Ch. 2601..2610

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2601-Thalia pursed her lips. She found it pointless for her father to be there if all he could do was cry. Rather than helping, he could only sob to himself when the Riveras were busy negotiating with the kidnappers. He was not acting how a man should act, and she particularly despised those who shed tears.

"Don't hand over the money right away. We ought to contact the police and ask for their opinion on how to handle it," Cedric said.

Henry became anxious when he heard that. "But isn't that exactly what the kidnappers warned us not to do? We have to do as they say and avoid involving the police! If they find out, both Lucas and Claudia's lives will be in danger!"

The old lady waved. "You're not well-acquainted with their character, and you don't understand them either. Even if we don't involve the police, they have all sorts of ways to threaten the safety of our children. "A better solution is to stall them and use the time to locate their hiding place. We can't view it from the narrow perspective of giving the ransom money and getting the children back.

The kidnappers' greed cannot be underestimated. Are you sure they'll be satisfied after being given one round?"

Henry remained silent and realized that he had no right to say anything because the ransom money was being paid by them. The old man patted his shoulder again and said, "Don't worry, my wife and I share the same desire to save them, but you must cooperate with us."

"Okay!" Henry nodded excitedly, but Thalia shot him a cold, nuanced look. She believed that the matter would be resolved quickly-which she was not keen on happening. She hoped that Claudia would receive retribution, and she wanted only Lucas to return safely.

The police arrived soon enough, considering how significant of a case that was.

"Captain Jimmy! I can't help but wonder how two children managed to be kidnapped in broad daylight at the sate. Has the police force in the area gone soft? Are you going to let this go on until it's possible to kidnap someone from the roadside?"

The old lady demanded answers as soon as she saw the police officers. She and many other taxpayers paid taxes to live in a safe environment. The policemen were paid to do their job, but they failed to protect the peace and order in the area. The two children were kidnapped as a result.

Beatrice could not stand such negligence, and she had a headache te when she thought about how Lucas would have to experience all that despite being just a teenager. He did not have a happy childhood to begin with, and it got worse when he encountered something like this on the cusp of adulthood.

When Lucas came back, she vowed to bring him to a religious institution. She would have him receive some blessings to remove the bad luck.

Wally explained apologetically, "This was an oversight on our part. Rest assured that we won't allow this to happen twice. We've already started tracking the number that called you, and I'm quite sure we would be able to pinpoint the kidnappers' location if they hadn't been so cautious."

They did not know how effective it would be, but she knew that Lucas was a smart person. He would understand what she was talking about as long as he gave her a hint.

"Ideally, I'd like for you to get a second phone call with your grandson," Wally said after listening to the first recording. The difficult to put into practice, "polnet suggestion seemed easy but let's

do it another way. I'll take the money and give it to them. hen,

until they drop their guard before taking further action"

Everyone else nodded, realizing there was no other option olDto Wait.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2602-Henry himself offered himself as the one to deliver the first ransom.

Thalia disagreed right away. "No! What if those kidnappers take you too? You can't fight, and you can't defend yourself either. It's too dangerous! I won't let you go."

Beatrice hesitated for a while before saying, "We know how much you want to save your daughter, but your proposal makes things very risky. There's no telling whether things will go awry…" Wally nodded. "Their concerns are valid. I believe you should continue to observe from behind the scenes. Our officers will handle the job of placing the money in the designated location." Henry, however, was adamant. "I didn't make this suggestion out of impulse. First of all, the kidnappers asked us not to call the police. We would've already gone against

their demands by involving the police. Secondly, delivering the money to their designated location allows us to establish contact with them, which will help us later on.

"If the kidnappers find out that the person paying the ransom is a police officer, then I'm sure you can imagine how furious they will be. If that happens, we'll only be putting our children at risk. This task might be dangerous, but I'm willing to do it if it helps them escape smoothly."

Thalia held her father's arm tightly. "I don't care what or how many reasons you give me. I won't let you do this! Claudia's not your only daughter, you know! I'm your daughter too. Did you consider my opinion before offering yourself? What am I going to do with my life if something happens to you?"

