Chapter One Hundred& Sixty Three

The man slowly stepped aside, allowing them to move into the house. His gun still pointed at them.

"If you say a word, I'm going to shoot you and your girlfriend dead in seconds," the shooter threatened, his voice a low growl. He waved his gun at Lucas, his eyes cold and unyielding. Lucas nodded slowly, his jaw clenched.

Emma's heart pounded as she tried to take in the scene. "Now tell him where you kept it," the man with the gun ordered, pointing at a woman tied to a chair. The ropes dug into her wrists, leaving angry red marks. Emma's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the woman—it seemed she was the one she had been talking to. How had Mr. Ethan known to find her so quickly? Had he been tracking her phone?

The woman's eyes blazed with defiance. "I don't know where it is," she spat. The man's face twisted in anger. Without warning, he kicked her hard in the stomach. She gasped, doubling over in pain, the chair creaking under the impact.

Emma winced and looked away, her sto