Novel Update
Chapter 30
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Charlie. Honestly, until you mentioned Tiffany was kidnapped, I didn’t know anything had happened to her. 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?” Stan denied it all, hoping that if he held his ground, Charlie might start to doubt himself.
What he didn’t expect was for Owen to suddenly walk in, dragging a man and throwing him down at Stan’s feet.
“When I got out of the car, I noticed someone lurking in the shadows. I suspected he might be connected to the kidnappers, so I decided to test him and I was right!” Owen explained,
The man was one of the kidnappers, the one who had been caught after taking the van out, Owen had threatened him into playing along, so the man now blurted out, “Boss, how could you go back on your word? You promised us 500 thousand dollars for our trouble!”
Stan’s eyes widened in shock, and he snapped, “When did I ever say that? I clearly told you 30 thousand dollars!”
The moment the words left his mouth, Stan realized he’d slipped up. He turned to look at Charlie, only to see Charlie’s face darken with a cold fury. The trust between them was shattered beyond repair.
“No, Charlie, it’s not like that, I-Stan stammered, desperate to explain.
‘T’ll ask you one more time: where is my daughter?” Charlie’s voice was icy.
Before Stan could respond, the kidnapper, still trembling on the floor, quickly spoke up. “I know! I’ll take you to her!”
At that moment, in the abandoned factory, Tiffany stretched and got up from the floor. The bruises on her face and arms were nothing more than makeup, carefully applied with lipstick She hadn’t actually been beaten; it was all part of an act with the kidnappers.
Tiffany glanced at the three kidnappers crouching on the ground and said, “You all played your parts well”
“Miss Kelley, we made sure not to hurt you!” The three men, catching her gaze, quickly defended themselves.
Actually, while they were acting with Tiffany earlier, the three kidnappers briefly considered taking the opportunity to tie her up for real. But with Zoe standing nearby holding a power drill, they didn’t dare make a move.
Earlier, while Tiffany was applying her makeup, she had explained the whole plan to Zoe. Upon hearing it, Zoe couldn’t help but curse, “Gosh, your uncle is a real piece of work!”
Tiffany checked the time, figuring that Owen and Charlie would arrive any minute. She quickly instructed Zoe to tie her up again, making it look like she was still being held captive. Zoe tied the ropes using a loose knot that Tiffany could easily undo with a tug, just in case the kidnappers decided to try anything
Tiffany had planned everything down to the last detail. Next, she would continue to act as though she’d been mistreated, ensuring that Charlie’s hatred for Stan would deepen. Then, Owen would present the contract that Stan had signed earlier, exposing all of his schemes. Once Charlie realized that Stan had not only embezzled company funds but also kidnapped Tiffany, there would be no chance of forgiveness.
As her plan neared success, Tiffany smiled at Zoe and said, “You’ve really been a huge help.”
“You saved my life, so of course I’m going to help you,” Zoe replied with a grin.
The three kidnappers, terrified after being beaten, got to their feet, ready to continue pretending they were mistreating Tiffany. Just then, the sound of a car engine roared from outside
Zoe quickly hid, while the three kidnappers, their expressions now menacing, advanced toward Tiffany, who put on a helpless act.
Suddenly, the factory doors were kicked open, and a man burst in. When Tiffany saw who it was, she was shocked. She hadn’t expected Richard.
“What are you doing here?” Tiffany asked, surprised.
Richard’s eyes narrowed as soon as he saw the bruises on her. Anger surged through him, and he seemed more intimidating than ever. Without a second thought, he charged at the three kidnappers and started beating them mercilessly.
The kidnappers quickly realized that Richard’s punches were even more powerful than Tiffany’s had been. They were in so much pain they couldn’t even muster the strength to scream.
Tiffany hurried forward, grabbing Richard’s arm. “Stop, I’m okay. These injuries-they’re all fake. The kidnappers were just playing along with me.”
Richard paused, looking at her with disbelief. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely!” Tiffany nodded frantically. To convince him, she grabbed his hand and pressed it against her face. “Feel it- these bruises are just lipstick, they’re fake!”
As Richard touched her face, he felt a flutter in his chest, but he kept his composure, asking skeptically, “Why would you fake these injuries?”
Tiffany had no choice but to explain the entire plan to him, then urged, “You need to leave, now. Don’t mess up my plan!” Richard frowned, taken aback. He had come all this way to rescue her, only to be told to leave.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.