Chapter 41
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” Daddy, are you sure she is still here?” Liya’s voice brought Chris back From his deep thought. They both have been waiting for Sophie for the past twenty minutes outside her department block. She exact spot she had promised him in the morning she would be by the time he came back from his mother’s house.
” Let me call her once again, maybe she is not done with the college stuff,” Chris said ruffling his daughter’s hair. She smiled flashing him her missing teeth. He told her so much about Sophie that the little girl want to meet the woman now. He dialed Sophie’s number for the umpteenth time that day. Now getting frustrated he dropped his phone so he won’t show it to his little girl.
” Probably she doesn’t want to meet me?” She asked with a low tone that almost broke his heart.
” No Liya, Sophie wants to meet you as much as you want to meet her” Chris assured with a deep exhale patting her back softly. He was getting worried already, Sophie never keep him waiting no matter what. So this was kind
His ringing tone brought him back from his thoughts. He picked it up instantly thinking it was Sophie but Liam’s voice made him scowled in frustration.
” What?!” he barked put turning away from his daughter.
” Do not bite me please” Liam said jokingly but his voice was also tensed as if he knew something Chris doesn’t.
” I called because of Sophie so calm down bro,” Liam said with a serious tone and Chris calmed down a little bit.
” I have been waiting for her for eternity here so just tell me what you know”
” Did you tell her to wear that necklace today?” Liam asked.
” No, I didn’t. But she did I think” Chris replied with a bored tone eager to know what exactly was going on.
” Sorry, I placed a little tracker on the necklace when you asked me to hold on to it. And the tracker says she is a few miles away from her father’s house. Just around the location of the gambling pub, Mr. Harris borrowed money from. So I figured something must be wrong somewhere, that is why I’m calling you” Liam explained and Chris’s mood changed drastically. He became very angry and worried at the information his best friend provided him with.
” I have been calling her number for like forever and she did not pick up. Do you think she is in danger?” Chris asked taking a look at Liya who was already dosing off in her seat.
” I don’t know but I have a hunch that she has been kidnapped giving the location and all” Liam sighed deeply but Chris’s heart sped up instantly.
” You have a hunch? Or she has been kidnapped?” Chris growled.
” Calm your tities man. I’m already at her location right now. Within thirty minutes, I should be able to figure out her exact location” Liam said calmly. The sound of finger-tapping on keys could be heard in the background.
” Thirty minutes? I don’t think I have that much” Chris said as he started driving away from the school premises. Liya was already fast asleep that she was drooling already, very oblivious to what is happening.
Chris couldn’t say he has never known fear but He has never been in a situation that left his palm so sweaty like that. He has been in a situation that requires his heartbeat to fly out of his chest but he took them normally and strode through them like he would do a simple business.
Even when he just took over the nearly bankrupt company his father left him, having no idea what he was doing at the moment. Merely driven by the vow of protecting his mother and saving his grandfather’s legacy, he never for once shivered like he was doing out of fear.
The last time he ever felt so much trepidation like that was when Cecilia was in labor for over fifteen hours giving birth to Liya. But at that moment, his heart beats with fear of losing Sophie. He hit the horn in frustration when the car in front of him refused to move after the light switched from yellow to green.
He muttered so many profanities that if Liya was awake at the moment, he would have to baptize the poor girl’s ear. As he drove, he fondly thought about how much Sophie made everything in his life fall into the right places. His life was a wreck from the way he lived with Cecilia, at a point he felt love was just a myth that people made up so people can get married. He couldn’t understand why the lady he once thought was perfect for him would end up tormenting him the way Cecilia did. He threw himself into his work, Never at home, so he can have peace of mind but every time he is away from Sophie, he doesn’t feel complete. Like a part of him was missing, he never felt that way with Cecilia. He always wants to run in the opposite direction.
He never planned to move on that quickly after his divorce but God has other plans for him and the young lady he vowed to protect her at all cost. She was the salvation he never knew he needed and nothing will harm her. He promised that and he will keep it with his life.
It seems as if he was flying when the gate to Liam’s property came into view. At that point, his phone started ringing again displaying an unknown number. He felt like ignoring the call but he slow down after another thought and he picked up the call.
” Hello Sugar Daddy,” A very creepy male tone said immediately after he picked up the call. He scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion wondering who can address him with such words apart from Sophie.
” Who the fuck are you?” he cussed and his caller laughed. Chris knew he knew that voice from somewhere, he has heard it before but he couldn’t place his hands on where and how.
” You don’t need to know me but I have Sophie here with me and… You will listen to my instructions if you want to see her alive” The man said coldly but Chris could hear a muggled scream in the background. His heart skipped a beat as the possibility of the voice being Sophie’s hit him deep.
” What do you want?” Chris said two octaves lower than his normal tone. The air around sparked with tension. At this point, he already parked his car inside Liam’s garage.
” Nice,” The voice said excitedly.
” You are a businessman after all. All I need is half a million dollars and you can half your girl”
Chris sighed as he listens to the voice more and more. His retentive memory took him straight to where he needed. Sophie’s father was the owner of that voice. Bile threatened to climb up his throat as he became disgusted. What type of father will kidnap his daughter for money?
He blamed himself inwardly, he had paid the first debt and second debt also. Just to protect the love of his life and her brother but this man is still greedy and still wants more? He squeezed his Phone so hard it almost cracked under his hold but he took deep breaths to calm down.
He was going to teach this man a very nice lesson on how to be a very responsible father, a lesson the rag of a human being will never forget in his life.
” And you have just 24 hours” Mr Harris completed and Chris let out a breath he never knew he was holding in the first place.
” Just that?” He asked with his voice as neutral as possible. He wasn’t going to let that fool knows he knew who he was already.
” You will get five hundred thousand dollars in the next six hours and I believe I should have Sophie in my house by then right?”
” Six hours? Holy moly! You love her more than I thought. Your time starts now” The rotten man very excited said as he hung up.
Chris looked at his little princess who was still sleeping soundly. He thought about how he was only going to give her the best, unlike the father who just kidnapped his daughter for money.
He got out of the car and carried her softly careful not to wake her up but she woke up anyhow. He forgot she was a light sleeper, any physical touch wakes her up instantly. He placed her on his shoulder walking to Liam’s front door. He knocked and Liam’s distant voice answered from inside.
” Daddy?” Liya called out with a sleepy voice.
” Yes my sweetheart?”
” Am I going to see her now?” She asked him and he shook his head as Liam opened the door.
” No not now. But you will see her in the next one hour”