Zoe Lancaster turned her head and saw Peyton Joyce, who was also tied up. The woman had a slender frame, making her look even more fragile and shattered in the night wind. However, she wasn’t gagged. She had probably woken up earlier than Zoe, or perhaps she had already negotiated with the kidnapper.
Zoe felt an agonizing pain in the scraped flesh of her bound wrists. She tried her best to squeeze out a few muffled words past the thick cloth stuffing her mouth: "Where are we?"
As soon as she spoke, the dilapidated door in front of them was pushed open.
Leo Linden walked in with a sinister look on his face. A cigarette dangled from his lips, and his eyes gleamed with greed and excitement. "I underestimated you," he sneered. "To think that an unfavored daughter of the Lancaster family actually married into one of the most prestigious households. Why didn’t you tell me you had such a powerful husband?"
Zoe’s eyes turned cold. She wondered how Leo knew who she was married to. Her marriage to Simon Hawthorne was a well-kept secret, known to very few. She didn’t believe her aunt would leak it, so how did Leo have the means to find out?
Reading the question in Zoe’s eyes, Leo laughed. "You ruined my family. My wife ran away with our daughter, and you’re the main culprit. It wouldn’t make sense if you didn’t compensate me, my dear niece."
Zoe instantly guessed what had happened. She desperately tried to force a question from her throat, but with her mouth gagged, she could only let out muffled whimpers.
"What are you hurting for? Your husband is not exactly short on money. I am your aunt’s husband, after all, so what’s wrong with showing me a little respect? I’ve already texted him to say you’re in my hands. Now we’ll see how much you’re worth to him," Leo said shamelessly.
Peyton’s face was deathly pale, but she still managed to speak. "Don’t worry, Zoe. Simon will be here soon. We’ll be fine."
Catching onto this crucial piece of information, Leo raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You’re well-acquainted with my niece’s husband too? Damn, I missed out. I didn’t even factor in your ransom."
Peyton bit her lip, her eyes turning red, but she stubbornly held back her tears. "You’re digging your own grave. Simon is utterly ruthless. I advise you not to get too arrogant."
"My own grave?" A vicious look flashed across Leo’s face as he stepped forward and slapped Peyton hard across the cheek. "You stupid bitch. Both your lives are in my hands right now. What *isn’t* up to me?"
All he wanted right now was money! He was millions in debt and couldn’t pay it off. The loan sharks would soon track him down and demand his life. He had no choice but to take this desperate risk and grab whatever he could!
Peyton’s cheek instantly swelled up, but she bit her lip, looking stubborn and refusing to yield.
Zoe felt a headache coming on. They were tied up; what was the point of making threats? It was just asking for trouble.
Just as she was thinking this, the urgent sound of screeching brakes echoed from downstairs.
Zoe’s heart gave a violent jolt, and a burning ray of hope involuntarily rose within her. Simon... had come to save her.
Leo immediately walked over and shut the door, cutting off their line of sight to the outside. Heavy footsteps approached, growing closer and closer.
Zoe looked toward the door, her heart racing. She couldn’t see what was happening outside, nor could she speak, but a deep, cold voice drifted in from the other side.
"Let them go. The money is negotiable."
Peyton’s eyes flickered, nearly brimming with tears. "Simon!"
Hearing Peyton’s voice, Simon’s eyes turned even frostier. He stared at the closed iron door in front of him, enunciating every word. "I won’t short you a single cent of the money you want, but Peyton cannot lose a single hair on her head!"
Leaning his weight against the door, Leo scoffed. "You got here fast. You really care about this woman, don’t you? I advise you not to try anything funny. If you rush in, I’ll shove her off the building immediately!"
Simon frowned. The nanny had said she personally saw Peyton get kidnapped. He had just found it strange—if the kidnappers were targeting Peyton, they definitely knew she was under the Hawthorne family’s protection. Had they really become arrogant enough to mess with the Hawthornes and openly extort them?
"I won’t go in. I’ve already wired the money to the offshore account you mentioned, and I brought the rest in a cheque. Just let her go, and I won’t hold you responsible," Simon stated.
As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes at the crack in the dilapidated door, trying to get a clear view of the situation inside. His expression was cold, but his tone was slow and reassuring. "Peyton, don’t be afraid. Everything will be fine."
