estate.
She kept her voice perfectly level as she replied. "I've been with Harold all day. The only time I saw Natalie was first thing this morning before we left for our trip. Didn't she go to Ethan's place?"
"And no, my manager hasn't called me. She didn't cause a scene at the shop today. I honestly have no idea why she would be at the police station."
"So you didn't press charges against her? Then what the hell did she do?"
Jordan muttered to himself over the line.
"Why don't you just go down to the precinct and find out?"
"She said they took her to the Cabinda Police Headquarters, not the local precinct. Even if I go, they probably won't let me see her. But fine, I'm heading there now."
Jordan ended the call.
Isabella slowly lowered her phone, looking across the table at Harold and Barbara. "Natalie was just detained by the police. She's likely in custody right now, which is why her phone is off. She managed to text Jordan right before they took her in."

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