Inside the grand hall, when Desmond heard that familiar name, his heart gave a violent jolt. He widened his eyes, his lips quivered slightly, and he felt a sudden sting of emotion in his nose.
Yet this brief lapse in concentration gave the middle-aged man he had taken hostage the opening he needed! Seizing the moment with sharp eyes and quick hands, the man exerted all his strength and snapped the hemp rope binding his wrists.
Without missing a beat, the man spun around with lightning speed, driving his knee hard into Desmond's soft stomach. The blow landed with such blinding velocity that Desmond was caught entirely off guard; he doubled over in agony, gagging repeatedly.
Chapter 472