Chapter 798 Hostage Exchange
Nathaniel's face darkened. The usually composed guy was visibly rattled now.
Saskia adored Benjamin so much. If she got wind of this, who knew how crushed she'd be.
Azalea watched his expression shift, her heart growing colder. She screamed hysterically, "Nathaniel, I'm your fiancée! You have no real connection with Benjamin. Why are you so worried about him?"
"He's just a kid. How could you be so heartless to hurt him?" Nathaniel's voice was low and dangerous, each word forced out through gritted teeth.
Azalea took a step back, scared by his glare, but then she straightened up and argued defiantly, "Innocent? What about me? I'm the most innocent one here! I lost my child, I lost you, and I even lost the chance to be a mother—all because of you and Saskia!"
"Azalea, get a grip!" Nathaniel stepped forward, trying to grab her hand, but she yanked it away.
Azalea was on the brink of collapse and madness. "I've never been clearer, Nathaniel. Can we ever go back to how we were?"
There was a hint of pity and pleading in her eyes.
Yet Nathaniel was unmoved.
He said, "You better give me a reasonable explanation about Benjamin, or I won't let this go."
Azalea let out a cold laugh, realizing all her efforts were in vain.
A look of determination flashed in her eyes. She said, "An explanation? Fine, I'll tell you. I sent Benjamin to a place you'll never find. Unless you agree to start over with me, you'll never see him again."
"You're insane!" Nathaniel erupted, his fists clenched tightly, on the verge of exploding with anger.
He exclaimed, "Azalea, do you think you can threaten me? You're wrong! I don't respond to threats!"
Azalea bit her lip and said, "You forced me into this!"
Her voice was choked with tears. She knew she was at the end of her rope.
But she couldn't bear the thought of losing Nathaniel, nor could she stand to see him with Saskia.
Azalea remarked, "Nathaniel, do you really think I would hurt Benjamin? He's my nephew by blood. Do you think I'm that despicable?"
Tears streamed down Azalea's face. She was torn inside, struggling. She steadied herself and asked a question that was cruel to herself. "Are you so anxious because of Saskia?"
Nathaniel looked at her, his expression a tangled mix of emotions, and eventually gave an answer that betrayed his true feelings. "No."
"Don't deceive yourself. I know you well enough to see that if you didn't care, you wouldn't be so concerned about another woman." Azalea saw right through him, but even so, she often tried to numb herself to it all.
But Nathaniel didn't answer her question, just coldly pressed on. "So what did you do with Benjamin?"
In a barely noticeable way, his voice trembled. He couldn't imagine what would happen to Saskia if something really happened to Benjamin.
Azalea took a deep breath and wiped away her tears.
"Benjamin is safe. I just sent him to a friend's place. As long as you agree to start over with me, I'll bring him back immediately." Her voice was resolute. She knew this was her only bargaining chip.
Nathaniel looked at her, his gaze icy.
He said, "This situation is already a mess. Continuing like this won't do either of us any good."Azalea took a deep breath and made her final threat. "Then I'm sorry. I'll take Benjamin away. You and Saskia will never see him again." With that, she turned to get into her car.
But she didn't expect Nathaniel's men to have already moved in, grabbing her. Nathaniel's gaze was cold and menacing.
"This time, you won't get away with it. You need to hand over Benjamin. You know the penalties for kidnapping a child," he remarked.
Azalea bit her lip. "Are you going to send me to prison?" she asked.
"Obviously, that's my specialty. But if you hand over Benjamin, I might defend you in court," Nathaniel's stance was unwavering.
Azalea knew him too well. He had every legal code memorized, his heart shrouded in legal jargon, utterly devoid of warmth. Azalea lowered her head and offered a bitter smile.
"You really are heartless, but I won't say a word," she said.
Just then, the sound of an engine came from a distance. Everyone turned to see a low-profile black car kicking up dust as it approached and stopped in their midst.
A man got out, wearing a hoodie. He was tall, with strong arms holding a child, a sharp knife pressed against the child's throat.
"Let Azalea go, or I'll kill him," his voice was low and menacing.
It was Benjamin.
Azalea was also surprised to see the masked man. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I knew you'd mess this up," the masked man's voice was suppressed, unrecognizable.
"Who are you?" Nathaniel demanded coldly, quickly assessing the surroundings for any rescue opportunities.
The masked man didn't answer directly, instead pressing the knife closer to Benjamin's throat. Benjamin's eyes were full of fear, but he held back his tears. He looked at Nathaniel with a helpless expression, as if silently pleading for help.
"Mr. Egan, it's your choice whether you believe capturing Azalea is more important than the life of this child," the masked man's voice held a trace of mockery. "I think you'll find Saskia more important."
Azalea's face turned pale. She hadn't expected things to escalate this far. She had only wanted to use Benjamin to get Nathaniel back, not to create such a crisis.
Nathaniel didn't need to think twice. "Let Benjamin go, and I'll make sure you can walk free," he said.
The masked man agreed to the deal, glancing at Azalea. "Show some good faith. Let her get in the car first."
Nathaniel waved his hand, and his men released Azalea. Azalea took a few steps, then suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach, a warm flow from her abdomen. She held it in and quickly got into the car.
Seeing she was ready, the masked man moved slowly towards the car with Benjamin. Nathaniel immediately sensed the danger and signaled his men to surround them. "Put Benjamin down," he ordered.
The masked man, seeing their movement, pressed the knife tighter against Benjamin's throat, his voice low and threatening. "Anyone moves, and I'll kill him."
No one dared to act rashly. The masked man got into the back seat, and before he could settle in and pull Benjamin up, Azalea started the car. The inertia threw the masked man against the seat, and Nathaniel lunged forward, grabbing Benjamin.
They both fell heavily to the ground.
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