Tony was the undisputed overlord of Riverton’s underworld, commanding thousands of loyal followers. With his power and influence, Emily was confident that if Tony acted, he could eliminate Chris. Once Chris was dead, Lindsay would be easy to deal with.
When Emily laid out her plan, Tony’s eyes lit up.
“Five million dollars,” she offered. It was an irresistibly tempting amount for him.
Tony grinned wickedly. “Just a man? Don’t worry. Leave it to me. I’ll make sure Chris is dead!”
Over the next few days, Tony and his men kept watch outside the Wind family estate, waiting for Chris to appear. But to Tony’s frustration, Chris stayed inside, never stepping out.
One day, however, Lindsay left the Wind family house on her own.
Seeing this, Tony immediately called Emily.
“I haven’t seen Chris come out, but Lindsay just left the house,” he said.
“Lindsay? Perfect!” Emily’s voice was cold and calculating. “Kidnap her. Use her to lure Chris out. Once he shows up, kill them both!”
Tony hesitated. “Lindsay is your cousin. If I kill her, the consequences will be huge!”
Emily scoffed. “With me backing you, what’s there to fear? Kill Lindsay too, and I’ll give you another five million. Complete the job, and I’ll pay you ten million dollars in total!”
The promise of ten million dollars made Tony’s eyes gleam with greed. For an ordinary person, it was a sum they could never earn in a lifetime.
“Fine,” Tony said through gritted teeth. “I’ll get it done!”
Hanging up the phone, Tony turned to his men. “Let’s move!”
That day, Lindsay was out running errands alone.
Suddenly, a car roared to a stop in front of her.
Before Lindsay could react, several men jumped out, grabbed her, and forced her into the vehicle.
“What do you want?!” she screamed, struggling against them.
Her cries were ignored as the car sped away.
News of Lindsay’s kidnapping quickly reached the Wind family, throwing the household into chaos.
When Grigor Wind, her grandfather, received the news, he immediately contacted the authorities and mobilized all the Wind family’s resources to find her.
Meanwhile, Lindsay was taken to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Riverton.
Curled up in a corner, Lindsay’s face was pale with terror. Her hands and feet were tied, and a dirty cloth gagged her mouth, preventing her from speaking.
Tony looked her over with a smirk. “So this is the most beautiful woman in Amerosia? Truly stunning.”
“Mmmph! Mmmph!” Lindsay tried to protest, but her muffled cries only added to the fear in her eyes.
She couldn’t believe Tony dared to kidnap her. Did he have a death wish?
One of Tony’s men approached, his expression lecherous. “Boss, she’s gorgeous. Why don’t we-”
“Forget it,” Tony interrupted with a wave of his hand. “Our priority is finishing the job. Once that’s done, we can have our fun. For now, go to the Wind family and deliver the message: If they want Lindsay back, they need to hand over Chris. Otherwise, she dies.”
“Yes, boss!” the man replied before hurrying off.
Before long, Chris received word of Lindsay’s kidnapping. The message was clear: surrender himself, or Lindsay would be killed.
Chris narrowed his eyes.
This was his first time in Riverton, and he hadn’t made many enemies here. If someone was targeting him, there were only two possibilities: Sean Hunter of the Hunter family or Emily.
But Chris quickly dismissed the idea of Sean Hunter.
Even if Sean wanted to harm him, he wouldn’t kidnap Lindsay-she was the woman Sean liked.
That left only one suspect: Emily.
A cold smile spread across Chris’s face. “Interesting. Very interesting. Emily, you’re playing a dangerous game. Don’t blame me for what happens next.”
At the same time, Grigor Wind was furious upon learning that Tony had kidnapped his granddaughter. He personally called Riverton’s police force, demanding they rescue Lindsay immediately.
The police sprang into action, their patrol cars roaring through the streets. Tony’s businesses-bars, nightclubs, and more-were all shut down.
As one of Riverton’s four major salt merchant families, the Wind family’s influence was immense. When Grigor Wind spoke, the authorities dared not delay.
When Tony heard that all his businesses had been shut down, his fury erupted. He called Emily.
“I did everything you asked,” he growled, “but now your Wind family has gotten the police to shut down all my businesses. I’ve lost a fortune!”
Emily’s voice on the other end was calm and dismissive. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a few businesses. I’ll compensate you. Once it’s done, I’ll pay you fifty million dollars. Will that be enough?”
Hearing the promise of fifty million, Tony’s anger subsided. After all, his sole motive was money.
“As long as you keep your word,” he warned, “I won’t expose anything. But if you cross me, don’t blame me for what happens.”
With that, he hung up.
Tony’s expression darkened. He realized there was no turning back. His only option now was to kill Chris and Lindsay, collect the fifty million, and leave Riverton for good.
“Call the Four Old Boys,” Tony ordered, referring to his four strongest men. “Gather everyone. This time, Chris and Lindsay must die!”
“Yes, boss!”
His men scattered to carry out his orders.
The Four Old Boys were Tony’s most trusted and powerful subordinates. With them, Tony was confident that Chris wouldn’t survive.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed.
Outside the abandoned warehouse, Chris appeared.
Alone.
After hearing about Lindsay’s kidnapping, Chris had decided to come alone to rescue her.