Ch. 2591..2600

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2591-"Did you really think that was the perfect lie? I've been told by more than one classmate that they've spotted you outside. They even sent me some photos.

Would you like to take a look?" As soon as Claudia pulled out her phone, Thalia's expression soured momentarily. Then, she forced a bright smile the next second.

"What are you talking about? I spent my afternoon reading in the library. I even borrowed a collector's edition of Andersen's fairy tales that I missed out on buying for myself. See for yourself in the library." Thalia's calmness and composure were so convincing that Claudia would have believed every bit of it but for the evidence she had with her. Thalia's lies left Claudia feeling a little apprehensive.

"Do you think I'm as devious as you are? I'm telling you I have evidence because that's the truth, and I have a pretty good idea of why you'd want to go to school with me. It's because of Lucas, right? I didn't see what happened because I was rehearsing, but you made such a scene that it ended up being posted on our school forum. Lots of students have been saying things about you, so I bet you couldn't bear to hear it all. Then you decided to find someplace where you can hide.

"But I don't understand why all of this has to do with me. I'm your sister. Why would you badmouth me in front of Dad?"

Claudia's words made Thalia's expression sour even more. "What are you talking about? Why don't I know about this forum?"

"Because only the students from our school can access it. Don't change the subject, Thalia. Answer my question: why did you lie to Dad? You were never in the library, and I ended up searching the entire school like a headless chicken just to try and look for you!"

Thalia's gloomy expression was evident, and she wanted to see what sort of posts had been made in the forum. The thought that ever fet else saw her gnawed at her thoughts, and she wondered if her unflattering appearance had been photographed by someone and posted online for all to see.

"That's not important! Haven't you embarrassed me enough?" Thalia stepped forward anxiously and tried to snatch the phone from Claudia's hand. "Hurry up and show me the comments that were made about mel didn't do anything!

There's no reason for them to take pictures of me!"

"Aha! So now you admit it! I guess I'm not even half as important as a stranger like Lucas," Claudia said in disappointment.

Thalia, however, did not seem to care. Claudia could never be compared to Lucas anyway.

"Now give me your phone!" Thalia demanded, but Claudia grasped the phone even tighter.

"And what if I don't? Treat this as your punishment. This is the price you'll have to pay for the lies you told today. You might be my sister, but that doesn't excuse you from е Claudia still could not get over Thalia's refusal to apologize despite going into hiding and telling all those lies. As if that was not bad enough, Thalia demanded Claudia's phone so she could read the forums. Thalia's increasing nervousness gave Claudia more reason not to hand it over. A mental breakdown seemed imminent, as Thalia could not bear to make a fool of herself before she succeeded in confessing.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2592-The thought that strangers would be commenting on her appearance and deeming her unworthy of Lucas was too heavy a burden to bear for her.

"Claudia, please! I admit that I was wrong! Please just let me see what was written in the forum! Please! I don't even know Lucas that well. I just….. I… I….."

Thalia could not muster any more lies. She genuinely liked Lucas and could not bring herself to say that she 'hated him'.

"You? You, what?" Claudia asked. "You don't know Lucas, and Lucas doesn't know you. I don't even know how you managed to fall in love with him. My advice to you is to just give up. Lots of people have a crush on him. You're not the first, and you're not special, so there's no point losing sleep over it.

Everyone's going to forget about it anyway. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill."

She then continued, "The person who took the photo didn't capture your face anyhow, and no one in our school knows who you are either. Just bear with a bit of this torture, and you'll be fine," Claudia said, feeling that there was no need to go easy on Thalia since Thalia showed little intention of apologizing.

"Huh! What are you trying to gain from this, huh? You've taken everything from me! Why do you have to deprive me of my right to have feelings for him just because you think you're prettier and better than me?"

Claudia stopped as she was about to leave and turned to stare at her sister in disbelief. "What are you blabbering about? I'm only punishing you because you lied to Dad! He scolded me because of your lies, and you're not showing any remorse!"

