Chapter 44
After capturing the aftermath with her phone–a trio of kidnappers knocked out cold and two critically injured–Elvira quickly sent the video evidence to Amber through WhatsApp.
Then, pain throbbing through her, she exited the vehicle and decided to leave the scene, wary of any accomplices lurking nearby.
She hailed a cab back to the school to find Marsh.
Her phone rang; it was Zach. She answered, “Hey, Zach.”
“Elvira, where are you?” His voice was thick with urgency. To him, the brief separation for 10 minutes had felt like an eternity.
“I’m in a cab, heading to pick up Marsh and then off to the hospital,” she replied, her voice betraying none of the turmoil she had just endured.
To her, there was no point in worrying him with the details of her abduction, now that she was safe.
Despite her omitting the kidnapping from the conversation, Zach was frantic with worry. “Tell me where you are. I’m coming to get you.”
“Let’s meet at the school,” she suggested, her head throbbing from the side effects of the sedatives she had countered with Olivia’s antidote.
Then, she hung up the phone. Zach, gripping the wheel tightly, issued commands to Spike to deal with the mess and ensure those who targeted Elvira paid a steep price.
Amber had sunk half her personal fortune accumulated after entering the Willis family into ensuring Elvira’s capture, certain of her victory.
Locking her away and forcing her to entertain wealthy businessmen seemed like a foolproof plan to secure a future for her daughter.
At the thought of this, Amber became extremely excited. She relaxed with a nourishing facial mask applied, softly humming a melody, as she had her servant bring her a freshly made bowl of luxurious collagen broth to sip.
The notification on her phone made her delighted, thinking it must be the confirmation that Elvira was captured.
As soon as she opened the video on her phone and saw what was on it, her excitement turned to horror with a scream, which made the servant pouring the broth aside nearly jump.
Amber straightened up immediately, fixing her eyes on the video, just to realize that it was sent by Elvira.
“Mrs… Mrs. Willis, what’s wrong?” the servant asked nervously.
“Get out! Get out!” Overwhelmed and agitated, Amber ordered the servant away and threw away her facial mask, her worry growing.
‘How is this possible? I have spent 1.6 million dollars on professionals, not street thugs. How can she slip through their grasp?‘ she wondered.
Amber dared not confront Elvira directly through a phone call, but her anxiety made her light–headed when the phone rang again. It was the organizer of the botched kidnapping. She picked it up immediately, asking thickly, “What happened? You
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didn’t catch her?”
“You dare ask me what happened? Isn’t it what you said that she is just an ordinary woman without any background? Now we are in a dire situation, we are encircled by her men!” he yelled out his anger. This deal had caused him nearly all his men and now he was running to the dock hoping to escape there.
“How can this be? Elvira was just a girl with nowhere to turn,” she said, bewildered and shaken by the unexpected turn of
events.
“Listen, the mess you’ve dragged me into demands compensation–10 million dollars, not a penny less. If not, even if I’m on the run, my people will come for you, the man’s voice carried a lethal edge.
Amber, familiar with the man’s reputation for following through on threats, felt a chill run down her spine, falling down on the couch. “10… 10 million dollars? I don’t have that kind of money. I’ve given you everything I had. I’m broke!”
Having already spent 1.6 million dollars without capturing Elvira, and now facing a 10–million–dollar demand, she was at her
wit’s end.
“No money? Then prepare to bury your dead daughter,” he threatened. “You’ve got one night to prepare the money. If it fails to reach my account tomorrow morning, you’ll see the worst coming!”
Hanging up, she felt her world crashing down. She had nowhere to find 10 million dollars overnight. The man was ruthless, and she dared not gamble with Judy’s safety.
Over the years since she was married into the Willis family, she had saved up only 3 million dollars, including some real estate. Liquidating everything might barely scrape together 1 or 1.2 million dollars.
Feeling faint and overwhelmed, Amber knew she was cornered. Without 10 million dollars, she feared the worst.
Her daughter was her lifeline. Risking her safety was out of the question. Amber scrambled to raise funds through phone calls, managing only 200 thousand dollars after nearly an hour of desperate calls, leaving her near despair.
Such a paltry sum was nowhere near enough. Her own family always flattered her when they borrowed money or received handouts from her. But now all turned their backs on her with all kinds of excuses when she needed help the most.
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With no other options, she called her daughter, spilling the details of the day’s events. After hearing that, Judy only felt that Amber was reckless. ‘How can she let her identity slip as a wirepuller?‘ she thought.
But Judy knew that she was in the same boat with Amber. She could only say, “Don’t worry, let me think of a way out. But next time, you must be more careful and never let your identity slip!”
“Right, I’ve learned my lesson. I was being careless. How could I have known Elvira had such a powerful ally?” Amber couldn’t fathom how Elvira managed to thwart their well–laid plans carried out by a top–notch organization.
“How can it be possible? It must be a fluke. We’ll just have to write this off as bad luck. I’ll find the money and send it to your account later, Judy hung up, showing signs of impatience, already dreading the thought of parting with such a sum.
She wasn’t exactly flush with cash either, and certainly not keen on spending it on this debacle. She turned to Calvin, who, feeling indebted over the previous ring matter, generously agreed to provide the 10 million dollars.
Elvira’s cab was abruptly stopped, sparking her fear of another kidnapping attempt. The driver kept swearing angrily. But relief washed over her as she saw Zach get out of the car. Paying the driver, she rushed into his arms.
Holding her close, Zach asked, “Are you hurt?” Then, setting her apart, he started checking on her.
“You already know? I’m fine, don’t worry, but we need to pick up Marsh and check on the injured kid,” she replied, her
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thoughts still on Marsh’s actions.
Seeing her pale face, Zach scooped her up, heading to his car with a tight jaw. Sensing his anger, she tenderly kissed his cheek, trying to soothe his temper.
