Chapter 1: Kidnapped

“Easton, your precious wife is in my hands. Prepare five billion dollars and transfer it to my account. If you don’t, you’ll be dealing with her corpse in 24 hours!”

A harsh male voice came through the phone, causing Easton to frown in annoyance. He didn’t recognize the caller, but they were using Ellis’s phone number. Lately, Ellis had been trying various tricks to get his attention after their recent argument. This was likely another one of her plots. Easton had only answered the call by accident, his finger slipping and hitting the answer button.

“Tell Ellis that whether she’s alive or dead is of no concern to me. She should stop these silly games.”

He hung up immediately and returned to his work.

Meanwhile, in a dark, isolated warehouse, Nolan, his face twisted in frustration, glared at Ellis, who was bound and unable to move. With the phone on speaker, Ellis heard Easton’s response clearly. A cold sense of hopelessness washed over her, and the prayers she had been holding onto now seemed like a cruel joke. Nolan had kidnapped her, hoping to extort money from Easton. Trembling in fear, she had been praying that Easton would come to her rescue. But instead, Easton didn’t care about her safety, assuming she had orchestrated the whole thing. Nolan, enraged by his failed attempt, angrily threw the phone aside.

Just then, the door swung open. Nolan glanced over as two men entered, hauling a human-sized sack. Ellis’s attention was also drawn to it. Did Nolan kidnap someone else too?

“Nolan, we’ve brought the person!” the two men announced, approaching him excitedly.

“Well done!” Nolan nodded approvingly at his men’s work. Luckily, I had a backup plan. Otherwise, the whole effort would have been pointless.

Nolan directed his men to take the person out of the bag. When the person was finally revealed, Ellis’s eyes widened in astonishment. It was Victoria! That woman was someone Ellis would recognize even if she were turned to dust. She couldn’t deny that Victoria’s presence made her feel uneasy. After all, in Stonebridge’s elite circles, everyone knew that Victoria was Easton’s first love. The two had been close since childhood and had even been engaged. If Easton hadn’t lost the brutal heir competition in the Hudson family and if Victoria’s parents hadn’t called off the engagement and sent her abroad, Ellis would never have had a chance to become Mrs. Hudson.

Now that Victoria was here, Ellis couldn’t help but wonder: When did Victoria return to the country? Had she been in touch with Easton? Was Easton’s recent cold attitude toward her because of Victoria?

As Victoria finally freed herself from the bag and was about to struggle, she noticed Ellis, and her panic immediately turned into disdain and contempt. At that moment, Nolan grabbed Victoria’s phone from her handbag. Forcing her to unlock it, he quickly found Easton’s number in her contacts. The call history revealed that the two had been calling each other frequently. So, it was true. Victoria still held a special place in Easton’s heart. Nolan let out a pleased chuckle. He felt relieved that he had prepared a backup plan and didn’t rely solely on Ellis.

After dialing, Nolan ripped the tape from Victoria’s mouth and motioned for her to speak. Victoria had realized she’d been kidnapped, but she hadn’t expected the kidnappers to contact Easton rather than her family.

“Easton, I’ve been kidnapped! Help me!” she cried.

Just as Easton hung up the earlier call, his phone rang again. Assuming it was Ellis, he nearly ignored it, but then he noticed it was Victoria calling. Hearing her cry for help, he frowned. “What’s happened? What’s going on?” he asked.

Learning from his earlier experience, Nolan chose not to speak right away. Instead, he struck Victoria hard across the face. The loud slap echoed in Easton’s ear, and he heard it distinctly. He quickly set aside his paperwork, his attention fully captured by the call. “Is the one hitting you the kidnapper? Let him talk!”

“Mr. Easton, don’t be surprised. It’s me again!” Nolan grabbed Victoria’s chin. “Your wife may not be worth much, but your beloved surely holds some value, right?”

Initially, Ellis was confused about why Nolan had taken both her and Victoria, but as Nolan continued to ask Easton for money, a glimmer of hope rose within her. Surely, Easton would realize she was genuinely in danger and would come to save her.

“Five billion? Send me your account number,” Easton stated, his demeanor shifting as he caught the key point.

“No, no, no! The price has increased. Your beloved must be worth at least ten billion.” Alan tightened his grip, making Victoria scream in pain. “Did you catch that? If you don’t hurry, your beautiful darling might just…” Nolan paused deliberately before concluding. “Be abused and killed.”

“Don’t harm her! I will transfer the money immediately,” came Easton’s frantic voice.

Ellis’s faint hope and expectations were completely shattered in that instant. Her entire body went cold as blood drained from her face.

Chapter 2: The Heartbreak of Ellis