Chapter 24
As Stella waited, she chatted with her captor about family, kids, and marriage.
Surprisingly, the kidnapper had a happy family—a loving wife and a bright daughter. He had invested in a project to provide a
better life for them but ended up losing everything.
He confided in Stella, admitting even if he managed to pay off his debts, he would still end up behind bars. But he wanted to
ensure his wife and daughter wouldn’t be harassed by debt collectors, hoping to give them a peaceful future.
Stella listened, her emotions a whirlwind of sympathy and confusion.
Outside, negotiators and police officers’ voices echoed without pause. The kidnapper’s initial frenzy gradually gave way to a
calmer demeanor.
“You know,” he said, “the lives of wealthy folks aren’t that happy, either. If it weren’t for me, you’d be dead today. What I lost was
just money, but you, you could have lost your life.”
He glanced at the clock, realizing how much time had passed. His gaze softened with a hint of pity. “Miss, thanks for talking with
me. Compared to you, my situation doesn’t seem as bad. You can go…”
The police watching must have misunderstood his gesture to let her go. A sudden, terrifying gunshot rang out, and the kidnapper
collapsed to the ground.
Warm blood splattered on Stella’s face, and her mind went blank. It was the first time she had seen someone die before her
eyes.
After the kidnapper was down, police and medics rushed in to rescue her. Yet, Haynes never returned her call.
At the hospital, as she underwent a series of check-ups, she ran into Rachel, who had just come out of surgery.
Haynes finally remembered her call. “Did you call earlier saying you got kidnapped?”
Jasper, by his side, scoffed, “Oh please, if she got kidnapped, how is she here? Trying to pull a sympathy stunt to get Haynie’s
attention, huh? Haynie, look at her, not a scratch on her. Kidnapped, yeah, right! She can’t even put on a convincing act!”
Rachel woke up and said, “Ms. Cameron, if you found it too troublesome to bring my meals, please say it. Please don’t joke
about something like this!”
Jasper and Rachel’s dismissive banter pegged her kidnapping as a ploy to gain Haynes’ attention.
Haynes could have easily looked into it to see if her kidnap was true. But he didn’t. His focus was solely on Rachel, oblivious to
Stella’s ordeal. From that moment, Stella felt her heart slowly die. Even now, he still believed that call was just a ploy.
Stella said expressionlessly, “If you think I’m playing games, I’ll see you at the city hall tomorrow at nine for the divorce papers.”
Stella’s repeated mentions of divorce had worn Haynes’ patience thin.
His voice was a winter gale, sharp and unrelenting. “Stella, I have no patience for your theatrics. And women who wield divorce
like a weapon?” He paused, his disdain palpable. “They disgust me.”
“Despite your repeated attempts to harass Rachel,” he continued, each word a hammer strike, “I’ve chosen to overlook it-until
now. But even my tolerance has its limits. Know when to quit.”
Stella gazed at his chiseled face and let out a soft laugh. “If you don’t want me to trouble your sweetheart, sign the divorce
papers. Otherwise…”
Her lips curled slightly, “If you refuse to sign, I’ll ensure Rachel’s days are anything but pleasant.”
His brows furrowed with a trace of irritation, looking at her as though she were nothing more than a troublesome nuisance.