Chapter 163 Who Gets to Live?Â
Right now, negotiation was their only real option.Â
“You have two daughters, the kidnapper said over the phone. “We’ll keep one as a hostage. Take your time and decide which one you want back.”Â
The choice sounded real, but it wasn’t. It was a game.Â
Horus had already made up his mind-Maya would stay. No matter what Thomas said, that decision wouldn’t change.Â
Thomas didn’t know how long he had been standing there. Time felt slow and heavy. He tightened his grip on the phone before asking. “Can I see them?”Â
Horus expected that. Men like Thomas never trusted words alone. Without hesitation, he sent a full video of the room.Â
Thomas watched it carefully, checking every detail. He knew it was real; nothing was staged. He slowly closes his eyes.Â
In that moment, he saw his wife’s tearful face.Â
If he had to choose, he already knew the answer.Â
He would give up the adopted daughter.Â
Guilt pressed in, but he pushed it aside. Over the years, he had done everything he could for Kaia. He had given her the best of everything; he had made up for anything lacking.Â
Truthfully, he had never done as much for Maya.Â
One girl was his blood, the last thing his wife left behind.Â
The other was an adopted child he had raised since she was little; he had always loved and spoiled her without holding back.Â
Most days, he let Kaia do whatever she wanted and tolerate everything. But at a moment like this, his mind was sharper than ever.Â
He knew clearly who he would choose and who he could let go.Â
“Let Maya go.”Â
Thomas stayed silent for a long time. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and heavy. “I’ll pay five billion dollars. Is that good enough for you?”Â
Who Gets to live?Â
The security room fell quiet for a full second.Â
Horus and Luna looked at each other, both raising their eyebrows at the same time.Â
Even for people who had seen all kinds of situations, that number still shocked them.Â
They lived for the moment and chased excitement. After years in this line of work, they had never seen an offer like this.Â
Five billion.Â
“Let us think about it,” Horus said with a relaxed tone. “For now, both your daughters are safe. I’ll give you two hours to get things ready.”Â
Then he hung up.Â
Luna looked at him, her fingers tightening slightly without her noticing. Thinking of Raymond made her uneasy.Â
“Horus… that girl was adopted from an orphanage, right?”Â
She had checked Maya’s file. The moment she saw the details about her parents, her heart sank.Â
“Do you really think Raymond won’t be angry?”Â
Horus remained completely calm. “No.”Â
He smiled faintly. “I know him better than any of you.”Â
Raymond had stayed low for years to live a quiet life with his wife and kids.Â
There was no way he would stir things up for an adopted child.Â
He had once been an internationally wanted criminal.Â
Later, for the sake of a peaceful life with Wendy, he walked away from everything. He avoided risks, avoided attention, and never touched anything that might expose him.Â
Something like this was too big to hide. If the news broke out, it would shake every level of society. The kids, the kidnappers, the families-everyone involved would be dragged into the spotlight. And with how fast news spreads now, there would be no controlling it. Would he show himself?Â
His family might step in to help, but things wouldn’t settle down anytime soon. Raymond had spent years building a calm, ordinary life. That peace would be gone in an instant.Â
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36 Whe Gets to Live?Â
Besides, he had cut ties with the Clarks more than ten years ago.Â
Would he reach out to them for the sake of a child?Â
Contacting them meant accepting their help and stepping back under their influence.Â
2)Â
The Clarks had never truly let him go. A natural leader like Raymond was not easy to replace.Â
If he went back again, breaking free again wouldn’t be so easy.Â
There were too many risks. Too many consequences. Raymond was not the kind of man who failed to think things through.Â
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Jenny curled up in the corner, shaking. She had no idea what was going on.Â
After they brought her here, she had tried to talk to the kidnappers. Just a few cautious questions.Â
From what she learned, these people would keep her alive if she were valuable. If not, they would kill her. Jenny got so scared she quickly told them her family had money. A lot of it. She even gave them her mother’s private phone number.Â
When her mom answered, her voice shook so badly it was almost hard to understand.Â
Hearing it made Jenny want to cry too.Â
She wasn’t stupid.Â
These people had no plan to leave anyone alive. Before her, other kids had already been killed.Â
Even though her parents paid the ransom, it wouldn’t change anything.Â
If she was counting on money to save her life, she might as well call the police. At least that gave her a small chance.Â
“Mister,” Jenny said after she stopped crying, her voice breaking. “My dad… he’s not around much. He has other kids. He won’t pay for me. Just call my mom. She’ll get the money.”Â
“Your dad won’t pay?” The man’s voice turned cold. “You think I’d believe that? Give me his number. I’ll talk to him.”Â
They hadn’t planned to call her father. In his mind, husband and wife were the same; calling one was enough.Â
But Jenny actually claimed her father wouldn’t pay for her?Â
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