Chapter 29
Fear gripped Daphne’s heart tightly, the man’s cold words freezing her in place.
Her voice trembled as she tried to bargain for her freedom.
“If it’s money you want, my family has plenty. I’m the heiress of Walker Group. Let me go, and I promise you a life of wealth and comfort!”
But the only response was a heavy silence. Her desperate plea echoed in the empty room,
unanswered.
On the other side of the city, Matthew and Jonathan scoured every corner like frantic moths
drawn to a flame.
Their bloodshot eyes and haggard faces betrayed the toll of two sleepless days and nights spent searching. Yet their determination to find Daphne was unshakable.
“Daphne… where are you? I’m so worried about you,” Jonathan choked, his voice trembling as his reddened eyes brimmed with helplessness.
They spared no expense, deploying every available resource and offering a large reward to uncover the identity of the mysterious black–clad figure who had taken her.
The police, too, were working tirelessly, combing the city in search of clues. But each lead fell short, the trail going cold just as it began to warm.
The last known trace of Daphne was a surveillance clip showing her and the masked man on a city street before they vanished without a trace.
The Walker family was consumed by anxiety. Gracie, overwhelmed by worry, eventually collapsed at home and had to be rushed to the hospital by Bob, who stayed by her side day
and night.
“Have they found Daphne yet?” Gracie asked weakly from her hospital bed, her voice laced with urgency.
Bob sighed deeply, shaking his head. “No news yet.”
Forsaking the Years of Longing
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Chapter 29
A thick cloud of despair hung over the Walker household, casting an oppressive shadow
over everyone.
The kidnapping had also captured the city’s attention, with every major news outlet
covering the story.
“Walker Group Heiress Abducted by Masked Man, Missing Without a Trace” became the headline plastered across New York’s media landscape.
The story sparked widespread discussions, and the city seemed shrouded in an invisible darkness as concern for Daphne grew.
Matthew and Jonathan made a solemn vow to bring Daphne home safely, no matter the cost, and to put an end to the nightmare that had gripped them all.
Meanwhile, Daphne, using every ounce of strength she had, finally managed to sever the ropes binding her legs with the bamboo shard.
She pressed her ear to the door, peering through the cracks to gauge her captor’s movements. A plan for escape began to take shape in her mind.
As night fell, the shack grew silent, with only the occasional distant bird calls breaking the
stillness.
Daphne waited for the man to fall asleep before carefully opening a side window. Holding her breath, she moved with such precision and lightness that even the air seemed undisturbed.
But as she slipped out of the window, her heart sank–she was in even greater peril.
Before her lay a vast lake, its calm waters rippling under the moonlight. There was no one else in sight, only the water stretching endlessly.
Panic set in, freezing
10 the spot.
Then she heard it–a voice behind her, calm and detached.
“I told you not to waste your energy.”
Daphne spun around to face the man, her eyes blazing with desperation and anger.
Chapter 29
“What is this place?! Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?!” she shouted, her voice cracking.
The man hesitated for a moment, startled by her direct gaze, before answering in a flat
tone.
“Someone hired me to kill you.”
The words struck her like a bolt of lightning, and her heart plummeted into despair.
Her emotions erupted.
“Then kill me! Do it now! I can’t escape anyway. You might as well get it over with and put me out of my misery!”
Tears streamed down her face as she screamed, her voice echoing across the water.
