Chapter 353
Chapter 353:
The moment Steven heard the call, he bolted from the room with his heart pounding, barely able to catch his breath. He had walked out of an important meeting without a second thought — something that had never happened before, not once since he had taken control of Lincoln’s company.
“How did Jemma end up kidnapped?” he demanded, his voice sharp with disbelief.
Monica stiffened. Unwilling to tell the truth, she forced out a vague answer. “I don’t know — it just happened. We can’t dwell on that right now. Kristine was taken too, and we need to think about the antiques. How are we supposed to get them p>
“The antiques are with Marty,” Steven said, his jaw tightening. “After you and Jemma took them last time, security doubled. This isn’t going to be simple p>
“So what are we supposed to do?” Monica broke down completely, sobs spilling out. “Do we just sit here while Jemma dies in their hands p>
Steven closed his eyes for a moment and drew in a slow breath. “Stop. You need to breathe. Let me think p>
Monica’s crying eased, but her stare remained fixed on him, fear flickering in her eyes no matter how hard she tried to conceal it. Even though she normally controlled everything in this family, in the moments that truly mattered, Steven was always the one who made the final call. It had been the same all those years ago — Steven had been the one to decide that Lincoln needed to be removed.
Before another thought could settle, Monica’s phone rang.
The instant she saw the number, her hands trembled. She answered immediately. “Hello p>
“Mrs. Palmer, you must be missing your daughters right about now p>
𝖶е 𝘂𝘱𝗱a𝘁𝘦 𝗲𝘃e𝗿𝘆 𝘸𝖾e𝗸 o𝘯
Monica’s grip tightened, anger sparking through her fear. “Stop playing games. What do you want p>
“I’m calling with something you might actually want to hear,” the kidnapper said smoothly. “We talked it over and came to a conclusion. Those antiques aren’t even registered in your name — so even if you wanted to trade them for one of your daughters, you don’t have the power to do that. Let’s keep this simple. Five million, and you get one of them back p>
Relief flickered across Monica’s face the moment she heard a number she could manage. “Fine. I’ll send the five million right now, and you let her go immediately p>
“Slow down,” he replied, a laugh carrying nothing warm in it. “You’re forgetting something. You haven’t told me which daughter you’re paying for. Consider this a friendly warning — choose the wrong one, and you may live with regrets you can’t undo p>
“What is that supposed to mean?” Monica whispered, her voice shaking as she turned toward Steven.
Unease settled into Steven’s features, and his eyes darkened with dread.
“Turn on the camera,” the kidnapper instructed.
Monica hesitated for a brief moment, then followed Steven’s subtle nod and switched it on.
The screen lit up to reveal Kristine and Jemma bound tightly to their chairs. Suspended above each of them was a knife, hanging by a thin rope. If those ropes snapped, the blades would drop straight down with enough force to end lives.
Just seeing the image sent Monica’s heart racing, fear crawling up her spine.