Chapter 356
Erick wasted no time taking action.
Within moments, he forwarded a security clip from the entrance of Podium Apartments straight to Nolan's phone.
Nolan tapped the screen and started the video.
In the footage, as dusk settled in, Elora could be seen arriving at the building with a shopping bag in hand.
Suddenly, a black sedan pulled up and came to an abrupt stop right next to her.
A man climbed out of the vehicle.
He was the very same figure whose outline had appeared on hospital surveillance days ago.
Without warning,he grabbed Elora and forced her into the car.
Later, when Elora reappeared, her hair was tangled,and hickeys covered her skin.
Erick watched the scene unfold, a flicker of shock crossing his features.
It was almost unbelievable that Elora would go to such extremes for her goals.
She was even willing to risk her own reputation if it meant getting what she wanted.
But Erick kept his opinions to himself.
He knew Nolan would never take his word for it.
And as expected, Nolan refused to see any fault in Elora.
He immediately recognized the man in the video as the same shadowy figure from the hospital.
More importantly, the idea that Elora might stage something like that was unthinkable to him.
In Nolan's mind, Elora was telling the truth, and that she really had been sexually assaulted.
Still,he had questioned her honesty.
A wave of guilt washed over him as he felt he had failed as a friend.
Nolan's mind raced with conflicting emotions, but he forced himself to focus.
At this moment, nothing was more important than finding Eleanor and clearing things up.
Elora's situation was heartbreaking, but neither he nor Eleanor deserved to be caught up in this mess.
He had spent so much effort trying to fix things with Eleanor, and he couldn't allow everything to unravel now.
Resolving to make things right, Nolan started the engine and made his way to the Benton family's residence.
This time, he chose not to announce his presence.
Instead, he left his car tucked away in a discreet spot near the curb and settled in to wait.
Minutes turned to hours as darkness draped the street,leaving it deserted.
But no matter how long Nolan waited, the person he hoped to see never appeared.
Meanwhile, on the villa's second floor, Hilda noticed Nolan's car from the window and nudged Jeff with a hint of concern.
"Do you think Nolan has upset our daughter again?He's clearly desperate to see Eleanor, so something must have gone wrong." Jeff let out a mocking snort, completely convinced."No doubt about it."
Nolan was always finding new ways to mess things up.
He would eventually lose Eleanor forever.
Jeff turned away from the window and led Hilda back toward the living room. "Let's not waste time worrying about him. Eleanor's outstanding. She could do so much better than that guy."
Hilda gave an approving nod.
Pulling out his phone, Jeff opened a document his old friend had recently shared.
It was filled with profiles of successful young men from elite families across the world.
Jeff skimmed through the list, stopping when he came across a picture of a young man named Maverick Cohen.
His eyes widened in surprise. "The Cohen family sure is eager to get close to us. Maverick's just turned eighteen, and they're already pitching him as a suitor for Eleanor."
Hilda leaned in, intrigued.
The young man in the photo had striking features and a cheerful, infectious smile.
"There's nothing wrong with a younger man. Plenty of women end up happier with someone younger," she responded.
Sitting together, the pair excitedly weighed the pros and cons of possible matches for their daughter.
Meanwhile, outside, night settled in deeper and deeper.
Nolan slouched in his car, unsure of how much time had slipped by.
Eventually, exhaustion took hold, and he nodded off in the driver's seat.