Upon seeing Cameron, she seemed to see a savior. “Cameron, Cameron, please save me!”
“Don’t make any noise.” Jacob Campbell threw a bottle at her, hitting the pillar above her head.
Queenie screamed, curling up and whimpering. Cameron stepped forward, standing in front of Jacob Campbell, glaring at him. “I’m here… You let Queenie go, and I’ll agree to your conditions.”
“You?” Jacob Campbell, drunk, staggered to his feet.
Seeing me behind Cameron, he burst into manic laughter.
My mind was on the verge of collapse. I took a deep breath and walked forward, examining him from head to toe… He stared at me, advancing step by step.
“Cameron…” he belched. “I told you to come alone on the phone… Why did you bring her? You’re not following the rules!”
“Enough of this,” Cameron took a step forward, intentionally or unintentionally, his broad back blocking me solidly. “Anyway, I’m here now. I’ve done as you asked. I hope you’ll keep your word.”
“I didn’t say I’d go back on my word!” Jacob Campbell chuckled. “But I really don’t want to involve my daughter.”
“Dad,” I stepped forward. “Just let Miss Scott go… She has nothing to do with you. Why are you doing this? And don’t make it difficult for Cameron. Whatever you want to do, tell me, I’ll…”
“Is it useful to tell you? You ungrateful brat! Have you ever thought of me in these fifteen years? Have you ever looked for me? You were only eight years old back then, but you knew how to betray me, call the cops to arrest me. I haven’t settled this score with you yet!”
“Dad!” I felt utter despair. “Don’t bring up the past! Do you think these fifteen years have been easy for me?”
“Why is it that other dads can love their daughters, but you have to find joy in my suffering?” I forced back the tears, but the bitterness in my heart kept rising. “Release them and then turn yourself in. If you show remorse, you might get a reduced sentence…”
“Shut up!” He raised another bottle, pointing it at me. “You brat. Just like your damn mother… You both want to ruin me, want to harm me!”
“Jacob Campbell!”
“Is your father’s name something you can just casually shout out? Have some respect!” He glared at me fiercely, bloodshot eyes full of fury.
He slammed the bottle on the ground, then picked up a piece of glass, holding it against Queenie’s throat with a wicked grin.
“Stop it!” Cameron yelled. “Jacob Campbell, if you dare touch her, I’ll kill you!”
I trembled, watching Cameron’s urgent and angry expression, feeling deeply uncomfortable.
“Dad, please don’t do this…” I pleaded with him. “If you keep making mistakes, you’ll really die! The law won’t spare you… Miss Scott is Cameron’s fiancée. You’ve already killed his sister. Do you want to harm his fiancée too? Dad, I’m begging you…”
I knelt on the ground, tears finally streaming down my face. Whether it was out of concern or sorrow, saying the word “fiancée” was not easy.
The man I loved was risking his life for another woman, against my father…
I forced a bitter smile. There was an unbridgeable gap between Cameron and me after all.
“Dad, please, I’m begging you, release Miss Scott,” I cried. “Don’t make it harder for Cameron. I’m begging you!”
“You brat, you idiot!” Jacob Campbell’s face flushed red. Due to drunkenness, he couldn’t even stand properly. The glass shard swayed dangerously against Queenie’s neck.
“Who am I doing this for? Isn’t it for you?” He sneered. “I know you like Cameron. If I kill this woman, you can be with him, right? You ungrateful wretch!”
My heart pounded with fear. “Please don’t do this… I… I won’t be with Cameron! He’s already engaged to Miss Scott. I can’t be with him, and I… I don’t even like him!”
Cameron glanced at me…
“I don’t like him, I’ve never said I like him!” I repeated incessantly, trying to convince myself. “Dad, just let her go… We can talk about whatever misunderstanding there is…!”
“What misunderstanding? Even if you don’t like Cameron, I can’t let her go!”
“What do you want me to do?” I shouted, feeling my last psychological defense crumbling.
“Jacob Campbell!” Cameron pulled me behind him, shielding me.
