That night, when my parents were kidnapped, my older brother, Allen Baldwin, a police officer, wanted to go bungee jumping with my parents’ adopted daughter, Elaine Baldwin. I didn’t stop him. I made the call to the police without hesitation and began preparing the ransom. In my previous life, Allen had stayed behind to try and save my parents instead of going with Elaine. But while Elaine was bungee jumping, the cord snapped, and she fell off the cliff. They never found her body. Allen didn’t say a word after that. On my birthday that year, he drugged me and took me to the edge of that very same cliff. “It was you who planned this kidnapping. You went this far just to fight for attention, right? You’re a demon! “Elaine is dead. You should die, too!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my parents were kidnapped. This time, Allen didn’t rush to rescue them. Instead, he went straight to Elaine. But later, he regretted it so much that it nearly drove him insane. I suddenly jerked awake, beads of sweat dotting my forehead. My heart was pounding in my chest as if it was going to burst out. The feeling of weightlessness and terror hadn’t faded. However, I soon realized that I was in my bedroom. I glanced at the date on my phone and realized that I had come back to the day my parents were kidnapped. I knew that in five minutes, the kidnappers would call and demand me to prepare the ransom in one hour, or they would kill my parents. As the daughter of the Baldwin family, I was lost for eighteen years and have recently been reunited with them. I had only been back with my parents for less than a year, and they meant everything to me. I couldn’t let the tragedy from my previous life happen again. I rushed downstairs and stood by the phone. Allen, in his casual pants, followed closely behind me. “Vickie, why are you so nervous? Mom and Dad aren’t even here. Didn’t you kidnap them?” Allen gave a mocking smile. At that moment, I was certain he had also come from the future. His expression seemed to say, “Don’t waste your effort. It’s all pointless. Without my cooperation, this charade our parents and you are playing wouldn’t last long.” In my previous life, Allen had believed I had masterminded the kidnapping to gain my parents’ favor and attention. I still didn’t know where he had gotten such a ridiculous conclusion. This time, Allen chose to ignore my “trap” entirely. “Vickie, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Allen said with a shrug. “Inciting a crime is still a crime. If you get caught, don’t come crying to me to help you.” I wanted to say something, but just then, the phone rang, cutting me off. Each ring sent a shiver to my heart. Yet, Allen acted as though he hadn’t heard it. As he was about to leave, a look of disdain flashed across his face. “Do what you want. I’m going to go bungee jump with Elaine. “I know they won’t actually get hurt. Don’t disturb me if there’s no real problem.” In my previous life, he hadn’t said that. Back then, Allen had used his years of detective experience to track down the kidnappers’ hideout quickly. In less than an hour, he rescued our parents. That day, my mind was so occupied with my terrified parents that I didn’t notice the suspicion and anger simmering in Allen’s eyes. It was only later, when he brought me to the cliffside, that I learned what he was thinking. While Allen was rescuing our parents, Elaine had called him repeatedly. When he didn’t answer, she went bungee jumping alone and had an accident. The phone ringing now felt like a death sentence, tightening the knot of anxiety in my chest. I picked up the receiver, and the kidnappers’ voice came through clearly. “You should prepare twenty million dollars. Have the money ready in two hours, or your parents are dead.” I froze, wide-eyed in terror. I thought, “What? Wasn’t it only ten million dollars last time?”
I gripped the phone tightly, my palm drenched in sweat. It seemed that the reality at this time was different from the last, and the kidnappers’ location might have changed as well. I had been so confident before, but now panic was starting to creep in. With a tremor in my voice, I pleaded. “Can you give us more time? Please, I…” Before I could finish, the line went dead. I quickly gathered my composure. I knew it was useless to these desperate criminals. The priority was to prepare the ransom and locate the kidnappers. I quickly scribbled down everything I knew from my previous life. There were two kidnappers, both young men, and the kidnapping took place at one of their homes. The ransom was ten million dollars, and they asked us to place it in the third trash can at the south entrance of the train station. Before they could collect the money, Allen had tracked down their hideout and rescued our parents, saving both our parents and the ransom. With that in mind, I grabbed my phone and dialed 911. I also called my father’s good friend, Dominik Happer, one of the company’s shareholders, and asked him to get cash directly from the finance department. Dominik was just as frantic as I was on the phone. “Call the police, Vickie. I’ll handle the money.” His words made my heart settle a little. Two minutes later, police officers arrived. Allen’s colleague and close friend, Cason Rayne, walked in with a scowl. “Vickie, Allen just called me. Luckily, I was nearby… “Filing a false report is a crime!” All my courage and hope crumbled in that instant. Allen had already decided that I was the mastermind behind the kidnapping, so he’d sent his friend to stop my “nonsense.” I didn’t expect he would do something like that. I didn’t think I could solve it without the help from the police and detective expertise. My emotions got the best of me, and I squeezed