"I have no idea what you're talking about, Charlie," Stan said. "Honestly, I didn't know anything had happened to Tiffany until you mentioned it. I have nothing to do with this. You can't just accuse me like that. Why do you think it was me? Haven't you considered that someone might be trying to frame me?" He denied everything, hoping that if he held his ground, Charlie might doubt him.

He didn't expect Owen to suddenly burst in, dragging a man and throwing him at Stan's feet.

"When I got out of the car, I noticed someone lurking in the shadows," Owen explained. "I suspected he might be connected to the kidnappers, so I decided to test him—and I was right!"

The man, one of the kidnappers caught after taking the van, had been threatened into cooperation. He blurted out, "Boss, how could you go back on your word? You promised us $500,000 for our trouble!"

Stan's eyes widened in shock. "When did I ever say that? I clearly told you $30,000!"

The words were barely out before he realized his mistake. He looked at Charlie, whose face darkened with cold fury. The trust between them was shattered.

"No, Charlie, it's not like that, I—" Stan stammered, desperate to explain.

"I'll ask you one more time: where is my daughter?" Charlie's voice was icy.

Before Stan could answer, the trembling kidnapper spoke up. "I know! I'll take you to her!"

At that moment, in the abandoned factory, Tiffany stretched and rose from the floor. The bruises on her face and arms were nothing but makeup, carefully applied with lipstick. She hadn't been beaten; it was all an act.

She glanced at the three crouching kidnappers. "You all played your parts well."

"Miss Kelley, we made sure not to hurt you!" The three men quickly defended themselves.

Actually, while acting with Tiffany, they had briefly considered tying her up for real. But Zoe, standing nearby with a power drill, deterred them.

Earlier, Tiffany had explained her plan to Zoe. Zoe had exclaimed, "Gosh, your uncle is a real piece of work!"

Tiffany checked the time, knowing Owen and Charlie would arrive soon. She quickly instructed Zoe to re-tie her, making it look like she was still captive. Zoe used a loose knot Tiffany could easily undo.

Tiffany had planned everything meticulously. She would continue to act mistreated, deepening Charlie's hatred for Stan. Then Owen would present the contract Stan had signed, exposing his schemes. Once Charlie realized Stan had embezzled company funds and kidnapped Tiffany, there would be no forgiveness.

As her plan neared success, Tiffany smiled at Zoe. "You've really been a huge help."

"You saved my life, so of course I'm going to help you," Zoe replied.

The terrified kidnappers stood, ready to continue their charade. Then, a car engine roared outside.

Zoe hid while the kidnappers, their expressions menacing, advanced on Tiffany, who played the helpless victim.

Suddenly, the factory doors burst open, and a man rushed in. Tiffany was shocked to see Richard.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Richard's eyes narrowed at the bruises. Anger flared, making him seem more intimidating than ever. He charged at the kidnappers and beat them mercilessly.

The kidnappers quickly realized Richard's punches were far stronger than Tiffany's had been. They were in too much pain to scream.

Tiffany grabbed Richard's arm. "Stop! I'm okay. These injuries—they're fake. The kidnappers were playing along."

Richard paused, disbelieving. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely!" Tiffany nodded frantically, pressing his hand to her face. "Feel it—these bruises are just lipstick!"

As Richard touched her face, he felt a flutter in his chest, but maintained his composure. "Why fake these injuries?"

Tiffany explained her plan, then urged, "You need to leave now. Don't mess up my plan!" Richard frowned, surprised. He'd come to rescue her, only to be told to leave.

I removed the promotional text for FindNovel.net. I also standardized the use of dollar signs ($) and corrected minor inconsistencies in capitalization and punctuation.