Chapter 75 Kidnapped
One hour earlier.
Elodie's car had just pulled up at the community entrance. She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to wake Emma in the back seat when the car door was suddenly yanked open from outside.
Before she could react, a rough hand clamped over her mouth, pressing a cloth reeking of disinfectant against her face. Her vision went black as her body went limp.
"Move fast!" another kidnapper hissed, reaching for the still-drowsy Emma.
Jasper shot up from the back seat, his small body shielding Emma, his eyes holding a composure far beyond his years. "Don't touch my sister! If you hurt her, I'll scream! There are security cameras at the entrance, you won't get away!"
Ethan snapped awake instantly, clenching his small fists as he glared at the kidnappers. Though tiny, he struck a fighting stance. "My mom has tons of bodyguards! If you touch us, my mom will destroy you!"
The kidnappers hesitated, clearly not expecting such calm from two kids.
The lead kidnapper spat and lunged for Jasper. "Enough chatter! Keep talking and we'll gag you all!"
Seeing they weren't intimidated, Jasper realized they weren't backing down. He thought quickly. "We'll cooperate with you."
He glanced at the unconscious Elodie. "But you have to put her back in the car and lock the doors to keep her safe. Then we'll come with you, no fussing, no trouble."
He paused, deliberately raising his voice. "You probably don't know this, but she's Elodie Garcia, daughter of the Garcia family in Emerald City, and one of the city's most renowned surgeons. If anything happens to her, they'll hunt you down even if you flee the country."
The kidnappers' faces paled. The Garcia family name carried weight—not people they could afford to cross.
The lead kidnapper hesitated, exchanging glances with his partner before nodding reluctantly. "Fine! Smart kid. We'll trust you this once!"
They lifted the unconscious Elodie into the passenger seat and locked the doors before turning back to the children. "Let's go! No tricks!"
Jasper shot Ethan a meaningful look, then took Emma's hand as they followed the kidnappers toward a nearby van.
Emma clutched Jasper's hand tightly, her big eyes filled with apparent fear. But only Jasper knew she was acting pitiful to make the kidnappers lower their guard.
Inside the van, the kidnappers shoved all three children into the back seat.
Ropes and duct tape lay scattered on the seats—originally meant to restrain the children.
But these three were so compliant that the kidnappers relaxed, deciding not to waste time tying them up.
This was exactly what the children hoped for. Only with more freedom could they execute their plan.
The kidnappers quickly started the engine.
The van fell silent except for the rumble of the motor.
Emma suddenly began crying softly, sobbing as she asked, "Why are you taking us? We didn't do anything to you. Did we do something wrong?"
While crying, she secretly observed the kidnappers' expressions. Her pitiful appearance softened their tone.
"Someone hired us," one kidnapper said casually, apparently seeing no harm in telling these kids.
Jasper immediately seized the opportunity, feigning childish curiosity. "Who hired you? Are they bad people? Is it because I didn't do my homework yesterday?"
The kidnapper chuckled smugly. "Some pretty woman told us to take you to a warehouse on the outskirts. Don't know who exactly—we only care about the money."
Ethan immediately pretended to be angry. "A pretty woman? Is it Clara? She bullied Emma at school today—it has to be her!"
The kidnapper hadn't met their employer face-to-face, only heard someone call her "Ms. Johnson" during their phone conversation.
"We only know someone called her Ms. Johnson. That's all we know, so stop asking questions."
Ms. Johnson? It had to be Clara!
Jasper felt relieved, knowing their enemy's identity made things easier.
Emma stopped crying and asked curiously, "Why does the pretty lady want to take us? Doesn't she like us?"
The kidnappers found her adorable and answered carelessly, "Who knows? Probably has some grudge against your mother. Don't worry, as long as your mom behaves, we won't hurt you."
The three children fell silent, mentally calculating Charles's potential reaction.
Did Charles know Clara planned to kidnap them?
If he knew, would he help Clara bully them like at the Windsor Manor, or would he stand up for them?
That afternoon at school, when Clara caused trouble, Charles only sent Nathan to support them.
Though Nathan said Clara couldn't use Charles's name to bully people anymore, Charles hadn't come himself. Who knew what his real attitude toward Clara was?
Maybe he'd just had a small spat with Clara. Whether they'd reconcile later remained uncertain.
They couldn't read Charles's stance or see through his true feelings for Clara.
Jasper sighed inwardly. This situation was truly complicated.
Ethan moved his hand toward his neck, ready to press the button at Jasper's signal.
But Jasper pulled his hand down and shook his head slightly.
Since they couldn't figure it out, they might as well use this opportunity to test Charles.
Today, they'd see exactly how much Clara meant to Charles.
If Charles still chose Clara's side, they'd never like him again and would never let him near Emily.
They didn't need a father who couldn't tell right from wrong!
The van headed toward the outskirts while the kidnappers remained oblivious that the three seemingly helpless children in the back seat had already mapped out the entire course of this kidnapping.