Damon replied coolly, "Understood."He ended the call and discussed the plan with Nyla, ensuring the conversation wouldn't raise Gabriel's suspicions.Just as Nyla was about to dial, her phone lit up with an incoming call. Seeing Gabriel's name on the screen, she froze for a moment before exchanging a glance with Damon.Taking a deep breath, she answered. "Hello?""Nyla, you should be on your way by now. I've changed my mind. Go to the Sotoz subway station. Damon should head to the Marsh Street subway station. I'll have someone bring Mason to him there," Gabriel instructed.Sotoz and Marsh Street were in entirely different directions from the original locations he had provided—one to the east, the other to the west.However, Sotoz was only a few kilometers from Garmony Residence."Alright, I understand," Nyla said evenly."Don't try anything funny," Gabriel warned. "If you or Damon deviate from the plan, neither of you will ever see Buddy again."Clenching the phone tightly, N
Mason froze momentarily before glaring at Gabriel. No wonder his mother didn't like this fellow. He didn't like him either.The two stared each other down in tense silence until Gabriel's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, squinting slightly before answering."Mr. Hackett, the plane is ready to go. You can take off anytime. When will you be here?" a voice on the other end asked.Gabriel checked the time. "Around 8:00 p.m.""Got it," the caller replied before hanging up.Gabriel lowered the phone and turned his gaze back to Mason, his expression unreadable.He hesitated, debating whether to send the boy away first. It would be safer. As long as Nyla couldn't see Mason, she'd agree to his terms and leave with him."I need to pee!" Mason's loud declaration cut through Gabriel's thoughts, his face darkening instantly.Gabriel growled, "I already told you—if you need to pee, just do it in your pants."Mason crossed his arms, defiant. "Are you scared I'll run away? A grown man
The knocking persisted, darkening Gabriel's expression with each sound. It was clear the person outside knew he was inside but refused to leave.He exhaled deeply and quietly moved Mason to the bedroom before returning to the door. In a low voice, he asked, "Who is it?""Hello, I'm here to check the gas lines. Could you open the door, please?" the other party replied.Gabriel hesitated before saying, "I'm busy today. Come back tomorrow.""Sir, our inspections are time-sensitive. Last time, you weren't home. It'll only take five minutes," the person explained.When Gabriel remained silent, the voice pressed on. "Sir? Are you still there?" "I said come back tomorrow!" Gabriel snapped. "I don't have time today." Deciding to ignore the persistent visitor, he retreated to the living room and made a call. "Some guy claiming to check the gas is at my door. Get up here now and deal with him!"The line remained silent for a moment, and Gabriel's instincts flared.Something was wrong.
The man chuckled. "It seems like you don't want to leave here after all."As soon as he finished speaking, Gabriel felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck. Darkness overtook him, and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.The man looked down at him with disdain before stepping over his limp body and heading into the living room.After scanning the area and finding no sign of Mason, he began searching each room one by one.Meanwhile, Mason was curled up inside a storage compartment under the bed in the bedroom.He had initially planned to climb out of the window, but the five-story drop below had sent him scrambling back inside.While searching the room earlier, he had discovered the cabinet under the bed and squeezed himself in, determined to stay hidden until Gabriel left.Just as Mason was preparing to sneak out, footsteps echoed from the doorway. He froze, holding his breath in terror and silently begging that Gabriel wouldn't find him.The footsteps grew louder, stopping
The man burst into laughter. "Oh, I'm terrified. Go ahead, call him to come and beat me up."Realizing his threats weren't working, Mason glared at him, glancing around for a chance to escape.The man left him no opportunity, shoving him into a nearby car and instructing the driver to start the engine.Mason noticed he wasn't tied up, sparking a glimmer of hope. He turned to the man. "Where are you taking me?"He silently resolved to find a way to contact his parents and let them know his whereabouts."You said it yourself—I'm a kidnapper. I'm going to sell you, of course," the man replied.…Damon had just arrived at the subway station when his phone buzzed with a call from one of his men."Mr. Sumner, we've found Gabriel. He's unconscious at the apartment door, but there's no sign of Mr. Mason," the subordinate reported.Damon's expression darkened. "Wake Gabriel up and make him tell you where Buddy is."Ending the call, he turned to his driver. "Stop the car."As soon as
Nyla had calmed down by the time Damon arrived. Seeing him, she stood up and said, "Just now, Gabriel said some mysterious person took Buddy away."Damon turned to Luca, his tone sharp. "Have you found out who it was?"Luca shook his head. "Not yet, Mr. Sumner. The surveillance footage from the neighborhood entrance during that time has been deleted. We're still working on recovering it.""How long will it take to recover?" Damon pressed."We're not sure yet," Luca admitted.Damon's expression darkened, and the atmosphere grew tense. "Not sure? What does that mean? If you can't even recover a simple surveillance video, why are you still here?"Luca swallowed hard. He wasn't an expert in surveillance recovery, but he knew better than to say so.Bowing his head, he replied, "Yes, Mr. Sumner. I'll push them to work faster.""Get it done in an hour. And check the surrounding houses. Most people have security cameras these days. Take a team and see if anyone's footage captured the s
Mason put on a sweet, obedient expression. "Okay."After selecting his food, he handed the menu back. "Can I go now?"The man nodded. "Go ahead."Mason quickly headed for the door. As he reached it, he glanced back and saw the man still sitting calmly, making no move to follow him.Suspicion crept into his mind. Why wasn't the man worried about him escaping?The man raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Not going?""N-No, I'm going now," Mason stammered.Fearing the man might change his mind, Mason bolted out the door and raced down the hallway.The man smiled, then removed his mask and took a sip of his red wine.Instead of heading to the restroom, Mason made a beeline for the restaurant's exit. If he could just get outside, he could find a phone and call his parents to come and save him.Although he didn't believe the strange man would hurt him, he was still afraid.He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, and soon the entrance came into view.Ten meters.Nine mete