Thalia's sadness was genuine. She was aware that she had never been adored as much as Claudia, but she did not want her father to take such risks at such a critical juncture. She knew that she might never have a father again if something happened, and she was not willing to let him perish even if he did not seem to love her all that much.

Such Henry hugged Thalia and said, "I know you're worried, but you and Claudia are all that I have. You can't tell me to just sit around and do nothing when she's in danger. I don't want either of you to end up in a dangerous situation. I won't hesitate to do the same for you too if you were in her shoes today. You understand that, don't you?"

Thalia was already in tears. She could already sense that nothing she said or did could persuade him against doing it. "I don't want you to go, Dad…"

The adults there were all heartbroken to see Thalia crying, but Henry's analysis of the situation was spot on. They all agreed that Henry was the most appropriate person to undertake the mission. Even if something went awry, Beatrice and Cedric were still there as a secondary hope.

Henry's confidence stemmed from the presence of those two influential figures. He knew that they would not abandon him if something went wrong while he sent the ransom.

"There, there. Trust me, okay? Be a good girl and wait for me. Ill be pack soon!" Henry left with the police to collect the ransom and go over the situation.

"No, don't go! Don't leave me alone" Thalia cried to no avail.

Henry took her hand away and said, "Listen to me, okay " De bacR. "

promiset

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2603-"No, Dad… Don't leave…" Thalia collapsed to the ground and watched helplessly as her father left.

'Why are you doing this? Am I not your child too? Why do you always prioritize her over me?' she thought to herself, closing her eyes tightly as tears streamed down her face.

One of the teachers was particularly distressed to see Thalia's reaction and helped her up gently. "Don't worry, young lady. Your father will be back safe."

The teacher then handed her a glass of warm water after earlier feeling how cold her palms were.

Despite offering words of comfort, they were well aware that the risk was simply too high. There was no guarantee that everyone would escape unscathed even if they let the police go with him, especially since Henry was nothing more than an unarmed middle-aged man. Still, he seemed to have steeled his resolve and accepted the fact that he might not be able to return safely again.

Meanwhile, Beatrice and other officers were busy planning the next course of action. The police officers could only escort Henry for a short distance and would no longer be able to proceed any further once they reached the agreedupon location.

Before they got out of the car and left Henry to drive over alone, an officer patted his shoulder and said, "Good luck. We'll be observing you safely from a distance."

Henry nodded and gritted his teeth before starting the car again.

Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario ended up happening. To everyone's surprise, some of the kidnappers had already lurked there from the very beginning.

Henry was captured as soon as he stepped out of the car. "What are you doing? I brought the ransom! You can't do this!" he shouted desperately. The other officers, alerted by his cries, rushed outnet hiding and came to his aid. However, the kidnappers were a step faster, and they beat Henry up until he was unconscious. They then threw him into their car and drove away, leaving behind an empty wallet and a bewildered group of police officers.

"Captain, these kidnappers have crossed the line! They hardly took us seriously!

This is an utter provocation," exclaimed one officer.

Wally, who stayed behind to oversee né the operation, remained silent for al moment before replying coldly, "You're right.

This is a provocation want you to mobilize a team of people and find out which criminals have been released from prison within the last six months. Watch out for those who have been convicted of robbery. I have reason to believe that they may be seasoned criminals."

Beatrice and Cedric's expressions soured, and Thalia held her breath. "What does that mean? Where is my dad? You promised to protect him Why didn't you bring him back? Everything was fine when he left, but now the money's gone, and he's gone too! Bring my father back! I want him back!" Her voice trembled

The police officers exchanged guilty looks and realized that they had underestimated the situation. It had not occurred to then that the kidnappers would challenge the police in such a brazen manner in addition to demanding a ransom.

They had likely fallen into the kidnappers' trap by hastily agreeing to pay up.

Despite the setback, they could not bring themselves to give up. No pne could offer Thalia a satisfactory explanation, and all she could do was whimper softly.