Thalia gritted her teeth. "I didn't do anything wrong! Why should I apologize to you? If anyone should apologize, it's you! You did plenty of terrible things to me over the years."

Claudia found it a bit amusing. Thalia was delusional for thinking that Claudia had treated her badly all this while and claiming that Claudia owed her an apology.

"Fine. Let's not talk about what happened today then. I'm curious to know which one of us has treated the other badly. Let's settle the score here and now. Why don't you tell me all about the horrendous acts that I've done to you?"

Thalia's face soured. "Your whole existence is a bane! Do you know how much I've had to suffer since childhood because of you? I'm a very beautiful woman, but people only have eyes for you whenever I'm around you! Everyone's praising you! And everyone criticizes me! Why?!"

Claudia was perplexed by that statement. "That's your reason for saying that I've been bad to you? Are you crazy? We're sisters! Those who praise me are indirectly praising you too. And it's not like I can control what they think! Are you simply trying to make excuses from nothing because you have nothing more to state your case?"

The exasperation in Claudia's voice grew increasingly evident. "In case you haven't realized, I became your elder sister from them oment i was.

born ten minutes earlier! I took care of you for Dad's sake all these years! I made sure you were well-fed when he was away, and I did my best to help you in your studies too. Have you ever heard me complain?

"No. Not once. I never asked to be given this responsibility, and I want to have my space top, Take today, for example i diah f want to bring you to my school at all. You don't know anyone here, not even my friends, yet.

you insisted on following me here!"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2593-I wish you'd just disappear. Every day, I said to myself I never wanted to be your sister," Thalia stated. Her tone was icy, which made Claudia feel unsettled.

Facing Thalia was almost the same as facing a cold-blooded animal.

Thalia then continued, "You say you don't want me to meddle in your life, but deep down, you wish I was always there to support you, don't you? As long as I'm around, you can always play the role of the ice- cold diva. You must be very proud of that."

"Haha, I take it that's your opinion of me, then. No wonder you hid and lied to Dad today. That was your revenge, right? I never expected my sister to look at me in this light. I've taken care of you for years and loved you with all my heart,

but now you're turning against me. Bravo, Thalia, you're truly one of a kind.

From now on, I won't entertain any of your requests for help."

Claudia was about to turn and leave, but Thalia lunged at her and pushed her onto the bed. She attempted to retrieve the phone from Claudia's pocket, and a violent tussle ensued.

"Give it to me, now!" Thalia demanded.

Claudia held onto her pocket tightly. "No. I want you to face the consequences of your actions! And like I said earlier, it's pointless for you to worry so much!

Lucas doesn't even remember you. A lot of girls have a crush on him, and even if he does eventually have feelings for one of them, it certainly wouldn't be you."

Thalia could hear the insinuation that Lucas might like Claudia if he did not like her. The day Lucas handed Thalia a handkerchief like a knight in shining armor was the day that he rescued her from her endless sorrow. From that moment on, Thalia resolved to only be with him in her life.

"You have no idea that we have a special connection, so why are you so sure of yourself? Do you think you're special just because of your looks? I know he's not that shallow. You don't even know what he once said to me…" Thalia argued.

Claudia did not believe in any sort of 'connection' between Lucas and Thalia. "You don't know Lucas well enough,"

she said. "He's someone who looks tough but has a kind heart if he sees a stray dog on the roadside, he'll do whatever he can to make sure it's safe. Don't read too much into his actions."

Whether speaking out of anger or genuine concern, Claudia wanted to persuade Thalia to give up. The disparity between them was too wide, especially considering the countless beauties in school. Lucas's family background made it unlikely that he would be with someone from a small family like theirs, even if they were considered better off than most people.

"You should put your attention to studying rather than daydreaming about him all the time," Claudia said.