Nyla Jayston was in her third month of trying to conceive when she saw a message on her husband Clark Sumner's phone from a contact named "Jordyn Cheatham".Jordyn: [I think my new nightgown is a bit tight. Why don't you come over and check if it fits?]Attached was a selfie of a woman in a deep V-neck red slip dress, her cleavage partly exposed, exuding seduction.Nyla's grip on the phone tightened. She scrolled up and found Clark and Jordyn's previous exchanges to be strictly work-related, which made her frown.'Was the text sent by mistake? Or…'A hand wrapped around Nyla's waist from behind, breaking her thoughts.Clark pressed his warm body against hers and gently nibbled her earlobe. "Honey, I'm all cleaned up. Do you want to do it on the couch or the bed?"Before Nyla could respond, Clark picked her up and laid her on the couch, his tall frame looming over her."Since you're not saying anything, I'll choose. Let's do it on the couch," Clark said, his voice husky and his
Mason put on a sweet, obedient expression. "Okay."After selecting his food, he handed the menu back. "Can I go now?"The man nodded. "Go ahead."Mason quickly headed for the door. As he reached it, he glanced back and saw the man still sitting calmly, making no move to follow him.Suspicion crept into his mind. Why wasn't the man worried about him escaping?The man raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Not going?""N-No, I'm going now," Mason stammered.Fearing the man might change his mind, Mason bolted out the door and raced down the hallway.The man smiled, then removed his mask and took a sip of his red wine.Instead of heading to the restroom, Mason made a beeline for the restaurant's exit. If he could just get outside, he could find a phone and call his parents to come and save him.Although he didn't believe the strange man would hurt him, he was still afraid.He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, and soon the entrance came into view.Ten meters.Nine mete
Nyla had calmed down by the time Damon arrived. Seeing him, she stood up and said, "Just now, Gabriel said some mysterious person took Buddy away."Damon turned to Luca, his tone sharp. "Have you found out who it was?"Luca shook his head. "Not yet, Mr. Sumner. The surveillance footage from the neighborhood entrance during that time has been deleted. We're still working on recovering it.""How long will it take to recover?" Damon pressed."We're not sure yet," Luca admitted.Damon's expression darkened, and the atmosphere grew tense. "Not sure? What does that mean? If you can't even recover a simple surveillance video, why are you still here?"Luca swallowed hard. He wasn't an expert in surveillance recovery, but he knew better than to say so.Bowing his head, he replied, "Yes, Mr. Sumner. I'll push them to work faster.""Get it done in an hour. And check the surrounding houses. Most people have security cameras these days. Take a team and see if anyone's footage captured the s
The man burst into laughter. "Oh, I'm terrified. Go ahead, call him to come and beat me up."Realizing his threats weren't working, Mason glared at him, glancing around for a chance to escape.The man left him no opportunity, shoving him into a nearby car and instructing the driver to start the engine.Mason noticed he wasn't tied up, sparking a glimmer of hope. He turned to the man. "Where are you taking me?"He silently resolved to find a way to contact his parents and let them know his whereabouts."You said it yourself—I'm a kidnapper. I'm going to sell you, of course," the man replied.…Damon had just arrived at the subway station when his phone buzzed with a call from one of his men."Mr. Sumner, we've found Gabriel. He's unconscious at the apartment door, but there's no sign of Mr. Mason," the subordinate reported.Damon's expression darkened. "Wake Gabriel up and make him tell you where Buddy is."Ending the call, he turned to his driver. "Stop the car."As soon as
The man chuckled. "It seems like you don't want to leave here after all."As soon as he finished speaking, Gabriel felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck. Darkness overtook him, and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.The man looked down at him with disdain before stepping over his limp body and heading into the living room.After scanning the area and finding no sign of Mason, he began searching each room one by one.Meanwhile, Mason was curled up inside a storage compartment under the bed in the bedroom.He had initially planned to climb out of the window, but the five-story drop below had sent him scrambling back inside.While searching the room earlier, he had discovered the cabinet under the bed and squeezed himself in, determined to stay hidden until Gabriel left.Just as Mason was preparing to sneak out, footsteps echoed from the doorway. He froze, holding his breath in terror and silently begging that Gabriel wouldn't find him.The footsteps grew louder, stopping
The knocking persisted, darkening Gabriel's expression with each sound. It was clear the person outside knew he was inside but refused to leave.He exhaled deeply and quietly moved Mason to the bedroom before returning to the door. In a low voice, he asked, "Who is it?""Hello, I'm here to check the gas lines. Could you open the door, please?" the other party replied.Gabriel hesitated before saying, "I'm busy today. Come back tomorrow.""Sir, our inspections are time-sensitive. Last time, you weren't home. It'll only take five minutes," the person explained.When Gabriel remained silent, the voice pressed on. "Sir? Are you still there?" "I said come back tomorrow!" Gabriel snapped. "I don't have time today." Deciding to ignore the persistent visitor, he retreated to the living room and made a call. "Some guy claiming to check the gas is at my door. Get up here now and deal with him!"The line remained silent for a moment, and Gabriel's instincts flared.Something was wrong.
