Winnie sat on a bench at the entrance of the ski resort, her little legs swinging gently as she hugged her snowboard. Her eyes frequently darted toward the distant street, eagerly waiting for her mother to appear.
Suddenly, her phone rang. Winnie picked it up, her voice cheerful and crisp.
“Mommy!”
On the other end, Miranda’s apologetic voice came through.
“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. Something came up at work, and I’ll be about ten minutes late. Can you wait for me a little longer?”
Winnie replied sweetly, “It’s okay, Mommy. I’ll wait for you. Drive safely!”
Half an hour passed, but Miranda still hadn’t arrived. Winnie started to feel anxious. Just as she was about to call her mother, a stranger approached her.
“Hi, Winnie. I’m Vivienne, a friend of your mom’s,” the woman said.
Winnie looked up at the woman who introduced herself as Vivienne. She wore a warm smile, her expression kind and friendly.
Winnie often watched cartoons, and in her world, bad people were always scary-looking with mean faces. Someone like Vivienne, with her gentle demeanor, must be a good person.
“Hello, Vivienne,” Winnie greeted politely, her voice clear and bright.
“Sweetie, your mom isn’t here yet. You’ve been waiting all alone for so long; it must be boring,” Vivienne said, patting Winnie’s head with a smile.
Winnie lowered her head, her small face showing disappointment. “Yeah… she said she’d be here soon, but it’s been a while.”
Vivienne knelt down, stroking Winnie’s hair gently. “Don’t be sad, sweetheart. How about I take you skiing? I’ll let your mom know.”
“But Mommy told me to wait for her…” Winnie hesitated.
Vivienne didn’t give her a chance to think further. She picked Winnie up from the bench. “It’s fine. I heard you love hazelnut ice cream. I’ll get you one, okay?”
At the mention of ice cream, Winnie’s eyes lit up instantly. Miranda usually worried about her getting cavities and strictly limited her sweets, so ice cream was a rare treat.
Unable to resist the temptation, Winnie nodded and smiled. “Okay!”
She completely forgot to call her mother for confirmation. Holding Vivienne’s hand, she left the ski resort entrance without a second thought.
“Here you go!” Vivienne handed Winnie the biggest ice cream cone she could find.
“Thank you!” Winnie beamed as she accepted the treat. She had already begun to see Vivienne as a new friend.
“Vivienne, let’s go skiing now! Mommy’s probably here by now,” Winnie said, licking her ice cream.
Vivienne’s smile grew softer. “Your mom just texted me. She said she’s taking you to another ski resort.”
She pulled out her phone and showed Winnie an address on Google Maps. “See? It’s far from here. Let me drive you there.”
“Okay!” Winnie chirped happily, hopping into Vivienne’s car without a second thought.
Meanwhile, Miranda had finally parked her car. She was holding an ice cream cone-a peace offering for being late. She hurried toward the ski resort entrance, her heart pounding as she scanned the area for Winnie.
But the bench was empty.
A sinking feeling gripped her chest. Her voice trembled as she called out desperately.
“Winnie! Winnie! Where are you?”
No response.
Miranda’s breathing quickened, and cold sweat broke out all over her body. She ran inside the building and spotted Ryan, a familiar security guard. Grabbing his arm, she asked frantically, “Ryan, have you seen Winnie?”
Ryan shook his head, confused. “No, I haven’t. Is something wrong?”
Her panic intensified. She shoved the ice cream into Ryan’s hands and pulled out her phone, dialing Winnie’s number.
The phone rang a few times before switching to voicemail.
“The number you dialed is currently unavailable. Please leave a message after the tone.”
Miranda hung up and called again, only to get the same result.
Her mind was unraveling. The monotonous beep of the voicemail drowned out the world around her. Even Ryan’s concerned questions faded into the background.
“Miranda, are you okay? Do you need help?” Ryan asked, steadying her as her legs buckled.
Just then, her phone vibrated. A cold, brutal message appeared on the screen:
“Your daughter Winnie is with me. You’ll never see her again!”
Miranda’s eyes widened in terror, her hands trembling so violently she could barely hold the phone. Her thoughts spiraled into chaos, but one word shot through her mind like a bullet: Ransom!
Frantically, she typed a reply: “Do you want money? I can give you any amount you want. Just please don’t hurt my daughter!”
After sending the message, her body felt like it might collapse. Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. She forced herself to take a deep breath and whispered to herself, “You’re Winnie’s mom. You have to stay calm. Only if you stay calm can you save her.”
Suddenly, she remembered: Winnie carried a GPS-enabled phone. Hope sparked in her mind, and one name came to her immediately.
Eric.
Eric owned a tech company. If anyone could locate Winnie’s phone quickly, it was him.
Miranda scrolled through her contacts and called him, praying he’d pick up.
Eric answered almost instantly, his tone carefree and teasing. “Miss me already, darling?”
“Eric, listen to me!” Miranda’s voice cracked. “I need your help. Winnie’s been kidnapped!”
“What?” Eric’s voice turned sharp and serious. “I’m on it. Stay calm. I’ll have my team track her phone right now.”
“Please, Eric, hurry,” Miranda pleaded, her voice breaking.
Eric’s tone was steady, reassuring. “I’ll handle it. Tell me where you are-I’m coming to you right now.”
Miranda quickly gave him her location, and she could hear the sound of a car engine starting on the other end.
After hanging up, she wiped the tears from her face. She knew she couldn’t afford to break down.
A few minutes later, Eric sent her a tracking program. On her phone screen, a faint red dot appeared, moving slowly. It was Winnie’s location.
Without wasting a second, Miranda rushed to the parking lot to get into her car. Just as she was about to start the engine, a sleek sports car screeched to a halt beside her.
Eric leaned out of the driver’s window. “Get in! My car’s faster.”
Miranda didn’t hesitate. She climbed into the passenger seat, and Eric floored the gas pedal. The car shot forward, speeding through the night.
Eric drove with precision and urgency. Feeling Miranda’s icy hands, he reached over and held one firmly. His voice was calm and steady.
“Don’t worry. We’ll get Winnie back.”
Miranda nodded, her eyes glued to the screen. The red dot grew closer and closer.
Suddenly, she realized she hadn’t informed Broad-Winnie’s father. Quickly, she composed a message: “Winnie’s been kidnapped. We’re tracking her location. Hurry and meet us!”