Thalia yanked the phone out sullenly

and opened the site for Claudia's forum. When she clicked on the page, she saw a post in bold red on then hamepadeoThie photo attached showed her and Lucas, but it was impossible to see her face closely because it had been taken from too far away.

Relief washed over Thalia, but that turned into a sense of disappointment. The photo had not been in high-definition, which Thalia regretted deeply because she felt that it might be the only photo they would ever take together.

The weight was starting to become too heavy for Claudia, who shoved Thalia off her and snatched them phone back y told you there's nothing to worry about. People will forget what happened, just like they'll forget about this post. You're nothing special to Lucas anyway."

Thalia clenched her fists tightly and felt increasingly pissed that Claudia was repeatedly reminding her of that fact Shelwas under no delusions-Claudia and Lucas were classmates, so Claudia's chances were logically greater in every aspect The content is on En.novelxo.com!

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2594-"B*tch," Thalia spat.

Claudia turned around in disbelief. "What did you just call me?"

"I called you a b*tch."

"I dare you to say that again!" Claudia never thought that her sister would curse at her like that. She had never scolded or laid a finger on Thalia, yet Thalia had no qualms about using such derogatory terms to address her!

"Are you mentally ill? You like being called a btch, do you? You're a btch, and that's a fact! You told me to stop thinking about Lucas all the time because you secretly like him too, right? You just didn't conside who your rivals are. That's

how you've always been. Whenever I like something, you just have to try your best to take it away. Lucas is different though. I won't let you have him."

Claudia could see Thalia's mouth moving, but she did not pay attention to everything that came out of Thalia's mouth. The only thing that filled her mind was that her sister had called her a b*tch. "Don't pretend like you're a good person in front of me from now on. It disgusts me. Now, please get out of my room." Thalia pointed at the door, leaving Claudia still in shock.

"You called me a b*tch just because of him? We're sisters, you know. People see us as having a strong bond, but that boy is enough to change all that-hmph.

I never thought that my sister would one day point her finger at me and call me a b*tch."

Claudia turned and left. As soon as the door closed, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. It had never crossed her mind that her sister would say something so.

vicious She thought that Thet was just playing some kind of joke on her that day, yet she was forced to face the fact that her sister harbored such deep resentment for her and genuinely hated her.

Claudia was mentally and physically exhausted after walking around the school several times in the afternoon. That, and the slap from her father when she got home, became too much for her and her emotions finally collapsed.

Henry soon realized that he had acted rashly. Claudia had always been a sensible girl, and it would be rather out-of-character for her to deliberately leave Thalia in school. He regretted his actions deeply. After washing the dishes, he found Claudia crying silently outside Thalia's room. He felt even more heartbroken and pulled her into his room.

"I'm sorry for what I did, Claudia. I shouldn't have slapped you today. You were right. I'm getting older, and my emotions sometimes get the better of me. I'm really sorry. I' make sure to control myself in the future. Don't be sad, okay?"

Henry's grey hair triggered another surge of emotion from Claudia. She threw herself into Henry's and cried loudly. "Everything that happened today isn't what you think it is…"

That was not to say that she could explain what happened it she was, asked to, The entire infident had "

been beyond her expectations, and it was no longer something a teenager could resolve.

"Tell me what happened. Didn't we

already agree we'll always share our problems? won't be able to help you if you don't tell me. " Henry was M extremely Wotried, especially for his eldest daughter. She was a smart, pretty girl who would have had plenty of suitors at school.

Claudia, being the well-behaved and mature girl that she was, knew better than to deal with all those people!

singe she would never accept all those confessions, there was a possibility that she could have been bullied.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2595-The thought of that possibility left Henry feeling as if his heart had been stabbed. Claudia continued to cry in his arms in silence. Eventually, all he could do was pat her on the back and give her the chance to cry her heart out.

He felt that he might have neglected her recently. She had good grades and never did anything to make him feel worried, which was why he inadvertently paid too much attention to his younger daughter, Thalia. In his eyes, Thalia was slightly inferior and needed more attention.