Mason froze momentarily before glaring at Gabriel. No wonder his mother didn't like this fellow. He didn't like him either.The two stared each other down in tense silence until Gabriel's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, squinting slightly before answering."Mr. Hackett, the plane is ready to go. You can take off anytime. When will you be here?" a voice on the other end asked.Gabriel checked the time. "Around 8:00 p.m.""Got it," the caller replied before hanging up.Gabriel lowered the phone and turned his gaze back to Mason, his expression unreadable.He hesitated, debating whether to send the boy away first. It would be safer. As long as Nyla couldn't see Mason, she'd agree to his terms and leave with him."I need to pee!" Mason's loud declaration cut through Gabriel's thoughts, his face darkening instantly.Gabriel growled, "I already told you—if you need to pee, just do it in your pants."Mason crossed his arms, defiant. "Are you scared I'll run away? A grown man
Damon replied coolly, "Understood."He ended the call and discussed the plan with Nyla, ensuring the conversation wouldn't raise Gabriel's suspicions.Just as Nyla was about to dial, her phone lit up with an incoming call. Seeing Gabriel's name on the screen, she froze for a moment before exchanging a glance with Damon.Taking a deep breath, she answered. "Hello?""Nyla, you should be on your way by now. I've changed my mind. Go to the Sotoz subway station. Damon should head to the Marsh Street subway station. I'll have someone bring Mason to him there," Gabriel instructed.Sotoz and Marsh Street were in entirely different directions from the original locations he had provided—one to the east, the other to the west.However, Sotoz was only a few kilometers from Garmony Residence."Alright, I understand," Nyla said evenly."Don't try anything funny," Gabriel warned. "If you or Damon deviate from the plan, neither of you will ever see Buddy again."Clenching the phone tightly, N
Gabriel was initially furious, but as he looked closer, he noticed that Mason's eyes resembled Nyla's. His expression changed slightly, and he averted his gaze, deciding to ignore the boy. After all, Nyla would soon show up willingly.As for Mason, Gabriel had never planned on letting him go. His original intention had been to abduct both Nyla and Mason and immediately leave the country with them. As long as Mason was in his possession, he could use the boy to threaten Nyla into staying with him.Although the plan had taken a slight detour, everything was still within his control.Once his men brought Nyla to him, he could take them abroad. No matter how resourceful Damon was, he couldn't track them down.Thinking about his future life with Nyla, Gabriel smiled. He didn't notice that the ropes binding Mason's hands were gradually loosening.While Mason worked diligently to secretly free himself, his smartwatch suddenly began ringing.The abrupt sound startled Mason and Gabriel.
Seeing Nyla's agitated state, Damon pulled her into his arms. "I know. I know. I feel the same way. But we can't panic. The more we panic, the more mistakes we'll make. Buddy will be okay. I promise."Nyla gripped the front of his suit jacket, her tears soaking into his shirt. She tried to stay calm, but the thought of Mason in danger made her tremble with fear.Damon gently patted her back and spoke softly. "Let's go upstairs. We'll wait for Gabriel's call and any updates from my team."They went upstairs.Nyla sat on the couch, her eyes fixed on her phone, anxiously waiting for Gabriel's call.Damon stood by the window, his face grim, staring out as his thoughts churned.The tension in the room was palpable as the minutes dragged on.Finally, Nyla's phone rang.She snatched it up, her breath hitching when she saw Gabriel's name on the screen.Answering quickly, she asked, "Have you decided? Will you let me trade places with Buddy?""I will," Gabriel replied. "But you'll hav