Zach and Loretta sat on the couch, tied up with ropes and with tape covering their mouths. Bombs


    were strapped to their bodies and they looked extremely terrified.


    Upon spotting M, their fear heightened. Tears welled in their eyes as they wriggled and protested


    against their restraint. Their muffled cries attempted to break through theyers of tape covering their


    mouths. It was as if they were desperately signaling M to flee.


    "Grandma, Grandpa..." M''s face paled with fear. Worried about Zach''s and Loretta''s safety, she


    yelled angrily, "Oliver, what do you want?"


    Oliver lounged at the opposite end of the couch, legs crossed, and replied casually, "Isn''t it obvious?"


    At that moment, a man armed with a gun approached them and demanded they hand over all their


    phones and watches.


    Sienna lowered her head, leaned toward Daniel''s ear, and whispered, "We''re being held hostage.


    There are loads of men, loads of guns, and tons of explosives here. One wrong move and we''ll be


    blown to bits. Lucky you, huh? You''ll die soon. Are you happy?"


    Daniel remained impassive.


    "And isn''t it just fantastic that so many people get to share your fate?" Sienna added.


    Daniel slowly closed his eyes. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in anger, wishing he could


    strangle her with his bare hands. Even as death loomed, she persisted in mocking him. He wasn''t deaf.


    He didn''t need her incessant chatter to grasp that things were gravely wrong.


    When Oliver noticed Daniel, his expression darkened. He approached and asked solemnly, "What''s


    happened to Dan?"Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Daniel had been his close friend since childhood. Yet now, he sat in a wheelchair, weak and dejected.


    Oliver could scarcely believe this was the same Daniel from their youth.


    M positioned herself in front of Oliver. Summoning her bravery, she said, "Since I''m the one you


    want, release them."


    With a stern expression, Oliver repeated, "What''s wrong with Dan?" "He served as an undercover


    narcotics agent but his cover was blown. It led to brutal torture that left him blind, paralyzed in the legs,


    and severely battered and bruised."


    After a short pause of sadness, Oliver collected himself andmented, "Every job carries its risks.


    We''re all just trying to make our way through life, aren''t we? I''m not exactly in great shape myself."


    Ignoring Daniel''s injuries, he lounged on the couch and casually continued, "Now, I''m a fugitive in


    Norvania, and there''s no hope of me inheriting the Hoffis family fortune. So—"


    With a cunning smile, Oliver narrowed his eyes and dered, "Dad, the destiny of quite a few of you is


    in my control now. I might consider letting everyone off the hook if the offer is tempting enough.”


    "How much are you asking for?" M questioned angrily.


    "50 billion,” Oliver replied calmly while holding up five fingers.


    Zach was left stunned.


    M scoffed. "Do you even realize how much 50 billion is? You''re just throwing numbers around.”


    Oliver reclinedzily while spreading his hands across the couch. He crossed his legs and said, "For


    the richest person in Norvania, 50 billion is doable. You guys could sell shares ofpanies, sell real


    estate at a discount, or transfer all of the Hoffis family''s liquid assets to my offshore bank ounts.”


    "But how can we move that much money out of Norvania in such a short time?" M asked.


    Oliver smirked cunningly. "Seven days. I want to see 50 billion in my offshore ounts within seven


    days, or else..."


    His expression turned ominous as he toyed with the remote control.