He had never considered the possibility that Claudia might have been under a tremendous amount of pressure. Succeeding in a school filled with talented students was never going to be easy, yet Claudia had always managed to perform well.

Claudia felt much better after crying in her father's arms. She came out of his embrace, wiped her tears, and forced a weak smile. "It's okay, Dad. I was just feeling a little down for a while. I'm much better now after crying. Everything will be better tomorrow once I get a good night's sleep."

Her effort to reassure him despite her dejection made Henry feel even more heartbroken. "You need to tell me if you're stressed. I've always seen things through a narrow lens. I wanted both of you to excel so that your future paths would be smoother, but I didn't consider that the pressure on you might be too much. You need to take time off for yourself too, okay?"

Claudia nodded and decided to let go of what had happened. "You should have some rest, Dad. I'll do the same."

Henry touched Claudia's hair lovingly. "Okay."

After Claudia left her father's room, she heard a click from Thalia's room before she even reached her own door. She paused for a moment, then went back to her room without looking back. Thalia still owed her an apology.

Contrary to Claudia's expectations, Thalia had eavesdropped on their conversation not out of guilt but rather out of dissatisfaction. She wondered why her father himself apologized when Claudia made such a big mistake. He had misunderstood her so many times before, yet he never once apologized to her!

She wanted to know why he was so unfair and what went wrong. They were both his daughters, so there was no reason for them to treat them that differently.

Thalia clenched her fists fiercely, wanting nothing more than to rip Claudia to pieces. She owed her everything, and Thalia thought to herself, "If this is how it's going to be, then don't blame me for what's about to happen."

The next day, a rather odd scene appeared at the dinner table. Henry thought long and hard to himself the previous night and decided that he would strive to be a less strict father. Being less uptight and more easy-going could do wonders for his daughters' cheeriness.

Unfortunately, Thalia and Claudia did not know anything about his decision, and they did not even look at each other at the table. In the end, Henry tried to liven up the atmosphere by himself and melind

quite a comical scene of himself.

Claudia then placed some food on his platejand pufan end to his one-man show.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Henry asked.

Claudia's smile froze, but she finally nodded. "I did, Hom abOut You, Dad?"

"Same here. And what about you, Thalia? It must've been tiring to m spend the whole day in the library yesterday."

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2596-Thalia smiled coldly. "Does it matter? I can never compare to Claudia no matter how much effort I put in. She needs to practice her choir, then take care of me…

I'm nothing more than a burden to you both. The two of you have it much harder than I do."

Claudia's face soured in displeasure. "If there's anything you're unhappy about, you can always tell it to me in private. There's no need to make that sort of comment."

"Oh? All I'm doing is pointing out that you and Dad are having a hard time. Can't I state the facts? You're being too controlling. I told you not to take care of me anymore. I have the right to voice out my complaints." Thalia played with her food.

Henry saw this and immediately rapped on her bowl. "Don't play with your food.

What's with this attitude? Is something the matter between you two? If you have something to say, then say it nicely. You don't have to make all these underhanded comments."

His words hung in the air, leaving the two sisters in silence once more. They did not exchange a single glance as they went about their day as if a deep-seated animosity had suddenly sprouted between them. Henry sighed, finding it increasingly difficult to understand what his daughters were thinking. A family should get along happily, but the mere notion of putting that idea into practice was incredibly difficult. From that day on, Thalia never uttered a word to Claudia unless necessary. One day passed, then two, then three, and Claudia soon found it too difficult to bear. It was Thalia's fault to begin with, so why was it so hard for Thalia to apologize? They were sisters, after all, and she wondered if Thalia had no sisterly affection for her at all.

Claudia went to her rehearsals with a heavy heart. The tension she had with Thalia proved to be a distraction, and mistakes were made during the rehearsals. Though the teacher did not explicitly scold her, the many disapproving glances spoke volumes.