Henry felt his body rocking when he began to regain conscigusness.lt!

saon dawned of him that he had been knocked out.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2604-Henry's hands had been tied in a harsh knot, and he was not taken seriously in the slightest. When he woke up, he heard a group of people telling dirty jokes in the car and laughing from time to time. "These rich people are so fun to play with. They think we're stupid, but you're smart, Boss! All you did was dangle some bait, and they fell for it-hook, line, and sinker!" one of the men said in a low voice. Henry closed his eyes while trying to determine how many people were in the car. He planned to use that opportunity to rescue the two kids if the kidnappers captured him, but he needed to consider his own capabilities too.

Though he might still be able to attempt it if there were not a lot of people, he would have to wait patiently for the police to rescue him if he was outnumbered.

All in all, he had to place his faith in the police.

"Those idiots must've called the cops, but they were just careful not to show up in front of us. We've dealt with the authorities for so many years that we've gotten an intimate understanding of how they operate. Their biggest fear is alerting the enemy, so they'll definitely meet our first request.

"Heck, if I had known that things would go so well, I would've demanded more!

We can have more money to spend, and more wine to drink!" a man spoke confidently and arrogantly in apparent disregard of the police.

"Aw, that's so considerate of you, Boss! I didn't think you'd keep us in mind and treat us to a feast too," another voice chimed in.

The realization that none of them took the police seriously because they were all jailbird veterans made Henry frown. He feared that escaping their clutches might not be as easy as it seemed. In any case, he was prepared to face the worst as long as his daughter could escape.

All of a sudden, one of the gangsters noticed that Henry was awake. "Hey, old man! Do you think you can fool me by closing your eyes so tightly?" he asked, punching Henry in the stomach.

Henry groaned in pain, attracting the kidnappers' attention. "Ask about him, Manny. A coward like him can't be a cop, right?"

"Sure!" The lanky-figured Manny went all ham on Henry without giving Henry a chance to say anything It was not until Henry had been beaten to the point of passing that Manny asked, "Didn't you hear our boss's question? Don't try to lie to us, or you'll lose your life."

"I… I'm the father of one of your hostages. I'm not a police officer. Don't worry,"

Henry waved his hands weakly, but the others laughed mockingly.

"Heh. You don't look like a cop anyway!" one of the men said.

"Who would've thought that you'd risk your life and fall right into our lap? You're brave, I'll give you that," another said.

"He's the girl's father, so of course he's willing to risk it all for her. What do you know?"

For some reason, that remark offended Manny, who continued to beat Henry up in silence until their boss intervened. "Don't mention anything about fathers in front of Manny," he ordered.

Everyone knew that the word 'father' was anathema to Manny, but the youngest out of them was so beside himself with joy after getting the

money that he boldly mentioned that right in front of Manks

that he received, he realized that he had been much worse off than hey first expected, lthe Offended this group again, he would likely lose the last ounce of strength to escape.

Henry then huddled up in fear during the enor centre beat in up.

Thoügh he was aware that his body was not that strong, he was not very weak either.

"Yes, Boss…"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2605-They gathered around Henry brazenly and made no effort to conceal their identities from him, which suggested that they did not intend to spare him. His apprehension grew deeper when he realized that. Henry found himself thrown into the room where Lucas and Claudia were held. His heart ached for his daughter's safety, and he ran toward her when he saw that she was alive and well.

"Claudie!" Initially still grappling with despair, Claudia sensed that she heard her father's voice and perked her ears as she sat up.

"Was that my dad's voice? Am I hearing stuff?" Claudia murmured.

Her thoughts were clouded with uncertainty, but Lucas reassured her that she heard correctly. "You heard it right. Your father's here."

"Claudia…" Henry's voice reached Claudia's ears once more, and she heard it crystal clear that time.

Her eyes welled with tears. "Where are you, Dad? Why are you here?! Did you come to rescue us?"

The other captors chuckled mockingly from the doorway as the father and daughter reunited. "Aww, look at that happy reunion. No one's getting rescued, though! Your father's here to keep you company, so just sit tight and enjoy your time in this musty old room!"

