Chapter 2

Leo's face instantly turned deathly pale. Stammering, he said, "S-Sue's been missing for two days now, and her last location was Bayndemar. I-I'm just worried about her…"

As he spoke, his eyes reddened, and tears began streaming down his face.

"I know you've never liked how good Sue treats me, but no matter what, she's still your girlfriend! How can you just leave her to die?"

I let out a cold laugh.

"How exactly am I supposed to save her? Didn't I suggest calling the police? Or are you expecting me to storm into one of those compounds and drag her out myself?"

Just then, the phone on the floor vibrated.

Leo hurriedly picked it up. After glancing at the screen, he shoved the phone in front of me, fury written across his face.

"Ryan! I'm not lying to you! Look! Sue really was kidnapped! Sue's never suffered a day in her life. Imagine how miserable she must be right now!"

I glanced at the screen.

Just like in my previous life, a message from Bayndemar had arrived on my phone: [Bring five million dollars to redeem Sue, or she dies!]

This time, however, I didn't panic.

Instead, I calmly tapped my fingers against the desk and silently watched the two of them perform their little act.

Then I leisurely took a sip of tea.

Sure enough, two minutes later, a video call came through.

The moment I answered, Sue's agonized sobs rang out from the other end.

"Ryan! I'm in so much pain! I only came to Bayndemar to negotiate a business deal for you, but I got tricked into one of these compounds! They're inhuman—"

Before she could finish, a masked man viciously struck her with an electric baton. The pain made her scream through gritted teeth.

Watching the scene unfold, I almost burst out laughing.

"Ah! Sue!" Leo pointed at the screen, trembling all over. "You animal! Don't hurt her!"

The masked man glared at me through the screen and barked viciously, "I'm warning you—don't try anything clever like calling the cops!

"If you want this delicate little girlfriend of yours back alive, bring us five million dollars, personally! Once you land, I'll send you the location!"

I smiled.

Looking at Sue collapsed on the ground, I said with open disgust, "Mm. She's been tortured into this state. I don't want her anymore. Do whatever you want with her."

"You don't want her anymore? Say that again!" The masked man raised the electric baton and slammed it hard against Sue's leg.

She rolled across the floor in agony, tears pouring down her face.

I lazily dug at my ear and said impatiently, "I said, I'm. Tired. Of. Playing. With. Her. Handle her however you want. Her life isn't worth five million."

Leo stared at me in disbelief, his voice shaking.

"Ryan, have you lost your mind? Sue… is going to die! How can you still say something like that?!"

I shot him a contemptuous glance.

"What does her death have to do with me? Since you care so much, why don't you go to Bayndemar and pay to bring her back yourself?"

Leo's face turned ghostly white, his lips trembling too hard for him to speak.

On the other end of the video call, the masked man clearly froze for a moment. He looked Sue up and down suspiciously.

"She's not your girlfriend? I'm warning you—don't play games with me! Final price: three million! You have three days to deliver it, or I'll kill her!"

The masked man roared viciously as he struck Sue again with the electric baton.

Blood stained her face, her features twisted in agony as she screamed miserably. Yet even then, she still cried desperately toward the camera, "Ryan! I know you're only saying this to lower the ransom! Look, he already agreed! Just give them the money already! It's only three million! That's nothing to you! We promised we'd get married after the New Year! I'll stay by your side for the rest of my life!"

I let out a cold laugh.

If I hadn't already experienced her betrayal in my previous life, I might really have believed her.

I sneered mockingly. "You really think you're good enough to marry me? What, do I look like some desperate sucker to you? You expect me to drop three million on you and still have to marry you on top of that?"

Sue tried to say something else, but I cut her off mercilessly.

"International video calls are expensive. Spending even one extra cent on you feels disgusting. I'm hanging up.

"Oh, right, Sue. I suddenly realized something. You're completely beneath me. Let's break up."

Without giving any of them time to react, I ended the video call immediately.