Chapter 2

I froze for a moment.

From the corner, a stunning woman with an exquisite face and outstanding demeanor slowly emerged. It was Vicki.

My heart sank, but I also let out a sigh of relief.

It turned out Vicki hadn't been kidnapped at all; she was just playing a cruel joke on me.

“I told you he wouldn’t refuse.”

Vicki glanced at Chloe, then walked towards me, her face expressionless and cold, saying:

“Since you agreed to a hostage exchange, then it shouldn’t matter to you who you exchange yourself for, right?”

The relief I had just felt immediately turned into a sense of ominous dread.

Vicki looked at me, her eyes filled with chilling indifference:

“I wasn’t the one kidnapped by the robbers; it was Felix. Go inside quickly and exchange yourself for Felix.”

My heart pounded. It wasn't Vicki who was kidnapped; it was Felix!

Vicki was a prominent socialite, of noble status.

She had countless admirers, but she only loved Felix.

However, the Sterling and Harrington families were rivals, and Felix was an illegitimate son of the Harrington family.

Coupled with Vicki’s grandfather's orders, she couldn’t be with Felix.

But for years, she had secretly protected Felix.

Felix enjoyed thrilling activities like bungee jumping and adventure sports.

Vicki, who had no interest in them and was even afraid, always accompanied him.

Although my sacrifices for Vicki were only to complete a mission, I was still a man with flesh and blood!

I was her husband, at least in name, yet she was putting me in grave danger for another man!

It was absolutely heart-wrenching.

Vicki’s expression remained cold, without a hint of guilt:

“What are you waiting for? Go now!”

Then, as if remembering something, she scoffed:

“Don’t worry, I’ll compensate you after this is over.”

Hearing that, I smiled bitterly and shook my head.

Compensate me?

What if I accidentally lost my life at the hands of the robbers?

What compensation could be worth a life?

Vicki’s actions made my three years of sacrifice seem utterly ridiculous.

Seeing that I remained silent, Vicki frowned slightly:

“What, you’re not willing?”

I took a deep breath, and with an expressionless face, I said to Vicki:

“I am willing!”

I couldn’t refuse any of Vicki’s demands, including this one.

“You’re really willing?” Vicki’s face flashed with surprise.

Although she had just used Chloe to test me, it was for herself initially, so my agreement was understandable.

After all, I had practically no dignity because of her for years, never refusing any of her demands.

But regarding the agreement to exchange myself for Felix, she was still unsure. She hadn't expected me to agree even to that.

Vicki was silent for a moment, staring intently at me, urging me on as if afraid I would suddenly back out:

“Then go quickly. Every minute you delay, Felix is in more danger.”

“Okay.”

I didn’t know what Vicki was thinking. I gave her a deep look and then smiled, a light, easy smile.

It’s fine. Just a little longer.

Soon, I would be free.

Under the dim sky, the decrepit factory exuded an eerie aura.

Overgrown with weeds, the crumbling walls swayed precariously under the erosion of time.

A few gaping windows stared out like the eyes of a monster, coldly watching them.

Protected by two bodyguards, five of us stepped into the factory, immediately hit by a pungent smell of rust and damp mildew.

In the dim light, dust motes danced freely in the air, and the floor was covered in mottled water stains and messy footprints.

Inside the factory, old machinery stood, parts scattered everywhere.

“Where are they? Weren’t you going to exchange hostages?”