At long last, he had a chance to be alone with Ivy, and this time he was sure he could win her over. As for this unexpected episode, he was not particularly worried as it could be easily resolved for just fifteen thousand dollars-not a huge amount.
The money itself wasn’t the issue, and what baffled him was the way these thugs robbed him.
He cast a quick glimpse over the frightened Vivian and said to Ivy, “Don’t worry, Ivy. I’ve got your back.”
He handed a stack of twenty thousand dollars in cash to a burly man. “Dude, here are twenty thousand bucks, the ransom for the three of us. The extra five thousand can be considered a token of our gratitude for your mercy.”
A self-satisfied smirk played on Kyler’s face. “Come on, it’s just cash,” he thought, “I have it in spades!” By spending a bit of money, he could solve the trouble, show off his heroism, and win Ivy’s heart. This was exactly the ideal outcome for Kyler.
A bearded, scar-faced man with long hair took the cash and counted it carefully. A mischievous grin crept across his face as his lecherous gaze lingered on Ivy’s face. Turning to the bald man behind him, he asked, “Boss, look at this chick’s pretty face. How about you having a little fun with her?”
The bald man’s gaze had been fixed on Ivy from the very first. The moment he saw her, he couldn’t help but fantasize about dragging her off to a hidden spot for a “lesson.” And look at her silk stockings! He was especially eager to rip her stockings apart!
The allure of such delicate beauty was irresistible to him. She was even more breathtaking than the actresses in the movies.
Upon hearing this “good suggestion,” the bald man broke into a grin, revealing his yellowing teeth. He licked his lips and rubbed his hands together. He said with a greedy expression, “It would be best if I could have some fun with her!'”
The burly man caught the subtext in the boss’s words and quickly turned to Kyler, saying, “Hey, your cash isn’t cutting it! With a ride like that, you must have some money. Here’s the deal: your ransom is fifty thousand, your woman’s worth a hundred thousand, and your daughter… Well, she looks quite valuable. Let’s say another hundred thousand. So, that’s two hundred fifty thousand in total. You’ve got twenty thousand here, so you still owe me two hundred thirty thousand.”
“What?” Kyler gasped in shock and blurted out, “This is insane! This is robbery!”
Before he could finish, the scar-faced man casually slung his machete over his shoulder. Then he wielded it and pressed the blade lightly against Kyler’s Porsche. His voice contained an undertone of threat, “Yeah, robbery, that’s what we are doing, your idiot!”
Kyler was left speechless. He pointed at the crowd that had just passed, questioning, “But you just demanded five thousand from each of them! I even gave you an additional five thousand. Why aren’t you setting us free?”
A mocking laugh escaped the burly man. His expression turned icy as he replied, “Because your life is worth more. You drive a Porsche, while the others are in Kias and vans. Of course, your ransom is different from theirs.”
Kyler’s anxiety surged as he urgently asked, “What about Ivy and Vivian? Why is their ransom set at a hundred thousand?”
The burly man’s gaze roamed over Ivy’s face. A smirk played on his lips as he replied, “Simple. Because they’re good-looking!”
This remark was a veiled insult aimed at Kyler’s looks. Kyler cursed them in heart, but he didn’t dare to lash out. “I didn’t carry that kind of cash. Actually, no one carries that much money when they go out!” he said through gritted teeth, trying the best to conquer his anger.
“No money?” the scar-faced man chuckled darkly.
“I don’t want to make things difficult for you, dude. I have a suggestion. I bet you must be bored with your wife since you should have been married for a long time. Why not let her entertain us for a while? This way, your debt will be completely wiped out.”
Ivy flinched at his words. Her face was drained of all color, and she instinctively tightened her grip on her daughter.
Kyler was seething. He hadn’t even had a chance to taste Ivy himself. It felt like a total waste if he let these fools claim Ivy first. Fine, a couple hundred thousand meant little to him. As long as he won Ivy’s heart, he could fuck her as he pleased! Flirting with such women was just to add some spice to his life, and he could dump them easily after he got tired.
Thus, Kyler looked into Ivy’s eyes and put on an earnest look. “Don’t worry, Ivy. I’ll get you out of here safely.”
Ivy felt a warmth spread in her heart at his words. She regarded Kyler with a flicker of gratitude in his eyes. She hadn’t expected this spoiled playboy to reveal such a noble side. He bore some resemblance to that guy, in a way.
Just thinking of that man stirred a pang of guilt within Ivy. She still owed him an apology.
“Thank you!” Ivy’s voice was filled with gratitude to Kyler.
Kyler sighed. There was a trace of resignation in his tone. “It’s nothing, just what I’m supposed to do!”
With that, he climbed into his car, rummaging through it until he pulled out a bag stuffed with thirteen thick bundles of cash. “This is all I have in the car. Can I pay the remaining hundred thousand with my card?”
The scar-faced man accepted the heavy wad of cash. He let out a scoff as he heard Kyler’s words, “Are you serious? Do you think we bring a credit card machine to a robbery?”
“Then how about I just transfer the money to you?” Kyler suggested, keeping his tone smooth.
The scar-faced man turned to glance at his companions, then burst into laughter.
“Enough! Don’t waste everyone’s time. You handed one hundred and fifty grand now, so you can only take one of them two with you!” He brandished his knife menacingly at Kyler.
Kyler’s mind raced. Wait, he had come here with one single purpose, to win Ivy’s heart. As for her daughter, she had been nothing but a nuisance. In the car, this annoying girl had been blocking his attempts to get close to Ivy. He had tried several times to brush against her thigh, only to be stopped short by Ivy because her daughter was there, and she didn’t want her daughter to find that.
And now, fate had given him the chance to get rid of Ivy’s daughter. It meant he could do whatever he wanted to Ivy.
Thinking this, Kyler quickly moved closer to Ivy and whispered, “Ivy, it seems we have to leave first. We can temporarily leave Vivian here. Once we get the money, we’ll come back to get her.”
Ivy shook his head vigorously. Her voice wavered with desperation. “No, thank you, Kyler. You’re a good man. Just take my daughter and go!”
Kyler felt his blood boil, and he almost failed to contain his anger. He wasn’t doing all this for her to praise him as a “good man.” He had a plan: he would just leave, taking only Ivy with him. If she served him well and satisfied him, he might consider redeeming her daughter. If not, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her afterward and frame these stupid robbers for her death.
“Alright, enough with the crap. The folks behind you are still waiting. Have you decided who you’re taking?” the scar-faced man with the knife asked, stepping closer.
“I’ve made my choice,” Kyler hurriedly replied, “I’ll take Ivy, and you can keep Vivian. I need to go get some cash first, and I’ll be right back.”
This answer also caught the scar-faced man off guard. He didn’t expect Kyler to be an asshole who was willing to abandon his own daughter.
“No!” Ivy cried out, panic rising in her voice. “Let my daughter go with him. I’ll stay behind!”
“Shut up!”