Chapter 359
Chapter 359:
Monica flinched. “Are you seriously accusing me of having my own child kidnapped p>
“I know you would never hurt Jemma,” Steven replied, but his stare didn’t soften. “Kristine is a different matter. Taking her for the antiques — that wouldn’t be out of character.” His voice sharpened. “What I can’t understand is why you looked so shaken yesterday. You’ve always treated her as though she meant nothing. But when her life was on the line, you looked like you cared p>
Monica trembled. Every time she blinked, she saw the blade hovering at Kristine’s throat. Her chest felt tight, as though the air had been stolen from the room.
She had convinced herself she felt nothing for Kristine.
No — that wasn’t entirely true. She didn’t love her. She couldn’t.
How could she ever love Kristine?
Kristine was —
Monica squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her fingers against her forehead. “Don’t twist this. I don’t care about her. If I did, I never would have done what I did to Lincoln for Jemma’s sake.” Her voice turned strained. “But she is still a human being. I raised her for years. People grow attached to animals they never wanted — it’s no different. When I thought she was about to die right in front of me, I was scared. That’s all it was p>
Steven kept his eyes on Monica, his thoughts tangled, his expression heavy with something unreadable.
She opened her mouth to argue further — when her phone suddenly rang.
Her breath caught as she checked the screen. An unfamiliar number. Her pulse spiked. It had to be the kidnappers.
𝗜ո𝘀𝘵a𝗻t aс𝖼𝖾𝗌ѕ о𝘯.с𝘰𝘮
She answered immediately.
Jonas’s voice came through the line, smooth and cold. “Mrs. Palmer, the payment came through. We’ve released Ms. Green p>
Monica’s stomach twisted. “What about Jemma?” she asked, her voice sharp with panic.
“Relax,” Jonas said. “Bring us the antiques, and Ms. Palmer walks free immediately.” His tone darkened. “I’m even giving you an extra half day. But if you can’t deliver within twenty-four hours, you won’t be seeing her again p>
“No!” Monica’s scream filled the room.
The line went dead before she could say another word.
Her breathing fractured into uneven bursts. She grabbed Steven’s hand and shook it desperately. “Steven, what are we going to do p>
He studied her terrified face, his brow furrowing.
He had been wrong to doubt it. No matter what Monica felt toward Kristine, it bore no resemblance to what she felt for Jemma. As long as Jemma was still in their lives, Monica would never leave him. Steven drew a slow breath to steady himself, then fixed his gaze on her. “Do you actually want Jemma to come home p>
Monica stared at him as though he had lost his mind. “What kind of question is that? She’s my daughter. Of course I want her back — unharmed p>
Steven nodded once. “Then listen carefully. I do have a way out of this.” His voice dropped. “But it isn’t clean, and it will be dangerous p>