Beyond the Divorce novel Chapter 1167

Ryan's revelation sparked my intense curiosity.

I pressed for more details, asking, "And? Is there anything else?"

"No... You know the situation, and I was on borrowed time. Plus, when I started investigating, I realized that finding even this bit of information was quite a lot of trouble," Ryan replied earnestly.

"When did you think about looking into this?" I was curious.

"It was after returning to Bibury and recalling when we first met, along with everything that happened afterward. I wanted to help you figure out the things you've been suspicious about. But once I started digging, I found out how peculiar it all was."

I had complete faith in Ryan's words. It seemed my parents were not what I expected. They weren't northerners, and certainly not from Bibury.

"Finding that old teacher was incredibly difficult, and the old man is almost 90 years old now, but he's sharp as a tack, with a remarkably clear mind. He said he felt uneasy after getting that large sum of money, so he decided to relocate his whole family to the capital.

"It took a lot of time and effort for me to find him. Following up further became challenging due to a lack of leads and time constraints. I even extended my vacation and took almost a month off before returning to Foswood with Joyce."

"Looks like there's a story here," I murmured into the phone.

"Yes, I even suspect... Though it's just a suspicion… That your surname might be fake," Ryan told me. "I thought I could continue my investigation if I could go back to Bibury during Thanksgiving."

My head throbbed again. I massaged my temples absentmindedly and said, "It looks like it must be related to this notebook."

I thought about the formulas in that notebook, wondering what they could be.

Could my dad have connections to Bermuda? I hesitated to let my thoughts wander any further.

If they were from Bermuda, how did I end up in their hands?

"Chlo... Chlo, are you still listening?"

Atlas immediately understood, reaching for my phone. The police officer in charge promptly gave instructions to his prepared team. "Get ready to trace their location."

"Got it!" The IT specialist was ready and waiting.

Atlas calmly answered the phone, and the voice on the other end spoke again. "Time is running out. Let me repeat, I want that notebook."

"Sure, but I’ll need to see if the hostage is safe, or there's no deal." Atlas's voice remained firm, not yielding an inch. "The item is in my possession, but if you want it, you'll have to follow my instructions. I warn you, if anything happens to him, you know the consequences."

I understood. Atlas was intentionally prolonging the call. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said so much.

The IT specialist stared intently at the computer, fingers rapidly dancing on the keyboard, and all we could hear was the clicking of the keyboard.

"Don't be so arrogant, Atlas. Let me see the notebook before I show you the hostage. I set the conditions for this game. Don't forget, the hostage is in my hands," The kidnapper said sinisterly.