Chapter 1041

"Stop making demands of me. You have no right," Sharon said.Silas's face contorted with rage, but Sharon's calm voice sliced through his anger before he could speak."Shall I find you a mirror?" she asked coolly. "So you can all see exactly what you look like right now? Are those the faces of family, or of enemies?"Her words struck a nerve, choking off Silas's retort. Even Scott and Rick looked unsettled, their expressions dark and grim.Richard moved quickly to defuse the situation."Sharon, please, ignore your brothers. They're not thinking clearly. Come, sit with Theo. Let's all calm down, and then we can discuss a plan to rescue Victoria."At that moment, Sharon's phone rang.Every eye in the room snapped toward her.Silas shot her a suspicious glare. "Sharon, if I find out you're in league with the kidnappers, I swear…"He didn't get to finish. Sharon had already answered and put the call on speakerphone.A gentle female voice filled the room. "Sharon, it's Ginny. I lo

Chapter 1042

"If Kelly hadn't shown her true colors, the Biggs family would still be walking all over you. Frankly, that kind of treatment would be hard for anyone to stomach." Thomas's words stung the Kalen family, but not one of them could muster a rebuttal.Richard let out a heavy breath. "Sharon, you have my deepest apology for all of this…"Thomas offered a faint, knowing smile. "Apologies are cheap. How about you show it with some real action?"Rick had long since grown tired of Thomas's sharp tongue, but this time, the Kalen family was undeniably in the wrong. Any excuse would sound pathetic.He turned to Sharon. "What is it you want, Sharon?""Two conditions," she stated calmly. "First, Jamie leaves this house. And he is never to set foot here again.""Done," Rick agreed without hesitation. He signaled to the butler. "Please see Mr. Walton out."The butler stepped forward. "Mr. Walton, this way."Jamie's eyes were like shards of glass. "I'll remember this, Sharon."Sharon met his g

Chapter 1043

The agony of ten fingernails being torn out—just witnessing it was a form of torture in itself.Samantha stared, her throat locked so tight she couldn't make a sound. The air was thick with Victoria's piercing, raw-throated screams.After prying off the nails, the men began dousing her hands with salt water, then rubbing chili powder into the bloody, exposed beds.Samantha couldn't fathom the kind of mind that could devise such cruelty.Then, as if that weren't enough, they brought in a bucket writhing with live snakes and dumped them over Victoria's body.No matter how strong-willed she was, Victoria was a society princess. She had never even seen such horrors, let alone endured them. But her captors were creative. They had only promised not to violate her—torture was a different matter.After all, the oil tycoon and the financier who hired them were expecting a show.One of the kidnappers suddenly brightened."We can't violate her, and we can't leave permanent damage, but we

Chapter 1044

The sharp click of leather soles echoed on the concrete floor, growing closer.Johanna’s nerves pulled taut. She debated keeping up the act, pretending to be unconscious. Then, a distorted, robotic voice rasped through a modulator."I know you're awake."Caught, she abandoned the pretense. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice steadier than she felt. "What do you want? Money?"The man's reply was casual, chilling. "Money? I have all I need."A cold dread settled in her stomach. "Then what is this about?"He gave a low chuckle. "I have a score to settle with Jamie. You're the bait, Johanna. I've set a trap, and now we get to see if your brother is willing to walk into it. They say you two are close, raised together. I want to know if you'll be the reason he escapes... or the reason he falls."Johanna was no fool. If Jamie didn't come, she was dead. Still, she didn't beg to call him. Instead, she stalled, probing for weakness. "Who are you? What did my brother do to you?"Feigni

Chapter 1045

Thinking it through, Johanna felt a sliver of calm. Jamie was a survivor; he wouldn't charge blindly into an obvious trap. Her job was just to stay alive.Playing along, she said, "Alright. Let me talk to my brother."The man dialed a number. "Mr. Walton, your sister has something to tell you."He held the phone to Johanna's ear.Jamie's voice was sharp on the other end. "Johanna? What's happening? Who's with you?""Jamie, I've been kidnapped!" she cried out. "He says you have thirty minutes to come, or he'll—"The call cut off before she could finish.Johanna stared in stunned silence. "I wasn't done! Why did you hang up?!"The man let out a low, knowing chuckle. "Leaving it unfinished is more effective. What if he decides your... purity isn't worth the risk? What if he doesn't come at all?"A cold tremor ran through her. He had a point. That was a very real possibility.The only reason Johanna was still a virgin was simple: no one had ever been worthy. The toads who pursued

Chapter 1046

The man raised a brow, his tone dripping with mock sympathy. "What an unfortunate… coincidence."But Johanna refused to accept it. "This is a trick! You're trying to turn us against each other!"Seeing her stubborn denial, he gestured to a subordinate. "She needs proof. Set up the live feed. Let her see for herself.""Yes, sir."The man left, and his assistant quickly set up a monitor. After a moment, the screen flickered to life. It showed the masked man sitting across from Jamie's most trusted aide.Johanna's heart turned to ice. It was true. Jamie hadn't come. He had chosen to save Victoria over her.Through the speaker, the masked man's distorted voice was chilling. "As I understand it, Johanna was taken first. And yet, your boss chooses to rescue another woman before his own flesh and blood?"Johanna's hands clenched into fists so tight her nails bit into her palms.Jamie's assistant spoke, his voice strained. "State your demands. What do you want?""Simple," the man repl