淑女的欲望

Chapter 403  A Piece of Bad News

Scarlett could only take a deep breath as she tried to think of another way to help.

"All right, Xander, you won't stop me from using my computer, will you?" said Scarlett. She desperately wants to help them and uses her team to search for Carter. Still, it's unlikely she will be able to persuade Xander.

"Please allow me to assist you. I'll do everything to find Carter from here," she continues to plead, her words brimming with sincerity.

Xander could only offer a slow nod in response. Despite having his own hacker, they had yet to locate his little brother. Concern started to gnaw at him, amplifying his worry with each passing moment.

***

Scarlett wasted no time and swiftly made her way into the computer room, determined to locate Carter's last known position. Activating the tracking program, she patiently waited for the magic of technology to weave its spell.

As the tracking system diligently worked its magic, Scarlett diverted her attention to another computer screen, opening a system displaying all FOX members' present locations. She wanted any members near her country to fly to the W Country as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, at that moment, most of the twelve Fox Core Team members were scattered across the continent, with none available near her country. She had no choice but to rely on a regular member for assistance.

Several red dots appeared on the computer screen, indicating the presence of several individuals currently in Country W. This fortunate circumstance would hasten their arrival on the scene.

Just as Scarlett was about to assign the person closest to the city of Cloudfort, a green dot suddenly appeared in Boston, USA, bearing the number twelve. He is Daniel Kang, his parents are South Korean but he was born in the US. Currently, he is taking his master's degree at Harvard University.

A wide smile crossed Scarlett's face as she realized that a member of the Core Team was near her country. She quickly grabbed her cell phone and dialed a number — happy to finally have someone she could rely on to find Carter.

"I can't believe I received a call from you, Three! What's up?" Twelve greeted her from the other end.

Scarlett's smile widened when she heard his cheerful voice, but she ignored his greeting, "Twelve, I need you to do something for me," She said, her words rushed because they didn't have much time.

The longer Carter was held, the more tormented he was. Scarlett knew how cruel the Withers family was.

"It's a personal matter, but trust me, I'll repay you for your help this time, bro..." Scarlett continues.

"What is it?" Instantly, Twelve's tone turned serious, a hint of tension lacing his voice. Such a rare situation, as this young girl was known for her independence — she never asked for help.

"Can you fly to Cloudfort City in W Country right away?" Scarlett urged.

A chuckle resonated through the phone. "So, the mission in W Country is yours?"

Scarlett rose from her seat and approached the window as she inquired, "You already know? How did you..."

"Rex assigned me a few hours ago. I'm currently at the airport, ready to take off," Twelve explained, shedding light on Rex's directive.

Hearing Twelve's confirmation warmed Scarlett's heart. Rex went all out, mobilizing several core team members to be ready in W Country whenever Xander needed help.

"Alright, that's good. I will send the details of my brother's location for you to track down and help him. I also will assign a few other members to join you there for support..."

"Cool! I'll text you once I arrive," Twelve replied before ending the call.

Scarlett remained standing by the window, gazing at the tranquil lake behind their house. With a deep breath, she dialed another number, her plan spinning through her mind.

However, even though it kept ringing, no one picked up the phone until, finally, the ringing tone ended.

"This is strange!" Scarlett held the phone away from her ear and checked the screen to ensure she dialed the correct number. "Why isn't he answering?"

A confused expression flashed through her gaze as she stared at the cellphone screen.

"It's so unlike him to ignore her phone calls. This is really odd!" Scarlett silently took a deep breath, but later a bitter smile appeared on her lips, "...He must be with Casey, isn't he? Goodness, brother!"

Scarlett dialed Casey's number, and the call connected on the second ring.

"Hi, Sis Casey... Sorry if I'm bothering you. Is Brother Rex with you?"

"It's okay, Scarlett," Casey's chuckle came through on the other end. "No. I've returned to the shooting studio. Sis, didn't he tell you? He's flying back to New York today, this afternoon!"

"Oh my god! I forgot..." Scarlett gently slapped her forehead. "Alright, Sis, thanks for letting me know. I'll call you later," she said before ending the call.

Scarlett immediately sent a text to Rex, urgently asking him to call her back. She has important documents that she needs Rex to review, as they concern her uncle Noah Withers.

Before she could return to the computer desk to check the still-running face-tracking system, her cell phone buzzed.

Scarlett quickly grabbed the phone upon seeing Rex's name on the screen. "Brother, I thought you had already boarded..." She felt relieved that Rex had called her back.

"Not yet. I'm still at the base camp. My flight is scheduled to depart in... two hours. I noticed your missed call and text message," Rex's voice sounded curious on the other end. "What's going on with your uncle Noah!?"

"Do you remember my suspicions?" Scarlett asked as she walked back to her computer, typing quickly with one hand. Soon, a folder appeared on the computer screen.

"About his retirement from politics?" Rex asked.

"Yes, exactly. I suspect that my uncle is currently facing threats and pressure from Jude," Scarlett said softly, gritting her teeth. "...That's why he withdrew from politics, and we haven't been able to contact each other." Worry was evident in her voice.

Rex remained silent, recalling his recent conversation with Seven. This conversation had delivered a piece of bad news, which would only add to Scarlett's concerns. That's why he had chosen not to reveal it immediately, knowing that Carter's situation was already weighing heavily on her.

He didn't want to burden her further. Nevertheless, he had already instructed Seven to take action and conduct further investigations.

After a brief pause, he asked, "Do you have a plan?"

"I'll send you some documents..." Scarlett had obtained these "These documents are related to Jude Withers, including his communication records. Can you have someone check if Jude and documents by copying them from the Withers' server.

"These documents are related to Jude Withers, including his communication records. Can you have someone check if Jude and Noah have been in communication since my encounter with Noah in Country X?" she added.

"Sure. Sis, you can email it to me. I'll have someone look into it right away," Rex replied.

Rex felt relieved that Scarlett was still unaware of Noah Withers' situation. For now, he decided to keep the secret of Noah's disappearance from Scarlett.

Over the past few days, Rex had tasked his team with investigating Noah Withers' whereabouts.

However, their findings revealed that Noah had never returned to his residence. His last known sighting was when he returned from W Country earlier this year. Since then, he was never seen again. And his current location remained unknown.

"Thank you, brother," Scarlett quickly sent the file to Rex's secure email address.

"...oh, before I called you, I spoke with Twelve. He told me that you assigned him to find Carter. Well, once again, thank you. And, I just provided Twelve with the details of Carter's last known location." She explained.

Rex smiled, "Sister, you don't have to worry about Carter. I'm confident that Jude won't kill him. So we..."

Scarlett stops Rex to continue his words, "Please, don't say that word, brother!" Her voice was filled with anxiety. She couldn't bear to hear of such a possibility.

Rex was taken aback by Scarlett's anxious tone, sensing her distress. He quickly apologized for causing her additional stress.

"I'm sorry, sis. But I'm serious here, don't stress out about Carter. Everything will be alright. Twelve and Xander's people will find him soon..." He tried to calm her down.

"Hmm, I hope so," Scarlett answered, her voice still sounding worried. She took a deep sigh, her gaze fixated on the monitor screen that continued to work on tracking Carter and the suspicious people involved in his kidnapping.

"Once you have the results, send them to me and Twelve," Rex instructed.

"I will,"

After discussing a few more details, Scarlett ended the call. Then she refocused her attention on the monitor while her hands danced rapidly across the keyboard.

The face tracking system was already 50% complete, and Scarlett would receive the results in just one hour. She hoped the information she obtained would make it easier for the team to locate Carter.

Scarlett was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice the door open and Xander standing there, his expression filled with worry.