All Chapters of Taken by the False Priest: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Fred hesitated for a while. The instant Mrs. Ruth crashed into him—breathless and wide-eyed—instinct took over. He watched Arnold’s men as they left and breathed a sigh of relief. If he hadn’t taken the elevator, he would never have seen her. “Mrs. Ruth,” he said sharply, holding her hands. “Come with me.” Her mouth opened to speak, but he pulled her along, opening the door as they stepped out. All she could hear was the sound of boots pounding on concrete. Her words were swallowed by fear. “This way,” Fred added, steering her down the corridor. The stairwell door burst open behind them. “Split,” Fred barked into his earpiece. His men responded without question. Two peeled off toward the stairwell, another moved to block the elevators. Guests screamed. Someone dropped a suitcase. The hotel dissolved into chaos. Gunfire cracked—warning shots, deliberately high. Arnold’s men were still around. They saw Fred’s men in the lobby and immediately suspected Fred was ther

At the mansion, afternoon light crept in softly through the tall curtains, but Anna’s mind was far from peaceful. She woke late, the remnants of a restless night clinging to her. Arnold’s words from the evening before replayed in her thoughts—a surprise, he had said. Yet the night had passed without anything unusual. She sighed and pushed the covers aside, heading toward the bathroom. A knock stopped her. Anna opened the door to find Arnold standing there, impeccably dressed as always, his expression unreadable. He stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. “There’s an auction in a few days,” he said calmly. “One I’ve personally arranged.” Anna studied his face. “Is that the surprise you were talking about?” Arnold’s lips curved into a slow, wicked smile. “No,” he replied. “That comes later. And trust me—you’ll be amused.” The smile sent a chill down her spine. “You’ll need to be present at the auction,” he added, turning toward the door. “Prepare yourself.”

Tonight ??? “I need to get ready. I need to go with you guys,” Mrs. Ruth said, standing up. “No, you don’t need to,” Fred tried to calm her. “This is too dangerous. And you are his next target, so you need to stay safe until we get Anna.” “Please, no. I need to go.” “Go to where?” Sister Vera’s voice came in. Everyone turned to look at her. She was standing at the door. “Where are you all going?” Fred gave a frustrated stare. It seemed he didn’t want Sister Vera to know, and now she had walked in on them while they were having this conversation. “Carden, Fred,” she called. “What’s going on? Are you taking Mrs. Ruth from here?” “No, no, we are not,” Carden said. He stared at Fred; his look showed he didn’t want Sister Vera to know, but now they had no choice. Before he could speak, Mrs. Ruth spoke up. “They want to go to the mansion for the auction, and they don’t want me to go with them. I need to see my girl. Even if it’s dangerous—” “Mrs. Ruth, I understand,” Sis

Fred stood frozen in place, his instincts screaming at him. Every wool of his being told him the familiar presence he felt was real—but he couldn’t turn to confirm it. Not now. Anna was on stage, which meant the mission had already begun. There was no room for doubt. Sister Vera’s voice crackled through the comms. “We need to act in fifteen minutes. Our time starts now.” Fred exhaled slowly. “Copy.” He tapped his earpiece again. “Carden, move closer to the stage. Don’t blow it.” Then, turning slightly toward Mrs. Ruth, he lowered his voice. “Stay calm. In fifteen minutes, you’ll have your daughter in your arms.” Mrs. Ruth nodded, but her clenched fists betrayed her. Her urge was getting the best of her. On stage, Arnold held Anna firmly by the arm, presenting her to the room like a prized possession. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced smoothly, “meet my muse.” The crowd murmured in awe. “She’s not for sale,” Arnold continued, a smile curling on his lips, “but tonight, we’

THE COUNTRYSIDE - Williams house William dropped the phone slowly. Mrs. Ruth’s words echoed in his head, loud and meaningless. He had known Arnold wasn’t a good person, but he couldn’t believe he would mistreat Anna, haunt her, or try to come for him too. He believed Anna would have told him if anything was fishy or inconvenient for her. He let out a dry laugh and shook his head. “My brother wouldn’t do that,” he muttered to the empty room. “Not again.” But doubt crept in anyway. He had know Arnold to be a wild person while they were growing up but he doesn’t expect him to harm Anna or his wife. William walked to the window and pulled the curtain aside. The street looked quiet—too quiet. His chest tightened. He had lived with Arnold’s shadow long enough to recognize the signs. He was his brother, so he dared not mistake his kindness, unless he wouldn’t be getting the money he had been getting. He flashed back to his previous life, but he wasn’t ready to go back. S