On the third day of Romeo's business trip, I was just out playing golf and got kidnapped on my way home.
The kidnappers blindfolded me and bound my hands and feet. No matter what I said, they didn't respond.
The car jolted along, apparently winding its way up a difficult mountain road.
After about two hours, the car finally stopped.
I was locked in a small dark room with nothing but a chair.
The kidnappers left me in there after locking me in.
"System, am I in danger?"
[Based on calculations, no.]
That's a relief.
I sat on the chair and waited quietly.
After about five or six more hours, the door to the dark room opened again, and I saw a familiar face.
Kylie was also thrown in, bound.
She fell to the ground, and the cloth tied around her mouth came loose. She shouted: "Let me go! If my brother finds out how you treated me, he won't let you off!"
The kidnappers ignored her and instead pulled out a phone, seemingly making a video call.
A few seconds later, the call was answered.
"Mr. Lozano, good afternoon."
The kidnapper held the phone up to Kylie and then panned it over to me.
"Mr. Lozano, you can only ransom one person. Which of these two women will you choose to ransom?"
This scenario is a bit melodramatic, but its occurrence makes me somewhat happy.
Because I have a premonition that I might be able to complete my mission and go home soon.
The kidnappers gave Romeo an hour to consider.
The door to the small dark room was shut, leaving only me and Kylie.
Only then did she notice me. Struggling to sit up, she looked at me with a pitying gaze: "My brother will definitely choose me."
She was very certain of Romeo's choice.
Seeing that I didn't say anything, she smiled: "Do you think my brother really likes you that much? Not at all, he's just naturally affectionate. But when he's ruthless, he's not like anyone else."
There was a chill in Kylie's voice.
I looked at her, feeling that her emotional state didn't seem right.
She seemed to be lost in memories, her entire being becoming hazy.
"Do you know how I lost this arm?"
She asked me.
Then she continued talking to herself: "Everyone thinks it was bad luck, that the kidnappers chopped it off in a fit of rage after capturing me.
"In reality, it was my brother who chopped it off."
I looked at her in shock.
Kylie's eyes were red, and she wore a half-smile: "Back then, I escaped from the kidnappers with my brother. We didn't split up, he led me through mountains and valleys, but I couldn't keep up physically, and my movements became slower and slower. Later, my foot got stuck in a crack in the mountainside, and I couldn't pull it out, while the kidnappers were already closing in from behind.
My brother wanted to run away by himself, but I grabbed him, holding tightly onto his arm.
He picked up a rock and smashed it down on my arm, and then he did it again.
Kylie's voice was calm, as if she were telling someone else's story.
My arm suffered severe damage and became infected, and in the end, it couldn't be saved.
This is my brother, far more ruthless and unfeeling than you can imagine."
All these years, he indulged Kylie's unreasonable tantrums and fulfilled all her unreasonable demands, as long as it didn't tarnish the Lozano family's reputation, he could always tolerate her.
Behind this apparent indulgence, there was such a cruel story.
So Kylie was certain that Romeo would choose her.
They were each other's only support in this world.
And Romeo had always felt guilty toward her.
An hour later, the kidnappers returned.
They took Kylie away.
Leaving behind me, discarded and unwanted.
They put me in a car.
I sat in the car, looking at the man sitting on the other side, my expression calm.
From the moment the kidnapper spoke his first words, I knew I would be fine.
That man's voice was identical to Jair's.
And who else would have sent him to kidnap me except Jorge?
Jorge turned to look at me, gazing at me, and then he smiled.
You see, the man you chose isn't that great. Now, he doesn't want you either."
"Mr. Compton, can you explain the current situation?"
His slender fingers tapped casually on his leg: "Explain? There's nothing to explain. I just want you to come back to me.
Monica, you've been playing outside for five years. It's about time you've had enough, isn't it?"
