Chapter 283

"Twenty million is acceptable, but you keep your hands off her!" Ethan's voice was urgent, laced with desperation.

Victor smirked, his gaze flickering between Evelyn and Vanessa, a wicked glint in his eyes. "Problem is, there are two lovely ladies here. Which one is your wife, Your Highness?"

He reached out, tracing a finger along each woman's cheek with deliberate slowness.

Vanessa burst into dramatic sobs. "Ethan, please! Save me! I'm terrified—this is all Evelyn's fault! If she hadn't run like a fool, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Her voice trembled with exaggerated distress, as if she were the sole victim of circumstance.

Victor's patience snapped. He backhanded Vanessa sharply. "Enough! Save the theatrics for someone who cares. I haven't even touched you, and you're already wailing like a banshee. How did the prince of Cresthaven end up with someone so useless?"

Vanessa immediately fell silent, reduced to pitiful sniffles.

Ethan's jaw tightened. Only now did he fully register that Vanessa was also a hostage.

He had planned to end their marriage, but watching her in danger, his instincts took over.

"Name your price for both of them."

Victor Kane let out a dark chuckle. "One's your wife, the other's your mistress? Lucky man. Fine, I'll be generous—fifty million. You have two hours."

Alexander Whitmore was already in his car, speeding toward the bank.

Victor's voice crackled through the phone. "No cops, or I put bullets in their skulls."

"Don’t you dare lay a finger on Evelyn!"

A sinister pause. "Your wife stays untouched. But the other one…"

Alexander's grip on the steering wheel turned his knuckles white. His voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "Harm either of them, and I'll hunt you down. No prison, no trial. Just you and me."

Every word was a promise, sharp as a blade.

Victor swallowed hard. He'd underestimated Alexander's reach. The man controlled empires with a snap of his fingers.

If he'd known the woman in the trunk was Alexander Whitmore's wife, he'd have picked a different target.

But now?

Now there was no going back.

Ethan Caldwell arrived at the abandoned warehouse just as dusk settled over the city.

The trunk of his car was packed to the brim with stacks of crisp banknotes. He stepped out, his voice sharp as he demanded, "Release them. Now."

Victor Kane stood outside the rusted factory doors, smirking as he motioned for his men to inspect the payment.

When the trunk flew open, the sheer volume of cash nearly blinded them—neat bundles, meticulously arranged, gleaming under the dim overhead lights.

"Impressive," Victor drawled, his fingers twitching with greed. "Fifty million in less than twenty-four hours. You don’t disappoint."

Ethan’s jaw tightened. "I held up my end. Let them go."

With a lazy wave of Victor’s hand, two of his thugs disappeared into the factory.

Then—gunfire.

Sharp, rapid bursts echoed from inside.

Victor’s smirk vanished. "What the hell was that?"

One of his men came sprinting back, panic in his eyes. "Boss! Our guys are down—and the woman’s gone!"

Victor whirled on Ethan, fury twisting his features. "You double-crossing—"

But Ethan was already moving.

Victor Kane's face darkened as he turned to glare at Ethan Caldwell. "I specifically told you not to involve the authorities! What the hell is this?"

Ethan's jaw tightened, his expression stormy. "I didn't call the police!"

Victor snapped, "Then who's shooting?"

Before anyone could respond, Vanessa Hart came stumbling out of the warehouse, her face streaked with tears. The moment she spotted Ethan, she rushed into his arms, trembling violently.

"It was horrible!" she choked out between sobs. "Men—armed men—just stormed in. They executed the guards watching us and took Evelyn! They were asking for her by name. I barely escaped by hiding behind the crates!"

Victor's entire demeanor turned glacial. "Describe them. Now."

Vanessa swallowed hard, her voice shaking. "They were... worse than you. More brutal. More ruthless. One of them nearly shot me—I saw the muzzle flash before I ducked away."

The air grew thick with tension as the distant echo of gunfire still lingered.