Listening to the man’s comforting voice, Zoe’s heart froze over inch by inch.
Simon was here. But every word out of his mouth was about Peyton. He didn’t show a shred of concern for Zoe. It was as if she didn’t exist. In a life-or-death situation, he only cared about Peyton.
Sensing the awkwardness of the situation, Peyton immediately looked at Zoe with a troubled expression. "Zoe, don’t be sad. You’re his wife. He’s just letting his concern cloud his judgment right now. He won’t abandon you."
Having Peyton make excuses on his behalf only made things seem infinitely more pathetic. Zoe couldn’t speak. The coarse cloth in her mouth made her nauseous, forcing sour tears to her eyes, yet she couldn’t muster a single expression.
Meanwhile, Leo also noticed that something was off. He looked at Zoe, adding a hint of mockery to his tone. "I thought you were worth quite a bit. I didn’t expect your husband’s heart and eyes to be entirely filled with another woman. But..."
He kicked the door and demanded greedily, "Why are you only asking about your little lover? Don’t you want your wife anymore?"
At those words, Simon’s head snapped up. His jaw tightened as he squeezed the name through clenched teeth: "Zoe Lancaster?"
Zoe was here too? The nanny hadn’t mentioned a word about Zoe being kidnapped!
Leo rubbed his hands together, his face flushed with excited laughter. "I won’t ask for too much. Twenty million per person. Got to keep it fair, right? One is your wife, the other is your beautiful confidante. You can’t play favorites!"
He had thought he was just grabbing a random tag-along, but it turned out she was just as valuable!
The air around Simon dropped to freezing. His fingers tightened inch by inch, his knuckles turning white as words as cold as frost spilled from his throat. "The money isn’t an issue. Let them go."
Feeling as though he had the upper hand, Leo’s gambler mentality kicked in, and he couldn’t help but sneer. "What a passionate man. This is such scumbag behavior. What if I said you can only save one today? Which one will you choose?"
The chill in Simon’s eyes deepened.
Beside him, Linden quickly urged, "Mr. Hawthorne! Please calm down. Saving them is what’s important."
Simon clenched his jaw, taking a slow breath as if he could see the woman inside through the door. "I can give you double. Don’t hurt anyone."
Naturally, Leo wasn’t stupid, and he certainly wasn’t joking around. "I’ve heard about how ruthless you are, Simon Hawthorne," he said warily. "If I hand both of them over right now, and you go back on your word and come after me, wouldn’t I be screwed? I can only give you one person right now. The other stays as a hostage. Once I’m safe, I’ll let her go. So, Mr. Hawthorne, you *have* to choose."
The world seemed to plunge into a deathly silence.
The only sound was the howling night wind, roaring like a vengeful spirit and unsettling the heart. A loud ringing echoed in Zoe’s ears as she stared unblinkingly toward the door. A lump formed in her throat, rendering her mute, suffocating her heart beat by agonizing beat.
Over the past few days, he had been so gentle with her, even showing moments of deep affection. Was it possible... that he cared about her too?
Outside the door, a flicker of anger flashed in Simon’s eyes, his throat painfully dry. Almost instinctively, he opened his mouth. "I—"
RING.
His phone rang abruptly, cutting off his answer. It was his grandfather calling.
Simon’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He answered the phone, his voice hoarse. "Grandpa."
"How is it? Why isn’t there any news yet? You must ensure Peyton’s safety no matter what! If you can’t protect her, I might as well die!" Mr. Hawthorne’s voice was weak, yet it carried an overbearing pressure. He was actually using his own life as a threat.
Simon’s fingertips were numb from the cold wind. He stared fixedly at the door, remaining perfectly silent.
Mr. Hawthorne coughed heavily, sounding as if he were coughing up blood. "Promise me right now! Otherwise... I won’t rest in peace!"
A doctor’s panicked voice came through the receiver: "Mr. Hawthorne! Quickly, get the oxygen!"
Simon’s brow twitched violently as he squeezed his eyes shut.
Losing his patience, Leo threatened viciously, "Hurry up!"
Zoe’s breathing grew rapid, until—
She clearly heard the man outside the door say with solemn finality: "Let Peyton Joyce go."