Chapter 3

I shoved my phone in front of Marcus's face, displaying the bloody video.

"Stop using these cheap deepfakes to disgust me."

"Eight million? That defective kid you brought home is riddled with congenital diseases."

"I've tolerated feeding him for five years. That's generous enough."

"Now you hire a few actors to put on a show just to scam eight million from me?"

"Do you think I'm a charity?"

It was nauseating. At that moment, I wanted to rip my own heart out just to stop the pain.

He actually thought I was lying for money.

"I am not lying! If you don't believe me, call the police! Or FaceTime the kidnappers directly!"

"Call the police? Are you insane?"

Chloe shrieked, cutting me off.

"Vance Group is signing a ten-billion-dollar merger this afternoon."

"If the police get involved, our assets will be audited and frozen. If the deal falls through, can you afford the loss?"

Marcus nodded in agreement with Chloe.

"For a bastard child who doesn't even share your blood, you want to ruin my multi-billion-dollar project?"

"Evelyn, you are malicious to the core."

"Chloe is managing the funds properly. You won't get a single penny."

"If he really got kidnapped, then he deserves to die."

"At least it saves us the medical bills for his chronic illnesses in the future!"

My entire body went numb.

Actually, two weeks ago, I had found his birth certificate hidden inside Leo's medical files.

I had tried to tell Marcus several times who Leo really was, but he never listened.

But before I could speak, Chloe thrust her phone screen in front of my face.

"Still acting?"

The kidnapper had sent the final message.

[Time is up. If I don't see the money in ten minutes, prepare to collect his body.]

Attached was a photo.

A bloody pinky finger lay lonely on the dirty concrete floor.

I collapsed to the ground, letting out a gut-wrenching scream.

"Money... give me the money!"

"That's his finger!"

Like a madwoman, I clung to Marcus's leg.

"Marcus, I'll beg you! I'll beg you on my knees, okay!"

I threw myself to the floor, my forehead slamming against the cold marble again and again.

Blood quickly seeped out, blurring my vision.

"Please, just transfer the money!"

"Even if it's a loan, I'll pay you back with my life! Just send the money!"

Marcus didn't even look at me.

He took a disgusted step back, annoyed that my blood was ruining his custom leather shoes.

"Degrading yourself to this point for a stray orphan."

"Evelyn, you make me sick."

Chloe covered her mouth and giggled.

"Evelyn, save your breath."

"Marcus's money must be spent wisely."

"That nameless brat isn't worth eight million dollars, even if he's chopped into pieces."

She leaned into Marcus's chest, her voice sickeningly sweet.

"Marcus, it's our tenth anniversary today. Can you take me to pick out that pink diamond this afternoon?"

"Of course. If you like it, what's eight million? I'll buy you the twenty-million-dollar one."

They flirted right in front of me.

Meanwhile, the countdown on my phone kept ticking.

Five minutes.

Three minutes.

One minute.

I lay flat on the floor, watching them. My tears and blood mixed together, drying on my skin.

They would rather spend tens of millions on a piece of rock than eight million to save a child's life.