During a break, Lucas approached her and asked, "If you're not interested in attending rehearsals, then you can let our teacher know. Don't let your feelings hinder our progress."

Claudia was already seething, and Lucas' condescending tone only fueled her anger. "Our teacher hasn't said anything, so who are you to lecture me?"

Lucas frowned. "She might not have said anything, but it's already painfully obvious to everyone. We're all short on time, and your mistakes are becoming an obstacle." "Are you calling me a hindrance?" Claudia asked incredulously.

Lucas remained silent. "The consequences are obvious if you continue like this.

Lest you forget, you bear an important responsibility in the class."

"Just because your family is well-off doesn't mean you have the right to lecture me! You'd just be another student without your parents' hard work! Why are you acting like you're the best?"

Claudia's anger rose as she recalled that Lucas was the reason for Thalia's hostility. The more she spoke, the colder Lucas' expression became He despised it when people mentioned his family, more so when they talked about his biological parents. "Don't overstep your

same thing about you."

boundaries, Claudia. I could say the

No one in that school came from an ordinary background. Getting in was not solely aboutgrades, and Claudia häd ho standing to put herself in such a light.

"… l'm just reminding you. It's up to you whether you wantty take my"

words seriously or not."

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2597-Lucas then left, leaving Claudia to stamp her feet in frustration. Lucas was just giving her a friendly reminder. His character had always been aloof. If she never took offense in the past, why would she suddenly take offense at this point? She might have just lost the last thread of friendship with him after what she said.

She slapped her head fiercely and mumbled to herself, "Why did I have to say all that? He was just giving me a friendly reminder. And it's not like everything that happened earlier was his problem. It was all Thalia's. He's not wrong for rejecting someone he doesn't like."

Claudia did not dwell on it for the rest of the rehearsal, and everything ended smoothly, much to her relief. As soon as it was over, she rushed up to Lucas and grabbed his arm before he could leave.

Lucas glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you show your moral high ground earlier? Why are you following me?"

"I'm sorry," Claudia smiled awkwardly. "I'm here to apologize to you. Could we go somewhere else to talk?"

Being somewhat well-known figures in class, they drew glances from the crowd when they stopped all of a sudden on the stage.

Lucas, not wanting to attract further attention, nodded. "Okay. what do you have to say?"

Claudia twiddled her fingers nervously before finally bowing to him earnestly.

"I'm sorry for being irritated this morning. I know you were just trying to remind me, and I appreciate that very much. I'll stay focused during rehearsals from now on. Let's make sure we all complete this project successfully."

Lucas was surprised. He had not expected her to be so sincere and amiable, and his impression of her improved very significantly.

"No apologies necessary. I simply don't like wasting time." Though he remained as cool as ever, there was a hint of softness in his tone perceivable to Claudia.

"I take it you'll accept my apology, then. Thank you for that." Claudia raised her head and felt a rare sense of relief. It was the first time in days that she felt so relaxed.

"Shall we go? You're in a rush, aren't you? I need to go home soon too."

From then on, the two of them had more to talk.

Thalia, being Claudia's younger sister, keenly sensed her sister's emotional shifts. Whenever she saw Claudia returning home with a she could not help but wonder where that happiness came fro

She longed to ask why but could not.

find the right moment. After aly, she had been silent dok so many days, and She did not want to be the one to speak up.

One fine day after school, Claudia seemed absorbed in her phone as if she were texting somegne Thalia!

casually glanded at the screen as she walked by, but she could not see anything. Claudia immediately clutched the phone close to her chest and eyed Thalia warily.

Suppressing her irritation, Thalia smiled provocatively. "Why are you acting like there's something valyable hidden in ygur phone? Don't act like everyone wants to see it." Claudia did not seem bothered and merely replied with a smile, "I'm not hiding anything valuable. I just don't want you to invade my privacy."