The door was slammed shut, and silence descended once more.

"Why are you here? What's happening?" Claudia's voice quivered with emotion.

She was still blindfolded, hence the difficulty in confirming her father's presence except through his voice.

"That's not important right now. Are you both all right? Did they do anything to you?" Henry asked anxiously.

Claudia shook her head. "Lucas stopped them before they tried to hurt me."

Henry's gaze flickered briefly over his daughter's untouched skin. Her words brought him relief, and she seemed more frightened than physically harmed. His presene net brought some reassurance to the children, easing their fears tremendously.

"You must be Lucas. Thank you for protecting my daughter. Your grandparents are working hard to secure your release. Have faith. They'll come rescue us soon."

"We're classmates. She wouldn't be here if it weren't for me," Lucas said. with a guilt-ridden tone. He did not know how to face Henry after knowing that he was the reason why Claudia was dragged into the quagmire. Besides, his grandparents would be safe at home, too, rather than worrying so much about his well-being.

"I know what you're thinking, but you're not to blame for this. You're also a victim," Henry comforted him and went to sit beside his daughter.

"How did you get in here, Uncle? I heard they demanded a ransom from my grandmother'" Lucas asked while his sharp mind pieced the puzzle together.

"I'm sorry couldn't do better. I've let you down, and I've let my daughter down, too. The kidnappers

ambushed me and knocked me unconscious. They even took the ransom; Henty admitted with regret.

"You were attacked too? Are you alright now? Are you hunt? Claudia apked.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2606-Claudia was extremely anxious. She bumped into Henry, wanting to know if he was okay.

"Don't worry, I'm sitting here talking to you just fine. Nothing's wrong. They only hit me with a stick, but I didn't even shed a single drop of blood. It was my fault for missing the opportunity. Those kidnappers are really audacious. They actually set a trap for us along with the officers."

Lucas remained silent, contemplating how they could increase their chances of escape.

Sitting idly by was absolutely not an option.

He believed his grandparents would surely rescue him, and indeed, that proved to be true to some extent. Still, he did not think those kidnappers would just sit quietly and do nothing to them. Every second they waited here, their danger increased by another degree.

"Mister Henry, didn't they blindfold you?" asked Lucas.

Henry shook his head. "No, they only tied my hands and feet. Child, is there something you want me to check out?"

Henry shifted slightly in Lucas' direction. As the only adult present, he was also figuring out ways to help the two children escape.

No matter how fast the officers arrived, they could not match the speed of the kidnappers' actions. Ever since he was thrown in here, his heart had been hanging in suspense.

"Yes, Mister Henry, I want you to see if there are any other ways out of this room," replied Lucas.

Henry cautiously looked around. The house was in a state of disrepair, resembling the kind of self-built house found in rural areas.

There was only one door, but behind them was a large window, barred with iron wires.

He carefully observed everything he could and relayed it to Lucas.

"What do you think? It seems like they're all guarding the front door."

In their room, they could hear the kidnappers laughing and drinking. It seemed they truly did not think they would escape, or perhaps even if some were drinking, others were still keeping an eye on them.

"I'm not sure how many people there are. Mister Henry, you've never been blindfolded. Can you estimate how many of them there are?" asked Lucas.

Henry lowered his head and thought about it for a while before .ne answering, There were three people in the ca earlier, and when they pushed me in, I saw two standing at the door. But I'm not sure if there were people in the next room at that time…"

"There seems to be one person in the next room. They really don't care about us at all. When Claudia and I were here, they had one person keep guard over us."

Henry was quite worked up. "So there are only six people in total. If it's just six people, there's still a chance to escape."

Claudia, upon hearing that there

were still so many people, gasped.

"They have six people, and there's only three of us. We're all more en less injured now so how can we eseape? Dad, why don't we just wait here for them to rescue us? Who knows what they'll do to us if they catch us escaping? What do you say?"

