Shadows Of A Forgotten Spring

hapter 166 Chapter 166 68% Annie's phone buzzed sharply, jerking her out of her seething thoughts. A man's nfrom the black market was flashing on the screen. A sly, calculated grin appeared at the corners of her lips as she swiped to answer the call.

"Is it done?" she asked, her voice low and even, but inside her she was jumping with excitement.

She had called him as fast as she could last night.

"Almost," cthe gruff voice on the other end. "The limousine's being stripped for parts at this very minute. You'll have your money by the end of the day." A wave of satisfaction washed over Annie. She leaned back against the headboard, her free hand playing absently with her fake pregnancy bump.

She'd been more careful than anyone would ever give her credit for.

She'd redi tracking device from the car herself. / It had taken her about an hour, but it was worth it. By the tAlexander's team tracked the device to the abandoned lot where she'd dumped it, his precious limousine would be nothing more than scattered parts on the black market.

Her smile widened.

"Good," Annie replied coolly. "I'll be waiting for the transfer." She hung up, staring at the phone in her hand.

The satisfaction of her small victory momentarily eased the weight of the day.

She knew it wasn't enough to keep the expensive lifestyle to which she had becaccustomed.

But for now, it would be sufficient for the next few days.

Her fingers tightened around her phone as her mind raced. She had to be more careful this time. Alexander and his lawyers were obviously searching for her without slacking for a seco But Annie wasn't stupid. She had always been the type to think three steps ahead, anticipating every twist, every possible threat to her plans.

And right now, the biggest threat wasn't Alexander or even Brianna. Not even Emma but Jim. He was the only man who possessed the power to bring her entire life crashing down.

He possessed her darkest secrets.

Videos that would bring her to her knees if leaked. The world that currently pitied her, championed her, and called Emma the villain would turn against her in an instant.

She couldn't afford that. Not now. Not ever.

She sat on the edge of her bed, clenching her hands as her mind raced with possibilities.

Disappearing from the public had given her a little power. That put her at an advantage, at least for now. But Jim was unpredictable, and the longer those videos were around, the longer he'd hold power over her life. 15:27 Thu, Jan 30 t O Chapter 166 168% +5 The thought itself caused her stomach to churn anxiously.

She didn't need to just find him; she needed to erase him and any evidence he had from existence. And the owner of the playhouse was no exception in this case; both of them have to die for her to survive.

She got up and paced across the room, her mind racing a hundred miles an hour. She just could not let Jim bring her down, not after all it had taken her to claw her way back into people's good books. One wrong move, one leaked video, and it would all crumble beyond rectification.

There was the gang, too. Those arrogant fools. They had dared cross her. Like everybody in the world, they had underestimated her, and by so doing, hung their fate. They thought they could manipulate her and get away with it. But Annie was done playing nice. She would make sure they regretted ever messing with her.

Her fingers flew over the screen as she started dialing up every resource at her disposal. First, she had to find Jim. He didn't have the slightest I have the inkling, where she was or how to get in touch, and that gave her a great upper hand. She had no tto waste, waiting for him to make the first step. The very second she found him, she would make sure he never crossed her path again. The gang would feel her wrath soon enough. She had been too lenient, too forgiving. But not anymore.

Now she was ready to show them just how far she was willing to go in order to get the respect she deserves. Nobody lied to Annie and got away with it.

ААААА

Kevin burst into Alexander's office, his phone pressed tight to his ear as someone on the other end spoke frantically. All his professionalism was gone, and a look of concern was written on his face. Though he had never cared much about Annie, Kevin didn't want anything bad happening to her, least of all now with his boss's child in her belly.

Making his way to Alexander's gigantic office desk, Kevin hung up the phone, his hand still shakingm slightly, "Sir," he began, his voice low with the weight of the news. "We finally found your car tracker, but..." He hesitated, his words trailing off as he struggled to find the right way to explain. "The car is gone." Alexander had been reading through a file on his laptop with his usual cold demeanor, but now his gaze snapped up. His brow furrowed deeply, his face clouding in a mixture of confusion and anger. For a moment, he thought he must have misheard. "What did you just say?" he demanded, his voice sharp "The tracker...," Kevin stuttered, desperation clinging to each word. "It was found abandoned, but there's no sign of the car. We suspect Miss Annie might have... might have fallen into the wrong hands." Alexander's jaw clamped shut, his hand closing into a fist. The weight of Kevin's words fell on him like a storm cloud, heavy and relentless. He slapped his palm onto the desk; the sharp crack resounded in the room as he sprang out of his chair. "How the hell does a car just disappear?” he barked, boiling with frustration.

Kevin swallowed hard, knowing the implications of what he was about to say. "Sir, we think maybe she was targeted. The police already know everything; they are already working on her case.

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