Meanwhile, in an abandoned house on the other side of town, Melinda slowly came to. A burlap sack covered her head, plunging her into darkness. She could only hear occasional noises nearby.
She struggled to make a sound, trying to break free from the ropes binding her.
"Ms. Sharp, stop struggling. You're not getting out of here today," an unfamiliar male voice said.
The voice sounded vaguely familiar to Melinda, but she couldn't place it.
"Just like your meddling father, always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."
She tried to recall where she had heard that voice before.
"If it weren't for your father meddling back then, I would have been the king of Shadow City by now."
Melinda was stunned. Scott? Why did he mention Scott? Who was he?
Could it be...
Was he connected to Scott's disappearance?
Who was he?
"Aren't you curious about where your father went, Ms. Sharp?" The man's words pierced her heart like a knife.
"Do you know who killed your father?"
Melinda clenched her fists tightly, trying to stay calm. Scott was dead? No... it couldn't be. For years, Connie had only told her that Scott was missing.
"I'll tell you, it was Larry."
The man's hatred for Larry was palpable.
A sinister voice echoed in her ears.
"I just wanted what was rightfully mine. Why wouldn't Larry give it to me?" Rufus's face twisted with rage. He believed everything he was doing was justified, that those things rightfully belonged to him.
"So I had his only grandson kidnapped."
Kidnapping? So... Rufus was behind Raymond's kidnapping all those years ago?
"He knew that sending out such a large police force might push those people to the edge, but he did it anyway."
Rufus's expression turned sorrowful as he seemed to recall something.
"I was his son too..."
"Your father was part of that police force. He could have avoided it, but he had to play the hero, rushing in to save the hostage. Even after being stabbed thirteen times in the back, bleeding profusely, he still saved Raymond."
Rufus suddenly laughed, cursing Scott for being a fool who died saving someone who had nothing to do with him.
Melinda's face was wet with tears.
So that's what happened.
"Poor thing, you were just a child when you lost your father."
Rufus laughed loudly.
Melinda's composure shattered in an instant.
"I'll kill you!"
Melinda wanted to lunge at him, to kill this murderer, but she was helpless, her hands and feet bound, her eyes covered.
"You think you can kill me? What a joke. You're just as overconfident as your father was."
Rufus suddenly stopped laughing, his voice turning cold. "There's another secret."
"That day, I hid on purpose, luring Larry to the rooftop, and then I made my move."
"Ha ha ha!" Rufus laughed maniacally.
Melinda's heart broke completely.
Rufus crouched in front of her, his cold voice chipping away at her defenses. Melinda's fear had dissipated, leaving only overwhelming hatred. She recognized the voice now.
"It was you."
She suddenly remembered. This voice belonged to Uncle Raymond, Rufus.
So he was the mastermind behind that case all those years ago.
Melinda struggled.
"I heard the Thomas family has been looking for the Sharp family descendants all these years, wanting to repay a debt."
"This world is unfair. The rich can buy their way out of trouble, while people like your father can only die."
Melinda wanted him to shut up, but she could do nothing.
At that moment, she wished she could turn into a venomous snake and send him to hell with one bite.
"If I were your father, I'd regret having a daughter like you. Loving the enemy, of all people."
"Shut up, shut up!" Melinda screamed.
"Mr. Thomas, it's time," a subordinate said.
"Ms. Sharp, don't worry. You'll be joining your father in hell soon."
What did he mean?
Melinda's thoughts froze. He was going to kill her? Why?
What good would it do to kill her?
At that moment, Raymond and his team, who had been tailing Rufus, arrived. Several cars sped down the dirt road through the forest, appearing like phantoms. Rufus's men outside the house didn't even have time to react before they were all on the ground.
A nearby subordinate shouted in panic, watching as the lead car crashed through one wall of the abandoned house. Rufus saw the man in the driver's seat, his eyes filled with bloodthirsty madness.
He was shocked. How had Raymond arrived so quickly? It seemed he had been under surveillance all along.
In a flash, Rufus grabbed Melinda from the ground, snatched a knife from a subordinate, and held it to her throat.
"Raymond, you finally made it," Rufus sneered.
"Let her go," Raymond shouted angrily.
"Pathetic. How did the Thomas family produce such a lovesick fool? You're doomed," Rufus taunted.
The knife's tip grazed Melinda's neck, drawing blood.
"Rufus, I'm telling you one last time, let her go," Raymond's voice trembled with urgency and fear.
Rufus sensed an opportunity, raising an eyebrow with a smile. "I'll let her go if you give me fifty percent of the Thomas Group's shares. Otherwise, even if I die today, I'll take her to hell with me."
Rufus's men removed the cloth covering Melinda's eyes.
Melinda looked up with tear-filled eyes, her voice hoarse. She didn't want Raymond to give up the Thomas Group's shares to this monster to save her.
She shook her head slightly, signaling Raymond not to agree.
"Once I have the shares, I'll let her go."
Rufus pressed the knife closer to Melinda's neck.
"Rufus, you better not hurt her," Raymond's voice trembled.
They stood in a tense standoff.
Raymond suddenly nodded. "I agree. After all, you're my uncle. Let her go first."
Rufus saw his chance to reclaim what he believed was his.
Melinda's eyes were red, staring at Raymond, shaking her head slightly.
"Once I have the contract, I'll release her," Rufus said with a smug smile.
His men quickly escorted Melinda to his car.
"Wait, I have a laptop in my car. I can draft an electronic contract right away," Raymond suddenly called out.
Stuart and Melinda were both shocked, their bodies trembling.
"Stuart, prepare the contract," Raymond said calmly.
He took out his keys and walked quickly to Stuart.
"Mr. Thomas..."
Stuart called out softly. He knew better than anyone what fifty percent of the Thomas Group's shares meant.
And after the transfer, the president's future would be incredibly difficult.
Raymond suddenly turned, his eyes bloodshot. "I... told... you... to... do... it. Didn't you hear me?"
Stuart saw in his eyes that between fifty percent of the Thomas Group's shares and Melinda's life, he chose Melinda.
Stuart immediately returned to the car, took out the laptop, and began typing.
Melinda tried to calm her panic, forcing herself to close her eyes. She had to find a way to escape. She had learned self-defense techniques abroad, though she had never used them. Now, she had no choice but to give it a try.
She couldn't just watch Raymond lose the Thomas Group's shares because of her.
Rufus's eyes were fixed on Stuart, eager to see the legally binding transfer contract. He hadn't expected Melinda to be worth so many shares.
He had underestimated Melinda's importance to Raymond.