Henry understood his daughter's fear. He comforted her by sayingn "Silly child, yell bel as good as waiting for our death if we stay here.

We don't know when those

kidnappers will strike! They didn't blindfold me, which means they're not afraid of me seeing their fades…

Maybe they never intended for us to leave this room alive from the beginning. Think about it: What's scarier, possibly being punished by

them or waiting here to die?"

Claudia bit her lip and slumped to the ground, tears streaming down her face.

"Why?"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2607-"I don't want to think about anything. I just want to prepare for my choir competition. Why am I so unlucky?"

Lucas' expression darkened even further. He knew all of this was because of him, but at that moment, Henry's words were more convincing. Nonetheless, he could not persuade Claudia to be optimistic, as he did not have that standing.

After Claudia's crying gradually subsided, Henry affectionately rubbed her head.

"Silly girl, have you forgotten that Daddy is right beside you? Whatever happens, you just hide behind me, and I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Ever since Claudia was young, her father had been like an immovable mountain, always protecting her. As she grew older, she started seeing her

father as less of a superhero. Nonetheless, whenever there was an unexpected incident-like the kidnapping-she still felt that her father was the most reliable presence. She felt at ease as long as her father was with her.

"Dad…" Claudia was still very afraid, but she accepted her father's suggestion.

Deep down, she understood that sitting there waiting to die was a dead end.

Escaping might offer a glimmer of hope. "Lucas, what's your plan?"

"Mister Henry, I want you to first check what kind of iron wires are on this window behind us, and whether we can rip them out."

They would have no chance of escape if it was the kind of iron bars commonly used in rural areas to seal windows. The only way out would be through the main door, but from there, they would be essentially walking into a death trap.

"Okay, give me a moment. I'll go take a look," Henry said as he clumsily struggled to get up.

His hands and feet were bound, and he had fallen a few times due to his inability to maintain balance. The thudding sound and the stifled groans of pain made Claudia involuntarily shrink back. "Dad…" she called out softly.

Henry did not answer immediately. Instead, he waited for a moment before reassuring her, "Don't worry, I'm fine…"

Lucas detected the tremble in his tone, indicating that he was seriously injured.

He immediately asked, "What's the matter, Mister Henry? Are you injured?"

Indeed, while Henry said he was knocked unconscious when the kidnappers brought him there, there not was no guarantee that they did. do anything else to him in the car. Lucas frowned in frustration realizing he had overlooked this.

"Sheesh, I already said I'm fine. I'm not injured. I'm just finding it hard to maintain balance when standing up, I so I fell down. Don't worry, my body is still quite sturdy. If it weren't, wouldn't have agreed to do it. I'm not a fool," Henry reassured them.

Claudia said anxiously, "Dad, please don't move anymore if you're hurt. Let's just wait for the police to rescue us, okay? Do you hear me?"

"I know, sweetie. I'm just going to take a quick look," Henry said.

He hopped toward the window, but fearing his movements might make too much noise, he paused for a while after each hop, ensuring that nobody outside had noticed before continuing.

In reality, he was in so much pain that he could barely breathe. His

whole body trembled incessantly he kick. He was not sure now c Om longer he could endure

