Filed to story: The Regretful Billionaire: An Unpredicted Reunion
Abducting Stephanie? Really? “This was one of the safest ways for us, Miss Zellweger.”
Forcefully abducting Danika would cause too great a commotion, not something that would help their cause for the time being.
On the other hand, Stephanie was far easier to use in manipulating Danika.
Hence, she was their ideal choice.
Danika hissed.
“Where is she? You touch so much as one strand of her hair, and I promise you your life will be living h —“
“Your friend is alright, miss.Though I advise you to come as soon as you can, or I can’t promise something won’t happen to your friend.”
The man then hung up, not even needing to tell Danika not to mention this to anyone.
After all, she wouldn’t dare make the wrong move with Stephanie’s life at risk.
Danika got into a cab and headed straight for the location sent to Stephanie’s phone.
She had to go, even as those abductors must’ve set a trap for her.
Danika kept on trying to guess who those bunch of people might be.
Who in Bardoff City would dare do that to her? It couldn’t be Blake, could it? That voice on the phone was so familiar, though…
Where had she heard it from? Just then, Paul called her number, absolutely panicked after not having found any trace of Stephanie.
Danika decided to call him.
“Paul Wagner, if you want to help me find Stephanie, do as I tell you.”
Window of Opportunity
Stephanie gradually woke up, finding herself in an unfamiliar place.
Unbeknownst to her, she was being held hostage in a villa across the city.
It looked like she’d been abducted.
But why? Her family wasn’t anyone special here in this city, nor were they rich.
Aman soon entered the room she was in, someone Stephanie had never seen in her life.
“Who are you? Why did you bring me here?”
“Don’t worry, Miss Zelliot.My master only means to have you with us for a brief while as a guest.We mean no harm,” the old man explained.
No harm? Why the hell would Stephanie believe that?! She didn’t argue with the man, however.He was still maintaining a modicum of respect, so it was best to not piss him off right now.
“May I know why I’m being ‘invited’ here as a ‘guest’ then?”
The old man didn’t seem to plan on answering.
“Make yourself at home.You will soon be able to leave.”
He left atray of food and drink for Stephanie before leaving the room, but not before Stephanie noticed the several men stationed outside the room she was in.
It was unlikely that she’d be able to escape on her own.
She went to peer out the window, noting a small garden outside and nothing else but acres of forest beyond the space.
Clueless as to where she was, Stephanie decided she couldn’t jus: sit and wait.
Yet what could she do? She went back to sit by the tray of food, deciding not to do anything foolish.She’d wait for the golden window of opporturity to turn up first.
Danika was surprised to find that the location given to her was an abandoned old villa.
Just as she was hesitating about whether to head inside, the front door opened, revea-ing ar.old man.
“Come in, Miss Zellweger.”
Ah.
That was why she thought that voice sounded so familiar.It was Mr.Zeke Quincey’s butler.She’d met him over at Quincey Manor before.
Suddenly, Danika understood what had transpired and why.
It was all for Eustace, it seemed.
If only she were their only victim, she’d turn and leave right away to not drag Eustace down.
Yet now Stephanie was involved, so Danika couldn’t just leave.
As if aware of her thoughts, the butler remained calm and smiling by tre door, waiting for her to walk inside.
“Where’s Stephanie? Let me see her first.” Danika dernanded.
“Your friend is safe, Miss Zellweger.”
“I don’t buy it.I need to see her myself.”
Only tien would she welk inside of her own volition.
The butler gave her an exasperated look before pulling out his phone, opening up a live feed.
“Here, look.Your friend really is in safe hands, Miss Zellweger.”
Stephanie was in a newly furnished room in the video feed, unlike the current state of the mansion Danika was in.
This made her skin prickle.
“Stephanie’s not here?”
The butler nodded, “She’s being kept at a very safe place, Miss Zellweger.”
Danika scowled, irritated that they’d split them up.She stopped watching the feed, trusting that Zeke Quincey wouldn’t cause harm to Stephanie.She was merely a pawn to threaten Danika, after all.
Danika walked into the villa, knowing she’d have to stand up to whatever was in her way now.
It Was Obvious, No?
She didn’t expect the inside of the villa to appear so calm.
There was little to no one inside the space as the butler led her through.
The interior of the villa was far better than the exterior, too, like it had been under proper maintenance for a long time.
There was a small mansion to the side, which appeared to look just as rundown, though Danika guessed that was only a mask for its actual furnished interior.
A room on the first floor of the mansion caught Danika’s attention, as it was surrounded by guards.
Stephanie might be in there, Danika thought.She hurriedly memorized the place in mind.
The butler brought her into the mansion, where Danika finally met the man orchestrating this whole charade—Zeke Quincey.
“Have a seat, Miss Zellweger.”
The old man nodded at her, gesturing at a seat to the side.He was being more than courteous right now, so Danika quietly went to take a seat.
Silence ensued.
The old man then asked, “Aren’t you curious as to why I’ve asked you to come, Miss Zellweger?”
“Do I need to be?”
Danika retorted.
It was obvious, no? She hadn’t any feud with the Quinceys, so they had no reason to come after her.
The only other possibility was that she was being used as bait for someone else.
Zeke laughed.
“You are as intelligent as they say.No wonder you have so many admirers.”
“What’s your plan, Mr.Quincey?”
“I know what you’re thinking.I won’t be able to deal with the consequences of this, right?”
Zeke continued on as if Danika hadn’t asked.
Danika gazed at him in confusion.
“Truly, [never expected things to come to this.All I can blame is myself for having been so blind to others’ genius besides my own sons and grandchildren.”
He had raised them by hand since they were young, after all, so he was sure they were equipped with far more intelligence than ordinary people.His expectation that they might win in the inheritance rat race had greatly crashed into the ground after Eustace turned up.
The boy was too difficult to control.
