The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1728

Dave froze in place after hearing those words. The other party decisively hung up, leaving him in shock and confusion.

Dave quickly bolted to the door, locking it securely. Then, he moved to the window, peering outside cautiously. He didn't notice anything unusual, but his behavior alarmed Arwel, who asked urgently, "Dave, what's going on?"

He quickly turned to Arwel. "We've been exposed."

Arwel shot up from his seat, joining Dave at the window. His gaze landed on a few nurses he didn't recognize. Pointing them out, he said urgently, "Look, do you recognize those people? I've never seen them before."

Dave narrowed his eyes. Sure enough, they weren't familiar faces. They had meticulously reviewed the hospital's staff list earlier to ensure everything was in order.

Dave had already been slightly suspicious when Wynter appeared unexpectedly, but Drexel had assured him she was a recent hire. Trusting the explanation, he hadn't pursued it further at the time.

Arwel's expression darkened as he glared outside. "Damn those Cascadians! They've found us out. They've probably discovered the situation in the basement, too. We need to get out of here immediately!"

Dave nodded in agreement. "It seems like the hospital has already been secretly taken over. We'll have to use the secret passage to escape."

With that, he walked over to a bookshelf and pulled out a specific book. A hidden mechanism was revealed behind it. Placing his palm on the button, he pressed it firmly. An underground door slowly creaked open, revealing a pitch-black passageway.

After carefully placing the book back in its original position, he turned to Arwel. Together, they turned on the flashlights on their phones and slowly moved into the secret passage.

…

Meanwhile, Wynter appeared in Drexel's office. "Mr. Asquith, Lucas should have already called you. Don't dwell on things that have already happened, and focus on the task at hand. I've already secretly captured Elisha."

Then, glancing at her watch, she added, "In two minutes, Dave and Arwel will also be apprehended. Call their office now and tell them the higher-ups have an urgent task for them."

Drexel nodded firmly. He reached for the phone on his desk and dialed the number quickly. The landline's sharp ringing echoed through the enclosed office, but no one answered.

Wynter's brows furrowed at this. She immediately took out her walkie-talkie and issued an order. "Listen up. Proceed to the office at the corner of the third floor right away."

Then, she strode toward the door with purposeful steps.

Drexel remained silent, but his unease was evident. He, too, realized something was wrong. They would have picked up the phone if they were in their office.

The Special Unit's members secretly stationed in the hospital gathered at the third-floor office's doorway.

Wynter carefully placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it gently. A few seconds later, the door creaked open, revealing a room filled with documents, desks, and books. Yet, the two men were nowhere to be seen.

Wynter immediately picked up her walkie-talkie. "Has anyone outside the hospital seen suspicious individuals leaving, particularly two foreign men?"

A member stationed outside responded promptly, "Ms. Quinnell, no suspicious individuals spotted. The only people we've seen are a pair of young men and an elderly couple carrying medical files."

An elderly couple. A realization struck Wynter instantly. "What were this elderly couple's characteristics, and when did they leave?"

"The old man was dressed simply with a head full of white hair. The old woman was slightly hunched and wore a hat, but we couldn't see more details. They left about ten minutes ago."

Wynter immediately issued a new order. "Everyone, mobilize now! Pursue that elderly couple with full force—they've used disguises. The old woman is likely covering her golden-blond hair with the hat. If necessary, request assistance from traffic control and access surveillance footage."

The Special Unit members quickly shed their nurse uniforms and dashed toward the exits.

Sitting in the office, Wynter tapped on the desk rhythmically, her mind racing as she mumbled to herself, "How did they realize they were exposed? And with the hospital under such tight surveillance, how did they manage to move from the third floor to the first?"

Questions replayed in her head, over and over, until a thought struck her—the pharmacy's hidden passage.

Her sharp gaze swept across the room, landing on the bookshelf. She scrutinized the shelves, noting the books on medicine, pharmaceuticals, and foreign languages.

Her attention zeroed in on a single worn-out book on the bookshelf's second row. It was something that seemed out of place in their office. Reaching for it, she pulled it from the shelf.

As she suspected, a concealed mechanism was revealed behind it. Without hesitation, she pressed the button, and the sound of a door opening came from behind her.

Switching on her flashlight, she stepped into the darkness. A short walk in revealed a table with two white lab coats laid neatly on it. The name tags read Dave Cowell and Arwel Merrick.

Continuing forward, she came to a staircase leading downward. At the bottom stood a large door with another button beside it. As she walked over to press it, the door creaked open to reveal a hospital ward. Inside, a motionless patient lay on a bed.