Thalia shrugged nonchalantly. "As if I care."

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2598-Thalia stormed into her room and slammed the door shut. Alone in her sanctuary, she unleashed her pent-up anger on a sandbag, pounding it until it lay in tatters.

For some reason, her first thought was Lucas. The possibility that he was the one who messaged Claudia ignited a fierce jealousy within Thalia. Claudia always had a knack for claiming what belonged to Thalia ever since they were still young, and Thalia was determined to secretly uncover the truth behind the messages that made Claudia smile so sweetly.

Before she could concoct a plan, however, an unexpected event rocked their household-Claudia had vanished without a trace.

Henry, their father, wasted no time. Fearful of a repeat of the previous incident, he whisked Thalia straight to the school, and it was there that they realized Lucas was missing too.

Thalia's initial lack of concern for Claudia's disappearance turned into panic at the news of Lucas' similar disappearance. "Why are they both missing? Did something happen?"

Henry observed Thalia's anxiety and could not help but wonder who Lucas was, and why Thalia seemed to associate something with him. It seemed that Thalia knew who Lucas was, and she had not been as distressed about Claudia's disappearance until Lucas' name was mentioned.

"Please stay calm, sir. We've checked the surveillance footage, and they were both attending classes like usual in the morning. The teachers can't say for sure where they left off. We'll continue to investigate, starting with asking several of their classmates to share with us any information on their interactions."

Their conversation with the school authorities seemed to suggest that the two students were in a relationship with each other and decided to just leave. Henry, however, vehemently denied such a possibility. "My daughter would never jeopardize her studies for a boy. She's a responsible girl, and she never went anywhere without informing me."

"We understand your point of view, but there are times when we, as parents, can never really say for sure what our children might be thinking." The teacher consoled after exchanging a glance. "Like you, we hope that nothing will happen to them. Please stay calm. We're considering the worst possibilities here. For them to run away together is not entirely impossible, as several students from earlier batches did the same too. But whatever happens, we just need them to return safely. That's all that matters."

Henry was adamant that could not be the case, and he simply waved off their remark in silence, Thatian l hawever/held his arm and shocked hawever/held hfs arm and shocked evéryone with her blunt remark.

"Maybe Claudia ran off with him. Isn't that possibility less dreadful than others?"

Everyone knew what she was trying to insinuate, but her nonchalant attitude toward her sister'sc o M disappearande left the room in stunned silence. It seemed as if she was completely unconcerned about her sister's disappearance.

Henry extended the courtesy of maintaining his composure toward Thalia because they were in public, but he was already seething deep down.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2599-Henry glanced coldly at Thalia, sensing that something was amiss with her responses. However, he chose not to prolong the argument because arguing about it was not going to help them in any way. Their most important task was to ascertain their whereabouts.

Nonetheless, Thalia's observation struck a chord with Henry. Instead of considering that mishaps might have happened, it was much better to assume that they simply went out on a date. Thankfully, the teachers had the phone numbers of many other students. Further questioning led them to the discovery that the relationship between the two were close but not yet close enough to the extent of having dates. However, that revelation deeply troubled the adults present. If dating was not the reason for their disappearance, then other more sinister possibilities could have happened.

Thalia felt uneasy. She recognized the burgeoning growing bond between Claudia and Lucas, but all her efforts to snoop on Claudia's phone ended in naught. Not long ago, she could freely access Claudia's messages, but Claudia had since guarded her phone very closely.

As the surveillance continued, a startling discovery unfolded at the door. "Are these the missing students?"

Upon hearing that question, Henry swiftly went over to see if the person on the screen was his daughter. Alas, what he saw sent shivers down his spine. To say that they had left the school implied that they did so willingly, but the truth was anything but. They had been dragged into a car by two strangers and disappeared completely from view.

Henry broke into a cold sweat and struggled to stand upright.

"Dad!" Thalia called out, rushing to his aid. She could not bear his weight, but fortunately, two male teachers were there. They caught him and helped him to a stool.