been broken by that kidnapper's

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2608-Luckily, what surprised them was that the iron wires were very soft, and the edges seemed to be curled up, possibly due to years of disrepair. Henry did not dare to delay any longer. After confirming the material of the mesh, he carefully made his way back and sat on the ground again. However, this time he could not control his strength well, and he fell to the ground.Claudia let out a quiet gasp, while the kidnappers outside reacted quickly. The lively drinking noises from the next room continued, but one person, who appeared very sober, grabbed an iron rod and pushed open their door.After seeing Henry lying on the ground, he warned them, "I warn you not to think about escaping or you're going to get a good beating from this iron rod in my hand!""It's confirmed that there's one person not drinking next door," said Henry.Henry's voice continued to tremble, causing Claudia to become increasingly alarmed. "Dad, what's wrong with you? Please don't scare me!"The occasional visits from the kidnappers had left Claudia in a cold sweat. She did not know how she would cope if something were to happen to her father."I'm fine. I was just a bit startled by the kidnapper who came in. My heart can't handle such excitement. Oh, by the way, Lucas, I've confirmed that the mesh on the window is made of a very tough material, but think we can bend it apart with a little force. We can definitely escape through the rear window!" said Henry.Lucas breathed a sigh of relief at the good news. "Mister Henry, you should take a breather. You don't sound too good. We'll escape when they're drunk."Even if Lucas had not said so, Henry knew he needed some rest. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, causing him to frown and bite his lower lip tightly. He tried not to make any sound for fear of making Lucas and Claudia worry.Captain Jimmy Collins's judgment was indeed correct. There had been quite a few ex-convicts released from prison in the past six months. One person, Stan Cruz, who had a history of kidnapping, caught his attention."This guy was like a big shot in prison. He had almost everyone taking his order.Because of that, we relocated those who were close to him to different prisons.Do you remember, boss?" recalled one of Jimmy's subordinates.Jimmy nodded. The situation would be more challenging than he had anticipated if Stan was involved in Lucas and Claudia's kidnappings."Check his recent whereabouts. My gut feeling tells me he's definitely involved,"Jimmy ordered.The information from his subordinate came quickly, confirming his suspicion. It was indeed Stan."Recently, he's been frequently visiting Atlanto City, but before that, he had been living in his hometown, Camrod City. He gathered a few thugs there, all of whom he knew from prison. I think he's likely I planning something big there and then planning to escape!" the subordinate reported."You're right. We need to request support from higher-ups."Support for major cases came quickly. Jimmy and his team ran the car plate number Stan used to enter and exit Camrod City to determine his final location.During such critical moments, they could not afford to be complacent. Everyone in the office held their breath, and even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard."Boss, take a look. Around noon, they appeared near this park. Do you think this person is Stan?"

The individual in question disembarked from the vehicle under surveillance and even dia cigarette, stowing complete disregard for the police officers present. "Heh, nobody can escape their retribution,"

remarked JimmyHe never believed anyone could face

real punishment without fear. Stan and his lackeys' audacity was solely aue to their arrogandeland fack of respeot for authority. Those kidnappers worked together for their own and they would scatter forthe same reason. They were the type who would refuse to be convinced until they were faced with a grim reality.

'These criminals would only pay the price for their actions by spending the rest of their lives in prison,"

thought Jimmy.Thalia, who had been listening intently to the officers' conversation, asked, "So, have you found the suspects yet?

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2609-Thalia's heart was hanging in suspense. She wished she could teleport to where her father was being held the next second.

The faces of the officers showed excitement as they gradually got a lead on the investigation. Thalia's heart started settling down; this meant they had the upper hand. All that was left was to quickly find the kidnappers' hiding place and bring her father back!

She had not even considered Claudia. She even darkly thought that it would be better if Claudia died in this kidnapping. Then, no one would come between her and her father's affection for the rest of her life. 'Claudia, oh Claudia, this isn't me cursing you. It's all retribution for stealing Lucas away from me! If you had

cared about me even a little, you would've stayed away from him!' thought Thalia.

The fact that Claudia and Lucas were both kidnapped together made her realize the truth. Claudia was truly a 'good' sister to her.

'Although she says that she won't date around and that studying is the most important thing, she secretly clings to Lucas tightly!' thought Thalia.

Thalia was clearly the one who liked Lucas first, yet Claudia wanted to take him away. Since Claudia did not care about her feelings, why should she bother to pretend to care about Claudia anymore? 'I hope Claudia dies there so that I'll never have to see her again!' Just thinking about Claudia's miserable end made Thalia smile sinisterly.

The teacher who had been accompanying her was about to ask if she was okay but was frightened by her expression.

"You…"

However, when Thalia turned around again, she reverted back to that pitiful look, so the teacher just net chalked it down to her seeing things wrongly.

"Miss, what's wrong?" asked Thalia.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to ask if your water has cooled down. Do you want me to get you another glass?"