Wynter slowly stepped out of the ward, noting the proximity of the passage to the hospital's main door.

Shortly after, a report came through her walkie-talkie. "We found a hat and a wig discarded in a trash bin 2500 feet from the hospital."

"Come back. They're already long gone," Wynter announced.

Right after, she pulled out her phone to make a call. "Lucas, the two spies in the hospital have escaped. I suspect we have a mole, and a high-level one at that. This operation was known to very few people."

Lucas, on the other end, slammed his hand on his desk in frustration. Juan flinched but stayed silent.

Lucas said deliberately, "Wynter, give me some time, and I'll investigate. From what I know, only provincial officials have the right to know about this operation. Leave it to me."

After a brief acknowledgment from Wynter, Lucas ended the call.

He then immediately dialed another number. "Mr. Munn Senior, Wynter just reported that the operation to apprehend the spies failed. But only Colifernia provincial officials know about this operation."

Jackson narrowed his eyes. "Be bold and take action! The thing I despise most in life is spies. Back in my day, I'd deal with them the moment I caught one. I'll take the blame if anything goes wrong!"

His words were like a shot of adrenaline straight into Lucas' veins. "I will give it my all!"

…

Elisha was brought into a detention room, his hands and feet securely bound. Glaring at the people flanking him, he shouted angrily, "I'm the attending physician at Willowbrook Medical Center! What gives you the right to arrest me? I'm going to call the police! I'll sue you!"

The two guards ignored him entirely. Seeing their indifference only fueled his rage, and he was about to unleash another tirade when Wynter entered the room.

"Do you want to know what gives us the right?" Wynter asked, her tone icy. "The fact that the medicine you sold is problematic is more than enough to get you executed ten times over."

Hearing her words, Elisha quickly retorted, "I was doing it for the people! The medicine does work—it can cure them! How is that wrong? Is it just because it's not covered by health insurance?"

Wynter waved dismissively. "I'm not here to argue semantics. I have a few questions for you."

Wynter furrowed her brows, carefully analyzing Elisha's words—"someone with the surname Muller" and a "spouse". The spouse's surname was Muller, but Elisha hadn't specified if the spouse was a husband or a wife.

Lucas interrupted her thoughts. "Wynter, what are you thinking?"

Snapping back to reality, Wynter replied, "Lucas, the spouse's surname is Muller, but that doesn't prove the spouse is a male. What if it's a female instead?"

Lucas froze for a moment, stunned by her perspective. He hadn't even thought that the spy could be a female. He was focused solely on male officials since all the files on his desk pertained to male personnel in the province.

Rubbing his temples, Lucas said, "I get it now, Wynter. I'll immediately dispatch someone to investigate the female officials' husbands."

Wynter added, "This individual may not need to know about the operation directly, but the spy must still be within the province."

Lucas acknowledged her insight and promptly ordered an investigation into the female officials' and their spouses' files.

After hanging up, Wynter returned to the detention room. Looking at Elisha, she said, "If this information leads to results, I'll push for you to earn merit through your cooperation."

Elisha was visibly dejected. He looked at her with regret-filled eyes. "It's all my fault. I trusted the wrong people. Please, you have to catch them!"

…

Meanwhile, Dave and Arwel lounged leisurely on the couch.

Just then, an electronic sound echoed from the door before it swung open. A figure stepped inside, fully covered from head to toe in thick clothing.

Dave held up two glasses of champagne, offering one to the newcomer. "We couldn't have pulled this off without you. Now we can properly welcome you."

The person removed their sunglasses, casting a sharp glance at Dave. "This is the last time. You've gone too far this time. You are provoking Cascadia's authority."

Without waiting for a reply, the newcomer began scanning the room, heading toward the bathroom to check inside.

Arwel smiled faintly. "There's no need to look. It's just Dave and me here."

Hearing this, the newcomer slowly removed their mask and picked up the champagne glass. She took a sip, leaving a faint lipstick mark on the rim.

In a calm tone, she said, "I've done my part. Make sure the rest of the money is transferred to the account immediately."

Dave chuckled as he shook his head. "The money isn't an issue, but we're not done yet. We need your help to leave this place."

The woman immediately shook her head. "That's out of the question."

Dave swirled the champagne in his glass, fixing her with a knowing look. "That's fine. The worst-case scenario is we get caught. Of course, we'd have no choice but to tell them all about you."

Her expression darkened. "Are you threatening me?"

Dave spread his hands in mock innocence. "It's not a threat but just a friendly reminder of an old Cascadia saying—'The wise adapt to the circumstances.'"

"Wait for my news." With that, Seraphine Muller donned her mask and sunglasses once more, leaving without another word.