Chapter 14
As they waited, Estelle and the kidnapper started talking—about family, children, and marriage. The kidnapper once had a happy family—a gentle wife and a bright and loving daughter. He had wanted to give them a better life, so he invested in a project. But in the end, he was scammed out of everything.
He told her that he knew that even if the debts were paid off, he would still end up in prison. But he didn’t want debt collectors harassing his wife and child. He wanted to leave them with some peace.
Estelle listened, feeling a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite untangle.
Outside, police officers and negotiators kept calling out to them, their voices a constant background noise.
The kidnapper’s tense, erratic emotions slowly began to settle.
“Turns out, even rich people’s lives aren’t that great. If it were any other kidnapper, you’d already be dead today. All I lost was money, but you… nearly lost your life.”
The kidnapper checked the time and sighed. Two hours had passed. For the first time, a hint of sympathy flickered in his eyes as he looked at her.
“Miss, thanks for talking with me. I guess I’m not doing so bad, after all, compared to you. Forget it. You can go…”
The kidnapper’s attempt to release Estelle seemed to be misunderstood by the officers who were keeping a close eye on him.
A gunshot shattered the air. The kidnapper’s body crumpled to the ground, his warm blood splattering across her face. For a moment, Estelle’s mind went completely blank. For the first time in her life, she had watched someone die right in front of her.
After the kidnapper was shot dead, the police and paramedics rushed in, handling the situation.
And yet, even after it was all over, Julian never called her back.
Estelle was taken to the hospital for a full medical check-up. That was when she saw Susan—just as she was being wheeled out of surgery.
It was only then that Julian finally remembered her phone call.
“You called me earlier. You said you were kidnapped?” Zachary let out a mocking laugh from the side.
“Oh, come on. If she was kidnapped, then how the hell did she end up here? Looks to me like she’s just playing the victim to get your attention,” Zachary sneered. “Look at her Jules, does she look hurt?
“What kind of kidnapping leaves you completely unharmed? That’s some acting right there. Kidnapping, my ass.”
Just then, Susan, who had just regained consciousness, spoke up weakly. “Ms. Summer, if you thought bringing me my medicine was too much trouble, you could’ve just said so… But you didn’t have to make jokes like that!”
One by one, Zachary and Susan chipped away at her. They rewrote her kidnapping into nothing more than a desperate cry for attention.
Julian never even tried to confirm the truth. A simple investigation would have told him she had really been kidnapped. But he never looked into it, because all of his attention was on Susan.
Why would he care whether she lived or died?
That was the moment Estelle’s heart began to wither.
Today, standing before him, she realized something. He still thought that the phone call was just a pathetic attempt to get his attention.
Estelle’s face was emotionless.
“If you really think I’m just playing games, then meet me at the courthouse tomorrow at 9:00 am sharp.”
Julian’s already cold expression darkened even further. He grew even more irritated with her constant talk of divorce.
He said coldly, “Estelle, I don’t have time to entertain your nonsense. And another thing, I hate women who use divorce as a threat. You’ve been picking on Susan again and again recently, and I’ve let it slide. Don’t push your luck.”
Estelle looked at his handsome face and chuckled. “If you don’t want me to pick on your precious little darling, then sign the damn divorce papers. Because…”
She raised her chin slightly, her lips curling into a slow smirk. “As long as you don’t sign them, I won’t let Susan have a single day of peace.”
A flicker of irritation crossed Julian’s sharp features. His gaze on her shifted. He was looking at her like she was nothing more than a hysterical, unreasonable woman.
“Estelle, I’ve explained this to you so many times. There’s nothing between me and Susan. How many times do I have to say it before you stop being so paranoid?”
