Chapter 108

Chapter 108

After a long while, Ophelia slowly opened her eyes.

Everything around her was pitch black, with only weak light filtering in through a small window overhead.

The air was thick with damp moisture and a sharp, moldy smell. Cold water covered the ground, rising above her ankles.

This place looked like a water dungeon. The walls were covered in moss, giving off a foul odor.

Ophelia's heart jumped. She struggled to stand up, only to find out her hands and feet were tied with rope. She couldn't move at all.

"Awake?" A familiar, vicious voice came through.

Ophelia looked up to see Finnian emerge from the darkness, a crazy smile spread across his face, his eyes full of hatred.

"Finnian? It's you!" Ophelia was both shocked and angry. "You kidnapped me! The resort incident—that was you too, wasn't it?"

"So what if it was?" Finnian sneered coldly, walking up to her and looking down at her from above. "William destroyed everything I had. I'm going to make him taste what it's like to lose everything, too!"

"You think you'll get away with this? William will find me!" Ophelia glared at him.

"Find you?" Finnian laughed crazily. "By the time he finds you, you'll already be dead! Ophelia, you're the person William cares about most. Once you're dead, William will definitely fall apart!"

His eyes grew more and more crazed, as if he'd lost all reason. "If I'm not doing well, none of you will either! The Brown Group is mine, everything is mine! No one can take it away!"

Ophelia watched his crazed appearance, her heart growing cold.

She knew Finnian had completely lost it. Right now, he was capable of anything.

Finnian lifted his foot and kicked hard at the cold puddle beside Ophelia. Murky water splashed all over her. The icy water slipped down her collar and onto her back. Ophelia couldn't help but shiver.

Finnian stood right in front of her, sneering. "William treats you like a treasure, but to me you're just a bargaining chip—a chip that can make him bow down!"

Ophelia's back pressed against the icy moss-covered wall. Water dripped down her pants, her feet kept soaking in the cold water until they went numb. But there wasn't a trace of fear on her face. Instead, she smiled, and her expression made Finnian afraid. 

"A bargaining chip? Looks to me like you're at the end of your rope. The great son of the Brown family, instead of competing for the inheritance with your own abilities, you resort to kidnapping your brother's wife for ransom. Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you? You've completely disgraced the Brown family. What's the difference between you and an abandoned dog?"

"You're asking for it!" Finnian's sore spot was hit. His eyes instantly turned red. He reached out and grabbed Ophelia's hair, yanking it back hard. Ophelia's neck was forced back, her scalp burning with pain. Her forehead slammed into the cold wall with a dull thud. Her vision went black instantly, and a metallic sweetness surged into her nose.

But she didn't make a sound. Instead, she raised her bound hands and used all her strength to claw at Finnian's face. Her nails scraped across his cheek, leaving three bright red marks.

"A mad dog is a mad dog - all you know is violence!" Ophelia gasped for breath. Blood from her forehead ran down her cheek and dripped into her collar, ice cold. But her eyes remained fierce, staring hard at Finnian.

"You think by kidnapping me, William will just hand over his shares? Dream on! He's ten times more ruthless than you. Your little tricks are nothing but a clown show to him!"

The scratches hurt, and her words choked him with rage. Finnian raised his hand to slap her, but his hand stopped mid-air. Suddenly, he smiled, a sinister smile. "A clown show? Then let me show you whether this clown can crush you, little canary."

He pulled out his phone from his pocket. The screen's light was blinding in the darkness. He found William's number, his fingers white from pressing so hard. He hit dial and put it on speaker, holding the phone to Ophelia's mouth.

The phone rang twice before being answered. William's urgent, anxious voice immediately came through. Through the speaker, it was especially clear in the empty water dungeon. "Ophelia? Is that you? Ophelia, say something!"

Ophelia's heart tightened. Her nose suddenly stung, and she wanted to call his name, but her throat felt blocked. She couldn't make a sound. Seeing this, Finnian reached out and grabbed her throat, applying light pressure. Ophelia's face immediately turned red, her breathing labored, making small whimpering sounds.

"William, stop shouting. Your woman is in my hands." Finnian's voice carried smug arrogance. The hand gripping Ophelia's throat applied more pressure. 

"Listen carefully. I want you to prepare transfer documents for all the frozen shares of the Brown Group within one hour, plus documents withdrawing all charges against me. Come alone to the abandoned factory in the suburbs. If you dare call the police, bring anyone else, or try to play any tricks, I'll push her into this cold water right now and let you listen to her choke and gasp for her last breath. Got it?"

"Finnian! If you dare touch her, I'll skin you alive and break every bone in your body!" William's voice instantly turned furious, with a gnashing ruthlessness. But quickly, he suppressed his anger with obvious panic and compromise. 

"I agree. I'll have the lawyer prepare the transfer documents right now. I'll get the other documents too. Within one hour, I'll come alone to the abandoned factory in the suburbs. You must guarantee her safety —not a single scratch, or I'll make you wish you were dead!"

"Don't negotiate with me. We'll talk when you get here!" After Finnian finished speaking, he hung up directly and threw the phone on the ground.

He looked at Ophelia's reddened neck and the blood at the corner of her mouth, then viciously grabbed her wrist. He took the already tight hemp rope and wrapped it three more times, pulling tight with each wrap. The rope dug into Ophelia's skin, grinding her wrists raw and bloody. The pain made Ophelia's fingers curl, and cold sweat instantly broke out, but she still bit her teeth and didn't make a sound of pleading.

"Stay put. If you dare try anything, I'll make sure there's nothing left of you." Finnian threw out this threat, then turned his back to her and paced anxiously in the water dungeon, constantly cursing William, occasionally kicking stones and broken buckets on the ground. You could tell that, despite his arrogant exterior, he was actually quite panicked inside, afraid William would really play tricks, afraid he'd lose even this last move.

Ophelia lowered her head, looking at her raw and bloody wrists. The pain was piercing, but her mind was unusually clear. "Finnian, you think once you get the shares, you can sit firmly in the CEO position at the Brown Group? Xavier is still lying in the hospital. If he wakes up and finds out what you've done, he'll be the first one who won't let you off!"

These words hit Finnian's weak spot. He whipped around, his eyes red like a bloodshot rabbit, the madness in them even worse. He rushed over and grabbed Ophelia's chin. His grip was so strong it felt like he wanted to crush her bones. Ophelia's chin hurt so much she could barely speak clearly, but she still stubbornly looked at him. "You're just a clown. You'll never amount to anything."