Thalia lowered her head, shaking it weakly. "It's okay. I'm not thirsty."

'She didn't even want to drink water. It seems this child is really worried about her sister and father,' thought the teacher.

"Don't worry. We have to trust the police. They've already identified the suspects. I believe they will soon rescue your sister and fatheroso there's no need to worry so much."

Thalia still kept her head down, preventing the teacher from seeing the expression in her eyes.

'I've never worried about that btch. It would be better if that btch died,' thought Thalia.

The gang of kidnappers drank until late into the night, with onletwolof them stili somewhat sober.

"You two..go keep watch over the three of them. I warn you'" Stanm hiccupped, Jopking like he could barely stand, while Henry silently took note of everything.

"Don't worry, Boss. I'll keep an eye on them for sure."

"Hiccup! When the next call comes, we'll squeeze them harg for somel money-piccupt-So that we can live the good life from now on!"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2610-"Hehehe. I knew it was the right choice but follow you, Boss! We'll never have to worry about money ever again. We can eat and drink the finest after this!"

Previously, in the next room, they had collected the first ransom. Each of them would be getting tens of thousands! This was something they could not have imagined back when they were working normal jobs.

Thinking about the possibility of even more money to come, each of them worshiped Stan. Originally, they did not want to go back to this line of work after finally getting out of prison. After all, they had spent so many years inside, and they wanted to start fresh and turn over a new leaf when they got out.

However, they just could not resist the temptation. This line of work brought money in so quickly compared to doing odd jobs. Moreover, they were looked down upon, and after a year of hard work, they would not even save much. It would be even more difficult to send money back home to their families for them to buy new clothes.

Kidnapping was different. This was just the first ransom, and they had earned so much already. Not to mention they had demanded more money from Cedric and Beatrice to ransom back Lucas. Just thinking about it felt so satisfying to the kidnappers.

The other three men, completely drunk, helped Stan to the next room to sleep.

Only two men remained, and they walked up to Lucas, Henry, and Claudia with an iron rod in their hands to give them a good beating.

"I warned you three, tonight it's just the two of us on duty. Don't even think about escaping. It's not like you'll get far with your injuries. So you better behave if you want to keep your sorry lives! Got it?" Henry curled up and nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes. We got it."

"At least you have some sense." He stood up and said to his companion, "Let's go, it's freezing in here. We shouldn't stay here."

Although their voices sounded sober, Lucas and the others could all smell the strong scent of alcohol on him. It was not a scent one could pick up just from being around it for a while.

The two guards did not stay in the same room as them. Instead, they stayed outside and started a fire. The room was chilly, with the door open and only a layer of wire mesh at the back. All three of them were freezing with the chilly wind blowing through the door.

"It's so cold…" Claudia muttered quietly.

Henry moved closer to her. "Come over here. It'll be warmer if the three of us huddle together."

They would surely get sick the next day if they spent the whole nightdike this. Falling ill would just make things worse since they were injured. Escaping would seem like an impossible dream if they fall sick.

The three of them huddled in a corner, doing their best to avoid the draft. The kidnappers outside noticed and shared a smile.

"Hey, you think they're scared to death?"

"They better be. We didn't go through all this trouble just for some chump change."

Each of the kidnappers had received tens of thousands of dollars, so they were all in good spirits. One of them, feeling generous, grabbed two scraps of cloth he found lying. somewhere and tossed them to the captives.

"Here, cover yourselves up with these. We don't want you freezing to death.

The cloth had a smell to it, but as they said, how could they complain at a time like thig? duckily, the cloth-though unpleasant-had some thickness to it.

Henry used his teeth to layer the two scraps over themselves Itc o M immediately telf much warmer.

There aren't any designer brands for you to use right now, so make do with these."

"Feeling warmer now?"

The man outside chuckled while utside tending to the fire, "You're not

bothered by the smell, huh? These were used as dog bedding before,so it's soaked withddg/pee. I can't believe you used your teeth to grab it.

Hahaha!"