Chapter 104 The Pursuit
Richard and David closed in on Lauren, their expressions menacing. David tightened the rope around her wrists until it bit into her skin.
"We really underestimated you," David snarled, waving a knife dangerously close to Lauren's face. "Do you have a death wish?"
Lauren's heart raced, and her baby seemed to sense the danger, kicking furiously. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded, "Please, I don’t know how I’ve offended you. If I have, I apologize. For the sake of my unborn child, let me go."
She hoped they wouldn’t realize she had been awake and listening to their conversation.
"Apologize? How naive," Richard said with a sinister smile. "We don’t want your life; we want money. But you don’t look like you have much. What should we do?"
Lauren knew she had to convince them to contact Ethan. "No, don’t be fooled by my appearance. I have a very wealthy friend who will pay a ransom. Just call him."
Richard scrutinized her, unsure if she was lying. However, David seemed tempted. "Richard, it’s worth a try. Since we can't reach Wendy, we might as well get some money from this woman."
"But that means exposing ourselves. We could get caught," Richard replied.
"Alright, you stay here," Richard warned Lauren. "Even if you manage to untie yourself, you won’t escape."
Lauren hoped they would take her suggestion, giving her a chance to survive.
Quentin, armed with surveillance footage, sped to the Dark Hand’s territory. He had identified two suspicious men in the footage, and he needed to confront the gang.
The Dark Hand was a powerful syndicate in City A, known for its size and organization. Quentin had dealt with them before, as the Robinson Conglomerate couldn't have thrived without some underworld connections.
Quentin drove straight to the Dark Hand’s casino. As he entered, gang members surrounded him.
"Who dares to barge into the Dark Hand?" a voice shouted from the back.
Quentin stood his ground, waiting for the person in charge.
Joseph Davis, the casino’s manager and a trusted confidant of the Dark Hand’s boss, approached. "Mr. Robinson! What brings you here?" Joseph’s tone softened immediately.
Quentin got straight to the point. "Two men from your group kidnapped one of my people. I need your help to find them."
Joseph’s face darkened as he took the USB drive containing the footage. "Let's see who’s bold enough to kidnap Mr. Robinson’s people."
When the footage revealed Richard and David, Joseph's face turned green. He hadn’t expected his own men to be involved.
"Mr. Davis, I need them found quickly," Quentin urged.
Joseph nodded, understanding the gravity. "Don’t worry, Mr. Robinson. I’ll handle this. We’ll capture them and keep this quiet."
Quentin nodded in agreement, his only goal being Lauren's rescue.
Joseph sent his men to track down Richard and David. Once their location was confirmed, Joseph and Quentin set off together.
Meanwhile, Noah was keeping a close eye on Wendy, who finally managed to call Richard while pretending to go to the restroom.
When Richard answered, he exploded with anger. "Wendy, you played us! We kidnapped her for you, and now you’re silent?"
Wendy, thrilled that Lauren was captured, struggled to maintain her composure. "Listen, you need to kill her. I’ll pay you a million dollars afterward."
Richard balked. "We agreed to kidnap, not murder. If you don't get here soon, we’ll let her go."
Wendy panicked. "I’ll pay more. Just kill her, and we can negotiate anything."
Richard hesitated. They had already broken gang rules by taking this job. Murder was a step too far.
"You do it yourself. We won’t help. When are you coming?" Richard demanded.
Wendy, furious and regretting hiring these men, replied, "The earliest I can get there is tonight. Don’t let her go."
Richard hung up, seething. "That b*tch is playing us for fools."