“You can name your conditions, but please let her go first,” he said, his gaze icy. “No matter what you ask for, I can agree to it. How about this: use me as the exchange for Queenie. I’ll be your hostage!”
“Cameron…” I tightened my grip on his arm.
I shook my head gently at him. I knew my father was a ruthless man.
His hand rested on the back of mine, gave it a firm squeeze, then quickly withdrew his arm from mine.
“Jacob Campbell, I’m here to exchange for Queenie,” Cameron stepped closer to him. “I know what you want – money and freedom. I’m the CEO of The Lynch Group, and the entire group is under my control. As long as you have me, no matter what price you set, The Lynch Group will meet your demands. And there’s Patrick… he’s a cop, but also my best friend. If you threaten him with me, he’ll let you go!”
“How about it? You can consider… kidnapping Queenie serves no purpose for you, but with me as your hostage, you’ll gain much more!”
“Cameron, don’t!” I cried out behind him.
Jacob Campbell seemed to be swayed, his hand slowly released from Queenie’s neck.
But in that critical moment, Cameron lunged forward. Before I could react, he wrapped one arm around my father and used all his strength to push Queenie away with the other…
“Cameron!” I screamed, watching as he subdued Jacob Campbell, but his shirt quickly stained with blood.
Jacob Campbell still held a piece of glass in his hand!
I screamed hysterically. Queenie cowered beside me, frozen in fear.
“Jacob Campbell!” I cried out, tears streaming down my face. “If you dare to hurt Cameron, I’ll kill you, I swear I’ll kill you!”
I picked up a half-broken bottle from the ground and swung it towards a nearby iron pillar. I held the shattered half of the bottle in my hand, its sharp end pointed towards Jacob Campbell.
He held Cameron by the collar, facing me. Cameron’s abdomen was already soaked in blood. He covered it with his hand, his face pale, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
“Laura… go!” he gritted his teeth, each word pronounced with effort. “Take Queenie and leave, quickly!”
“No!” I had lost my sanity, almost going mad. “Jacob Campbell, release Cameron! Otherwise, I’ll die with you!”
“Laura!” Jacob Campbell grinned smugly, revealing the dagger behind him, the blade pressing against Cameron’s body. “Stop threatening me, brat! What am I afraid of?”
“Think of Anne, Laura!” His laughter sounded sinister. “I’ve cut that bitch’s tongue… Do you want me to cut your lover’s tongue and feed it to the dogs?”
“Dad…” In an instant, I felt like I was drained of all energy.
I felt cold, extremely cold, a chill creeping from my spine to my heart, from my feet to my head, permeating every vein.
“Dad,” the half of the bottle in my hand fell to the ground with a loud thud, and I immediately knelt down. “What do you want to do? What do you want?”
Jacob Campbell remained silent for a long time. His face became even more sinister, with an expression that filled me with disgust.
I was grateful that I didn’t resemble him.
After a while, he uttered in a hoarse voice, “Two conditions… First, I want five million, get it ready for me quickly! Second… bring your mother!”
“What are you talking about?” I was stunned.
Five million was feasible; The Lynch Group could easily afford it. But my mother… Where would I find her?
“Dad, are you sober? Since I can remember, I haven’t had a mother. How am I supposed to conjure one out of thin air?”
“I don’t care, I want to see her!” he started ranting, “That bitch… abandoned her husband and daughter, ran off to enjoy herself? I won’t let her live in peace, no way!”
He reeked of alcohol; obviously, he was speaking nonsense. But now, he was like a time bomb, and no matter what he said, I had to obey blindly!
I stared intently at his dagger. The blood on Cameron’s body slowly coagulated into a dark red color, and he appeared weak.
I felt lost, my heart throbbing with pain.
“Laura, listen to me!” Jacob Campbell shouted again. “You go and find that bitch for me! Make her kneel in front of me and apologize! Damn it… if you can’t find her, I’ll kill this Cameron first, then you!”
“Dad!”
Cameron glanced at me, signaling me with his eyes. He silently urged me to leave, to get out of here.
I shook my head, holding back tears. How could I possibly abandon him? In Alcostan, he shielded me from gunfire, and here, I had to shield him from blades.