Chapter 27
After dinner, Daphine and Jonathan prepared to head home.
Feeling content and satisfied, Daphne smiled at Jonathan and said, “Brother, I’m going to
the restroom first. Wait for me here.”
She stood and walked toward the restroom, leaving Jonathan behind with a doting smile.
However, just as Daphne stepped toward the restroom door, a shadow darted out from the darkness like a phantom!
Before she could cry out, a damp cloth was pressed tightly over her mouth and nose.
A sharp, acrid smell filled her senses, and everything went black as she lost consciousness.
When Daphne opened her eyes again, she found herself in a dark, damp, and decrepit
building.
Weeds grew through cracks in the floor, the roof had a gaping hole, and faint moonlight filtered through, casting an eerie glow over the space.
Her hands and feet were bound tightly with rough rope, making it impossible for her to
move.
“Where… where am I? How did I get here?” Daphne’s voice trembled as fear surged through her. She struggled to recall what had happened, but her mind was blank.
“You’re awake?”
Daphne’s head shot up.
A man wearing a mask stood not far from her, his eyes sharp as a hawk’s, filled with a complex mix of emotions.
“Who… who are you? Why did you kidnap me?” Daphne tried to appear calm, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her fear.
“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is that someone paid for your life,” the man replied
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Chapter 27
in a low, chilling voice as he stepped closer to her.
Daphne instinctively tried to back away, but her retreat was halted by the wall behind her.
“If it’s money you want, my family has plenty. We can make a deal…” she stammered, her
trembling making it hard to speak clearly.
The man continued advancing toward her, unmoved.
“Stay back! If you come any closer, I’ll…” Daphne’s words faltered as tears streamed down
her face.
Just as she braced herself for the worst, the man suddenly collapsed in front of her.
A full day and night had passed since Daphne went to the restroom and failed to return.
Jonathan had immediately called the police and reviewed the restaurant’s surveillance footage. Unfortunately, the restroom area was a blind spot, and the cameras had captured
nothing.
Frantic with worry, Jonathan and his family mobilized all their resources, even hiring private investigators, but there was no trace of Daphne.
Desperate, Jonathan thought of the one person he hadn’t yet contacted: Matthew.
Furious, he dialed Matthew’s number, his voice filled with anger and an unyielding resolve.
“Matthew, did you take my sister? You’d better bring her back now, or I’ll make sure Roberts Group goes down with you!”
Matthew was stunned by the sudden accusation, but the moment he heard that Daphne was missing, his heart sank.
“What did you say? Daphne is missing? How is that possible?”
“Don’t act clueless! I’ve searched all of New York, and no one but you could have taken her so cleanly!” Jonathan roared, his anger threatening to boil over.
“Jonathan, calm down! I swear this wasn’t me!” Matthew snapped back, already rushing to dress and leave his house. Fear and anxiety gnawed at him like never before.
Forsaking the Years of Longing
Chapter 27
Meanwhile, in the shadows, the mastermind behind the incident–Charlotte–watched with
a sinister smile.
“Daphne, let’s see who comes to save you this time,” she murmured, her voice dripping with
malice.
