Chapter 52 Jessica's Abduction
The scene in the ward clenched Jessica's fists in fury.
Carter lay propped up in bed, legs casually crossed, sipping a drink while watching television, the picture of leisure. Not an inkling of illness about him.
Upon seeing Jessica enter, he cheerfully set down his bottle. "There's my girl, you kept me waiting, huh? Finally, here you are."
"Carter..." Jessica couldn't help but shout, "Do you have any decency left? Weren't you 'sick'? You look fit as a fiddle to me."
Instantly, Carter clutched his chest. "Ouch! Oh, the pain, my heart! Quick, call a doctor!"
"Cut the act. If you're fine, then I'm leaving," Jessica said, dismissively.
Without wanting to linger another second, she strode towards the exit. But just then, a few burly men at the door blocked her path.
"Carter, what is this?" Jessica turned, glaring at him in anger.
Carter spread his hands with a sly smile and pleaded, "Jessica, your daddy never wanted things to be this way, but I'm out of options, I've got debts. Can you help me out?"
Now he was playing the sympathy card.
Where was he when he was borrowing money left and right, gambling away every cent, getting blind drunk every night? Did he ever think about how she and Giselle were going to get by?
"Jessica, I may have made a million mistakes, but I'm still your daddy. I'm in a bind now, you wouldn't just abandon me, right?" Carter said slyly, trying to make her feel guilty.
"Huh…" Jessica looked at him with a chill in her smile. "Now you remember you're my dad? Ask yourself, have you ever once fulfilled a dad's duties since the day I was born?"
"Where were you when I was sick and feverish? Or when Mom collapsed from exhaustion at home, where were you then?"
"When we were dodging debt collectors, scurrying around like rats in the street, where were you? Didn't think about your duty to us then, did you?" Jessica's voice grew more heated as she spoke.
Toward the end of her remarks, she was nearly unable to contain her emotions.
Just the thought of those hard times, of her and her mother, Giselle, on the run to avoid debt collectors, filled her with an inescapable hatred for him.
That time in her life haunted her like a nightmare, making her shiver with cold whenever it crossed her mind. Even now, deep down she loathed and feared that kind of life.
"Jessica, I'm your dad, do you truly want to—" Carted spoke pitifully.
"Save it," Jessica cut him off sharply. "Not a chance."
"I've already said, it's never going to happen." Her refusal was adamant, leaving no room for discussion.
Then she turned to the people by the door, "Let them step aside, I'm going back."
Carter lowered his gaze, his eyes as lifeless as ashes, and spoke slowly, "Jessica, I can't order them around, they aren't my people."
"Then who are they?" Jessica had assumed these people were there at Carter's behest, simply to lure her in so he could beg for money.
"They're the debt collectors," Carter replied, his tone cold and fearful.
"You…" Jessica's hands trembled with rage.
In the next moment, a man in a black coat, black leather boots, and a cigarette dangling from his lips walked in.
He stopped in front of Jessica, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and said in a rough voice, "You must be Jessica, Carter's daughter."
"I am not." Without a second thought, Jessica flatly denied it.
"Tsk… tsk… tsk..." The man stepped closer, examining her carefully before remarking with a touch of envy, "Who would have thought that a guy as old and ugly as Carter could have such a gorgeous daughter?"
On the hospital bed, Carter clenched his fists in anger upon hearing this.
"I've said it before; I have nothing to do with him. Let me go," Jessica denied furiously.
"Whoa, easy now, young lady. Got quite the temper, don't you?" The man said, stepping aside to let her pass. Despite Jessica's confident stride, the two men at the door blocked her exit.
"It's no use stopping me; I don't have a penny to my name," Jessica insisted.
"That's not my problem. Debts need to be paid—plain and simple. Carter owes me money, and if he can't pay, then his darling daughter will have to. Once you settle the debt, you're free to go," the man said maliciously.
"I don't have any money," Jessica declared, standing tall with a fierce look in her eyes.
The man finished his last cigarette, flicked it to the ground, and crushed it under his boot with unnecessary force.
"You'd best just pay up, young lady... or else," he warned, his gaze turning menacing.
Jessica, though somewhat intimidated, squared her shoulders and met his gaze with an icy expression. "Even if I had the money, I wouldn't pay off his debts. Got that?"
"Heh, all right then," the man scoffed with a smirk, signaling his goons with a wave of his hand.
The men stationed at the door swiftly grabbed Jessica by the arms and restrained her. "What are you doing? Let go of me!" she yelled, struggling vehemently.
However, in a moment, one of the men had gripped her wrist tightly. His strength was overwhelming, and soon her wrist turned red with a sharp pain shooting through.
"What are you doing? Let my daughter go!" Carter suddenly bolted up from the bed and lunged at the two men, displaying a fierce protective instinct.
To Jessica, the scene was darkly comical.
So, now he decides to save her? Where was this concern when he lured her into this danger in the first place?
There was no way Carter could match up to the brawn of these younger, stronger men. He was subdued in under two minutes.
The man looked down at him with a cold threat, "Carter, let's get things straight. If the debt isn't repaid today, I'll chop off your hands."
"No, don't, please! I told you… I'll pay the money back. My daughter, she has plenty of money,” Carter implored.
"I've heard that line hundreds of times. Maybe good enough to fool a ghost, but seeing how pretty and delicate your daughter is, I'll consider your debt paid with her today," the man said intently.
Hearing this, Carter turned to the man in horror, pleading, "No, don't you lay a finger on my daughter!"
Carter reached out, desperately clinging onto the man, begging for his daughter's safety. The man snorted dismissively and kicked the other away without a second thought.
"Take this woman and let's get out of here," he commanded.
At that moment, Carter was nearly scared out of his wits. He had reached out to Jessica in the hopes of some easy cash. He never expected her to be so tight-fisted.
Now, considering she's Gabriel's wife and the daughter-in-law of the Walton family, if anything happened to her, the Waltons would have his head.
The more Carter thought about it, the more terrified he became. He almost tumbled over himself as he chased after them, shouting, "Scott, wait, I've got money right here!"
The man paused, turned around, and looked at Carter with disdain. "You think I'd believe you?"
"Scott, you can't lay a finger on my daughter. She's married. Her hubby is Gabriel from Gaia BioTech Industries, and she's the Walton family's very own Jessica," Carter begged.