the paper with the clues into a ball. The thought of my parents being tortured by the kidnappers pushed me over the edge, and I broke down crying. “Cason, I’m not lying! I’m an adult. I’m taking responsibility for my words. “Please, I need the police’s help. Please help save my parents!” I sobbed, gasping for air, glancing constantly at the clock. Almost ten minutes had passed, and there wasn’t much time left. Cason leaned casually against the couch, scrolling through his phone. My tears failed to elicit any sympathy from him. “They say kids who grow up in orphanages are sly. Do you think crying will guilt-trip people into helping you? “Allen’s right. If you’re not raised here, you’re just an outsider. “Elaine is so much more mature than you…” Elaine’s fate differed from mine. She was adopted at eight and nurtured as if she were the apple of my parents’ eye. Allen pampered her. He treated her with almost obsessive care. Even when they were both adults, they often slept together. The ticking of the clock pulled me back to reality. I forced myself to steady my breathing, trying to calm the storm inside me. “Cason.” I called his name with a serious tone. “Since you’re here on duty, you have an obligation to solve my case…” Before I could finish, he interrupted with a mocking laugh. “You little brat, acting all high and mighty. “Do you think just because you’re back with the Baldwin family, you can control everything? You’re still an outsider here.” His words hit me like a block of ice. “Allen told me. Your parents don’t love you as much as you think. They often confuse your name with Elaine’s. “He said you’ve been scheming for attention. You made Elaine move out because of it.” Cason snickered, munching on a fruit platter as he belittled me. I knew he had totally believed those things. After all, those stories were coming from Allen. He kept maligning me like that in front of Cason. To them, I was nothing but a scheming woman, always trying to steal the spotlight. I stood before him again, my resolve firm. “What will it take for you to believe me? My parents are in grave danger right now. “Are you ready to bear the responsibility if we miss this crucial window to save them?” Cason faltered, his hand frozen mid-air. He stood up from the couch. “Well then, go ahead and report me. You’re just a spoiled girl who needs a lesson…” Before he could finish, two officers in uniform appeared at the door. “Is Vickie here? We’ve received a report and are here to handle the case.” My legs nearly gave way, and I almost collapsed onto the floor. My parents were finally going to be saved!
As soon as Cason saw the officers, he rushed over to shake their hands. “We’re colleagues,” he said, “I’m here to meet Allen’s sister.” That’s when I noticed Cason was in casual clothes. He turned and started heading for the door, seemingly intending to slip away. But the two officers immediately blocked his path. I quickly stepped forward to update them on the situation. “Officers! My parents have been kidnapped. I have a recording!” The recording I had made earlier was finally useful. The moment the kidnappers’ voices came through, Cason’s face turned pale in shock. “Allen clearly said they are actors… “He said you planned this whole thing yourself.” I snorted dismissively, not in the mood to waste words on him. I slowly unfolded the crumpled piece of paper in my hand. Drawing from the fragmented memories of my previous life, I tried to recall every detail. I quickly pieced things together in my mind and tried my best to come up with an excuse. “Officers! I can give you details about the suspects. They haunted my house once before. “I’m not completely sure, but their voices sounded similar… they asked me for directions before.” Soon, the sketch artist and the surveillance team were in place. I focused all my attention on describing the two kidnappers’ appearances. With a comparison to a database of known offenders, the police quickly identified them. Both were young men who had served time for robbery. One of them had rented a house under his real name, so the police immediately planned a rescue operation. I slumped onto the sofa. Cold sweat drenched my entire body. Twenty minutes later, the police officer accompanying me got a report. “Sorry, Ms. Baldwin, we didn’t find any trace of your parents at the scene. “But we did find this.” They had discovered numerous photos the kidnappers had taken. Among them were pictures of my parents and of me. “They’ve been watching you for a long time. Don’t worry, these two won’t escape.” I felt like my head was about to explode. The worst-case scenario had come to pass. The kidnappers had moved to a new hiding place, which meant the lead I had was now useless. Cason, standing off to the side, made a call to Allen. Although he lowered his voice, I could hear every word clearly. “It’s a real kidnapping. We have suspects. You need to come back…” To my surprise, Allen laughed on the other end of the line. It sounded almost like he was deliberately letting me hear. “Enough with the charade. How do you prepare to end this? “If Mom and Dad felt angry at you, don’t come crying to me.” The fear and resentment from my previous life rushed back in an instant. I felt even if he didn’t like me, he should at least believe his friend’s words. I wasn’t at fault, and neither were my parents. For over twenty years, they had raised him with love, but now, for the sake of their adopted daughter, he had ignored their safety. If my parents knew the truth, they’d be heartbroken. I felt sorry for my parents. As I wiped the tears from my eyes, the house phone suddenly rang. The officer in charge of surveillance gave me a look. My heart skipped a beat. The kidnappers were calling again!