"Don't scare me like that, Dad! What happened?" Thalia asked.

The other teachers offered words of comfort. "Let's not jump to conclusions right away. All we've done is confirm that they didn't leave school out of their own accord. The situation might not be as dire as you might think. Let's contact Lucas' parents first. The kidnappers likely had an agenda, and we need to lodge a police report."

However, another teacher objected, "Our priority is to inform Lucas' parents.

Their influence and background speak for themselves, and having them come forth might just be what's needed to ensure that they are rescued safely. We must not act rashly."

Henry's eyes brightened at the prospect. "What sort of family background does the body have? Does this mean their involvement will ensure Claudia's safe return? Please do whatever you can to help them… My two daughters are r my

only family. It she's gone, + don in know what else to do with my life!"

He broke down in tears and was overwhelmed by helplessness. He wondered if the mishap cameabout because o this shortcomings as father. The kidnapping happened in broad daylight in a school, and he felt.

a sense of injustice that it happened to Claudia instead of another child.

Thalia remained silent, and she immediately understood all that had happened to Lucas, Ske hoped that his parents involvement might lead to a chance encounter with them, but she just could not figure out who would dare to go against the Riveras.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2600-Thalia felt that Claudia's kidnapping was warranted. Claudia was only kidnapped because she stuck to Lucas like a leech. She had no value whatsoever otherwise.Beatrice and Cedric arrived swiftly. Though their hair was already grey, their presence exuded authority. Even Thalia instinctively avoided their gaze.Henry eagerly rose upon seeing them and trailed behind them as they were given a brief rundown of the situation by the teacher. Beatrice soon spotted him and said, "And this must be the other student's father."The teacher swiftly introduced him to Beatrice and Cedric, with Cedric patting his shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. We'll do our best to rescue the two children."They knew that the kidnappers targeted Lucas, and it was Claudia who ended up innocently dragged into the ordeal.Henry's eyes welled up as he nodded fervently. "Please save my daughter.She's still a young girl."Within moments, Cedric and Beatrice made the necessary arrangements. As expected, the kidnappers soon made contact.Their demands were reasonable, but there was no reason to comply with the ransom demands when there was no apparent sign of the children's well-being.Beatrice's voice dripped with authority. "Hand over the phone to my grandson.I'll only consider your ransom after you let me confirm that both of them are safe.""Do you take me for a fool, old lady? You just want to tip Lucas off, don't you?Two million dollars is chump change to you, right? Well, leave the cash at the drop-off point and give us a taste of those riches. We might just play nice if you do. But if you alert the cops, then whatever happens to them is on you."The old lady chuckled. "You're right. Two million isn't much to me. But I'm a savvy businesswoman. I never make deals I'm not confident about. If you're worried that he might reveal your location, then feel free to listen to our conversation. I simply want to ensure that my grandson is safe. Nowhere more, nothing less."The kidnappers were irked by her leisurely bargaining, but their boss intervened."Fine, let her hear the boy's voice."Lucas' voice crackled through the phone, sending the old lady into a heightened state of alertness. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed as she said, "Lucas!

The kidnappers did not expect Lucas to be so astute and save them so much hassle. Perhaps two mibion!

was a mere pocket change to truly wealthy people like them. "Don't worry, I'll drop the cash off at their location. You two need to look out for each other, okay?"

Henry was on edge the entire time.

He longed to hear Claudia's voice,but the Riveras were in full dontrol of the situation, and he was in no position to intervene.

Are you okay?" Lucas' calm voice reassured them. "I'm fine, but Claudia is a little too shocked by this. Just pay the ransom as soon as you can. We can always earn more money anyway."

He was anguished after hearing Lucas describe Claudia's state of mind and immediately teared ap when he realized how unbearable it must be for her. Had he the power nd influence, he would not have been.

less helpless and more capable of changing the situation