Chapter 224 The Kidnapping Game

Chapter 224 The Kidnapping Game

Apart from being weak and frightened, Katya was completely unharmed, which actually proved that from the very beginning, they never intended to hurt her—they wanted to use the person closest to her to force her to give in.

"What happened? Do you remember what the kidnappers looked like?" Sylvia held Katya, her voice tight with barely contained urgency.

Katya leaned against her, body still trembling. She tried hard to recall, but in the end could only shake her head helplessly, "I don't know... When I left school and got to the alley entrance, someone threw a sack over my head from behind. I didn't see anything before I passed out, and when I woke up, I was already here."

As if remembering something terrifying, she gripped Sylvia's arm tighter, her voice shaking, "Later a man came in, wearing a hat and mask so I couldn't see his face. He had my phone and forced me to call you, saying... saying if I didn't do what he said, then..."

She couldn't finish the sentence, just cried harder.

Sylvia gently patted her back, the coldness in her eyes almost freezing the air around them.

Another one of these underhanded tactics.

Henry's expression was frighteningly dark too. He had the bodyguard help the weak Katya and said to Sylvia, "Let's take her to the hospital first."

At the hospital, after a series of thorough examinations, the doctor confirmed that Katya was only weak from extreme fright and not eating for an extended period—physically she was fine.

Watching Katya fall into a deep sleep on the hospital bed with an IV drip, Sylvia's heart, which had been tight with anxiety all along, finally eased.

She sat by the bedside for a long time, until the nurse Henry arranged arrived. Only then, under Henry's almost forceful insistence, did she drag her exhausted body back to the Smith mansion.

The night was deep, and the Smith mansion was brightly lit.

The moment Sylvia stepped into the living room, her footsteps suddenly stopped.

On the living room sofa sat the person she least wanted to see right now.

Skylar wore an elegant white dress, her long hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders. Her face, which always carried a hint of frailty, was now filled with anxiety and worry.

Seeing Sylvia return, she immediately stood up from the sofa and hurried forward, her eyes red as if she'd been crying for hours, her voice full of concern and guilt, "Sylvia, you're finally back! As soon as I heard about Katya, I was so worried. I tried calling you but couldn't get through, so I could only wait here for you."

As she spoke, she reached out to grab Sylvia's arm, the gesture looking natural in her display of sisterly affection.

Sylvia calmly took half a step back, avoiding her touch, looking at her with an expression devoid of any warmth.

Skylar's hand froze in mid-air, a flash of embarrassment crossing her face, quickly replaced by deeper concern. She asked urgently, "How's Katya? Did you find her? Is she hurt?"

Watching her act so genuinely concerned, Sylvia felt disgusted.

If she didn't know her true nature, she might actually have been fooled by this performance.

"We found her." Sylvia's gaze fell on that face full of "worry," her lips curving into a cold smile as she said pointedly, "Katya's fine. The kidnappers were quite interesting too—went to all that trouble but didn't ask for a single penny. Tell me, what do you think their real purpose was?"

This rhetorical question was like an invisible needle, silently stabbing toward Skylar.

Skylar's face went imperceptibly pale for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. She stepped forward, using an extremely gentle and considerate tone to comfort, "I'm just glad Katya's okay, thank goodness. Don't overthink it—those heartless criminals, who knows what they're thinking."

She sighed softly, tears welling in her eyes, looking pitiful, "Don't worry, I've already told Zachary. He'll definitely use all his connections to find whoever's behind this and make sure they don't get away with it."

Her words sounded sincere and innocent, as if she were truly just a concerned friend and considerate partner observing from the sidelines.

Sylvia looked at her and suddenly laughed softly.

She turned her head and, mimicking Skylar's nearly tearful expression from moments ago, grabbed Henry's sleeve and repeated Skylar's words in an overly sweet tone, "Zachary, you must use all your connections to find whoever's behind this and absolutely can't let them get away with it."

This sudden imitation made the air in the living room freeze instantly.

The expression on Skylar's face completely solidified. That carefully maintained layer of gentleness and concern popped like a bubble, leaving only an awkward blank.

Henry was stunned at first, then understood Sylvia's intention.

A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. He pulled Sylvia tightly into his embrace, lowered his head to kiss her forehead, his movements full of undisguised intimacy and favoritism.

He looked up at Skylar, whose face had turned ashen, his tone polite but distant, "Ms. Reed, thank you for your concern. I've already sent people to investigate thoroughly. I'm sure we'll have results soon."

This gesture was undoubtedly giving Sylvia the clearest support right in front of Skylar.

Sylvia felt secretly pleased, leaning in Henry's arms and lifting her chin at Skylar provocatively. The triumph and contempt in her eyes were like a burning needle, stabbing directly into Skylar's.

Skylar's nails dug deep into her palms, all color draining from her face. For the first time, those eyes that always held moisture showed undisguised malice and resentment.

Henry took in all her changing expressions, and the last trace of old feelings in his heart wore away. He frowned and directly issued an order to leave, "It's late, Ms. Reed. You should go home and rest. My wife just got back and is tired too."

This phrase "my wife" completely shut Skylar out.

Skylar's body trembled slightly, uncontrollably. She bit down hard to keep from losing composure on the spot.

She forced out a smile uglier than crying and turned around, leaving the living room that made her feel humiliated with stiff steps.

The moment the door closed, the smile on Sylvia's face immediately disappeared.

She pushed Henry away, her clear eyes full of cold certainty.

"It's her." Sylvia's voice was soft but carried unquestionable conviction. "Besides her, I can't think of anyone else."

Henry looked at her eyes, slightly reddened from anger, and pulled her back into his arms tenderly, softly comforting her, "I know. Don't get worked up—it's not good for you."

He lowered his head, placing warm lips on her forehead, his voice steady and firm, "Leave this to me. Just wait, and I'll give you an answer."

Henry's promise was like a steadying force, slowly calming Sylvia's agitated mood. She nodded and leaned against him without saying anything more.