The officer monitoring the call gave me an “OK” signal. I picked up the receiver, my whole body still trembling. The officer beside me handed me a small note. It read: [Delay time] I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice, desperately holding back my tears. “I’m preparing the money now. Please don’t hurt my parents.” The kidnappers on the other end let out a contemptuous laugh. “Hurry it up! If it’s not done in an hour, I’ll make good on my threat!” An officer passed me another note. I read the note and asked, “Where should the money be delivered? How will you return my parents after I pay?” The kidnappers’ tone turned impatient. “Leave the money in the locker at the station. Don’t worry, once the money’s there, your parents will be back with you.” A sharp throb in my temple made my head spin. The drop-off point was different from the last time. I tried to keep talking, hoping the officers could trace the call. “How are my parents? Can I hear their voices?” The kidnapper cursed viciously, “You’re a lot of work.” And then I heard the desperate voices of my parents. “Vickie, we’re just glad we found you. We have no regrets in this life. “Don’t risk your life for us. You have to protect yourself. “I want you to know… we love you more than you think, and we want to make up to you. We just didn’t know how to express it…” My father’s frail voice came through. “Vickie, I’m sorry I lost you when you were two. If I ever get the chance, I’ll apologize to you in person…” I choked up, unable to say anything. I wanted to tell them that I didn’t need their apology. I just wanted them to be safe. I wanted to promise them that I would save them. The kidnapper cut off the conversation impatiently. I could hear him kicking someone, swearing under his breath. “Old fools, so damn sentimental! Rich people are so dramatic! “Get the money over here, or I can’t promise your parents will come home safe.” With that, he hung up. Everyone instinctively turned to look at me and then shook their heads. They hadn’t been able to trace the call. The kidnappers had used technology to block the signal. My anxiety and fear exploded all over again. My mind was a tangled mess. All I could do was to deliver the money. At least it would ensure my parents’ safety. I quickly called Dominik, who had promised to help with the cash. However, no matter how many times I called, the phone wouldn’t go through. After calling him a heaps of times, my phone finally rang. I picked it up and heard my brother Allen’s voice. He was laughing. “Have you had enough of the show? Time to wrap it up.” I instantly tensed. “What did you tell Dominik?” Allen’s voice was light and carefree. “Of course, I told him not to give you any money. Twenty million dollars is an immense amount of money. Do you really think you can get away with a measly trick? “I told him you’re just playing a cheap trick. You are trying to empty the family’s pockets as soon as you’re back. He won’t listen to you.” In that instant, every shred of hope I had shattered. I felt my hopes drain away like water, leaving me utterly devoid of any will to fight. I knew that without that two million, my parents had no chance of survival. I had read the case file from the last time. Those two kidnappers already had blood on their hands. They didn’t care about killing a few more people. If they didn’t get the money, they would really kill my parents. The phone rang again, and the kidnappers’ impatient voice pierced my heart like a knife. “If you don’t bring the money soon, I’ll kill them right now!”
I felt as if a pair of invisible hands were squeezing my heart, the pressure so suffocating I could barely breathe. Sweat poured down my forehead. The ticking of the clock echoed in my chest, each tick hammering against my heart. I picked up the phone, my voice trembling. “It’s not time yet. We’re still withdrawing money from several banks. “The amount you want is too much. We have to visit more banks,” I explained to the kidnapper. The kidnapper’s mocking laugh echoed through the line. “The Baldwin family has such a big fortune, and you can’t even gather this little cash?” I was so nervous that I could barely speak. In that fleeting moment, I suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of a train whistle in the background. The monitoring officers noticed it, too, and signaled me to delay. “Let me hear their voices again. I need to make sure they’re safe,” I said to the kidnapper. The kidnapper’s tone clearly hardened with anger. “Do you really think you’re some princess that everyone has to cater to you? “You have thirty minutes. If I don’t see the money, you won’t see your parents,” he threatened. The call was abruptly cut off, and the time limit was reduced to thirty minutes. I realized that there was no reason with these kidnappers. Around me, chaos erupted as the police worked frantically to contact the banks and secure the cash. I bit my lip hard, shutting my eyes, replaying the moment just before he hung up. I was certain of what I heard. In those last two seconds, there was a short but eerie sound of wind howling through the phone. I grabbed the officer beside me. “Play the recording again. Quick! The last few seconds!” Everyone was startled by my urgency, but they cooperated and played it again. Sure enough, they, too, heard that eerie, ghostly wind at the end of the call. I jumped to my feet. “I know where my parents are!” At first, the officers didn’t believe me easily. But after I presented the detailed evidence, they immediately assembled a team to head to the location.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295156”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #励志Inspiring
Leave a Reply