Chapter 190
“I won’t call the police,” Sylvia said. Reaching her car parked outside the school gate, she turned and cast a meaningful glance at Joanna, who had
followed her.
Zack had just been kidnapped, and Joanna suspiciously showed up right after. Sylvia thought, ‘Joanna claimed she was here to bring Zack a cake. But seriously, what are the odds?‘ Sylvia couldn’t shake the feeling that Joanna’s appearance was suspicious.
Joanna’s lips curled in a barely noticeable smile when she heard Sylvia wasn’t calling the police. Putting on a show of concern, she urged. “Sylvia, if you’re not going to the cops, hurry up and raise the money. Zack’s safety comes first.”
Sylvia shot Joanna a cold glance without another word. She turned and got into her car, starting the engine
of dust.
with a roar. The vehicle sped away in a cloud
Joanna curled her lips in a sly smile, swiftly jumped into her car, and tailed after Sylvia. ‘I know exactly where Sylvia’s driving–straight to the bank to withdraw the ransom,‘ she thought.
Joanna was thrilled–she’d been in on the kidnapping from the very start. But to Joanna’s surprise, Sylvia’s car didn’t head for the bank. Instead, it sped toward the Blair Group headquarters. Sylvia stepped out of the car and strode purposefully into the building.
Joanna ran after her, clearly flustered. “Sylvia, what are you doing here? Don’t mess with Byron’s work stuff. You know you can pull together that rarisom if you really want to.”
Sylvia stopped, fixing Joanna with a frosty look, a mocking smirk playing on her lips. “Why so nervous? Zack is Byron’s son. Of course he should be the first to know.”
Joanna’s face flushed with embarrassment. She said, “Sylvia, I’m just so worried about Zack. All I could think about was getting the money together fast to rescue him.”
Sylvia ignored her, hit the elevator button, and rushed to the CEO’s office. With a bang, she flung the door open, her movements urgent.
Inside the office, Byron was holding a meeting with several executives when Sylvia suddenly barged in. His expression darkened with annoyance.
“Clear the room. This can’t wait.” Sylvia cut straight to the point, her voice tight with urgency.
Joanna followed close behind, secretly gloating at the scene–she knew Byron despised being interrupted during meetings. That idiot, Sylvia. Just wait, Byron’s about to tear into you,‘ she thought gleefully.
Byron was clearly displeased, but the moment he glanced at Sylvia, he noticed something was off. Her eyes were red–rimmed, full of panic and distress. ‘Something terrible must have happened,‘ he thought, his heart sinking.
Byron turned to the executives and commanded, “Clear the room. I need to handle something urgent.”
The executives scrambled to their feet and hurried out.
Joanna was irked when Byron didn’t lash out at Sylvia. Seizing the moment, she rushed over with crocodile tears. “Byron, something terrible happened -Zack’s been kidnapped…”
Joanna put on a damsel–in–distress act, trying to throw herself into Byron’s arms, but he brushed her aside without a second thought.
Byron’s eyes widened in shock. He rushed over to Sylvia, gripped her shoulders tightly, and demanded, “Sylvia, what the hell happened? Explain it to me.”
Sylvia nodded slightly, her voice low but resolute. “Yes, Zack’s been kidnapped.”
Byron’s face darkened menacingly. In a low/controlled voice, he asked, “Any idea who did this?”
Sylvia shook her head calmly. “They’re demanding 16 million in cash.”
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Chapter 190
Joanna cut in, “Byron, it’s just 16 million for the ransom–just give it to them. Zack’s safety comes first. She theatrically dabbed at hat dry eyer, purting on an exaggerated show of distress.
Byron strode back to his desk, grabbed the phone, and dialed his assistant. “Prepare 16 million in cash. Now”
Joanna was secretly thrilled. Once the money was in her hands, she’d take her cut–but letting Zack go wasn’t part of the plan. She ales intended to key Sylvia, the money courfer, until she’d squeezed every last cent from Sylvia’s accounts.
Just as Byron was on the phone, Sylvia walked over and hit the end–call button. “Hold off on the money.” Sylvia said firmly.
Byron looked up sharply. “Why?”
Joanna panicked as Sylvia interrupted Byron’s attempt to gather the money. With exaggerated urgency, right now?
she cried out, “Sylvia, how can you even hesitate
“Is money really more important than Zack’s life? If anything happens to him, I couldn’t go on living either.” She dramatically covered her face, her shoulders shaking with fake sobs.
Sylvia sneered. “Joanna, who are you to Zack? If you’re so eager to die, go find a bridge and jump–stop all this empty talk. Since you love Zack so much, go home and raise the money yourself. If you don’t have it, sell the Moore estate.”
Joanna’s face burned crimson with humiliation, utterly speechless.
Sylvia fixed Byron with a determined look. “I’m not here for you to raise the ransom. I need you to send your men to find Zack.”
Joanna gasped. “Sylvia, do you actually know where Zack is?”
Sylvia sneered, her voice brimming with confidence. “The kidnapper called earlier. I can trace his location from that call.”
As Shadow, a top Al engineer, this was child’s play for her. Even if the call lasted just a second, she could still pinpoint exactly where the kidnapper was,
Joanna’s eyes flashed with fear, her voice trembling. “Sylvia, this isn’t a game. Are you really sure you can track down the kidnapper? What if you’re wrong? What if you alert him? Aren’t you afraid something might happen to Zack?”
She turned to Byron with a desperate, pleading look. “Byron, please, talk to Sylvia. We have to follow the kidnapper’s demands. This isn’t the time to take matters into our own hands.”
Byron pressed his lips together, his gaze inscrutable. He remained silent.
Sylvia shot Joanna a mocking look. “Joanna, Zack is my own flesh and blood–no one’s more desperate than I am.
“As long as the kidnapper doesn’t get the money, he won’t dare touch him. I’m protecting Zack here, so why are you putting on this useless act?”
Panic rising in her chest, Joanna blurted out, “Sylvia, tracking his location is nearly impossible. Stop wasting time, okay?”
Sylvia ignored Joanna, her fingers flying across her phone screen. A second later, she looked up and said, word by word, “Zack is being held at an abandoned auto parts factory on the outskirts.”
Joanna froze, stunned. That was the exact spot Dallas had taken Zack to. She thought, ‘How the hell did she figure that out?‘
Trying to regain control, Joanna turned to Byron, urging him. “Don’t listen to her. There’s no way they’d stash Zack in a place like that. If she’s wrong. we’ll lose precious time.”
14:02 Mon, 7 Jul
