Chapter 768 - 767

768  Chapter 767

Ellie hung up and looked over at the group.

Ryan still wore a calm expression, clearly understanding what had happened without needing any explanation.

Meanwhile, Erin smiled brightly and teased, “Did the person quit ages ago?”

Ellie nodded, looking frustrated. “Yeah, the manager said she left about six months ago because of some family emergency. I… haven’t been back to the spa much since I got together with Darien, so I didn’t know. But I did ask for her details. Ryan, can you help me look into it?”

Ryan gazed at his innocent little sister and sighed softly.

Then he glanced over at Keira and Erin.

Keira had a steely look in her eyes as if she already understood everything, and considering her sharp methods, she wasn’t someone to mess with.

As for Erin, she was even trickier. She had this innocent and sweet vibe, but everything she did screamed mischief. Her expression made it clear that she knew exactly what was going on from the start.

Ellie, on the other hand, was truly clueless.

Ryan fiddled with the prayer beads around his wrist and said calmly, “Don’t bother. That info’s definitely fake. You won’t get anything from it.”

Ellie blinked in surprise. “How’s that possible? It’s an ID card, she—”

Mid-sentence, it finally clicked. The gears in her mind turned, and she suddenly blurted out, “You mean… it’s a fake ID?”

Ryan nodded.

Ellie stared ahead blankly. “But why would she hypnotize me? I didn’t have any issues with her. And what about Darien? What’s their connection?”

Keira, after a moment of thought, chimed in, “Asking Darien might actually get us some answers.”

The woman hypnotized Ellie to make her follow Darien’s every command. But was that just to ensure that Ellie would leave the hotel at precisely ten o’clock to cause Ryan’s accident?

Such an elaborate setup, starting three and a half years ago…

Could the South family be behind it?

Keira clenched her jaw. At least they now knew that the so-called South family prophecy was a human creation.

That was progress.

Ellie perked up at Keira’s suggestion and nodded eagerly, waving over the nearby manager.

The manager hurried over and greeted her respectfully. “Miss Cobb.”

“Where’s Darien?”

“He’s locked in the back courtyard. We haven’t taken any further action without your orders. Just roughed him up a little.”

Ellie nodded. “Good, let’s go see him.”

The group of people made their way to the back of the bar.

The bar was a small shop on a commercial street, with a two-story townhouse attached at the rear, complete with a courtyard.

The manager led them to a door and opened it.

Inside, Darien’s groans mixed with Mollie and her group’s pleas for mercy.

“Please! Let me go! I didn’t know who she really was!”

“I’m sorry! I swear I’ll never cross her again!”

Darien was clearly beaten up, clutching his stomach and whimpering on the floor. When they heard the door open, all of them immediately looked up.

As soon as they saw Ellie, they started bowing and begging for forgiveness.

Ellie wasn’t moved by their pleas and simply waved her hand. “Let the other three go.”

The manager immediately ordered the bodyguards to release Mollie and her friends.

Ellie then turned her attention to Darien.

He looked up at her, his voice trembling, “Ellie, Ellie… I love you. Please forgive me. Stop torturing me. I swear I’ve learned my lesson!”

Ellie slapped his face lightly and gripped his chin. “Darien, if you want me to forgive you, you’ll have to answer a few questions first.”

“Anything! Anything!”

Ellie didn’t hesitate. “I’m not asking about the past. I just want to know who you are working for. Why did you really get close to me?”

Darien froze. “I-I don’t understand what you mean. I just knew you were a rich girl, and I wanted to be with you. At first, I really thought about having a serious relationship with you, maybe even marriage. But then I realized you’d do anything I said, and it got to my head. That’s how Mollie came into the picture…”

He wasn’t stupid. If Ellie had been more difficult to handle, he would’ve played the role of a devoted lover, her kept man.

But this rich girl turned out to be a total pushover, head over heels in love with him. That boosted his ego and made him greedy.

What man wants to be someone’s kept boy if they can avoid it?

Every guy craves power, especially when someone like Mollie, who he thought was a rich heiress, was throwing herself at him.

Ellie frowned.

Keira then cut straight to the point, asking, “Why did you tell Ellie to come downstairs to meet you exactly at 9:55? Was someone behind that instruction?”