Chapter 75: Hurry and Have Her Return the Call

As the guy in black locked the cage, Kenneth took a deep breath, as if suppressing his anger, or perhaps simply letting out a sigh of relief.

When Shirley saw the leader lock the cage, she freaked out. "Kenneth, what are you doing? Is money more important than your life?"

Kenneth found Shirley's words funny. 'For someone so obsessed with money, it's surprising she'd say that. But then again, it's not her money on the line, so she can talk big.'

"If money isn't important, why don't you pay me back?" Kenneth shot back, not wanting to argue with her anymore.

He lay back in the cage and closed his eyes, worried Shirley might really mess up his plan. He just hoped Patricia would show up soon because Shirley was too unpredictable.

Seeing Kenneth like that, Shirley got so mad she wanted to slap him. She realized he wasn't going to hand over the check today. For a moment, Shirley was speechless. The president of The Thompson Group valued money more than his own life.

She slumped in the cage, closing her eyes tightly and frowning. 'What should I do? Am I really going to die here tonight? No, I have too much to do. Laura needs my treatment. If she doesn't continue her medication, the cancer will spread fast. If it's not controlled within a week, Laura will die.'

'I also need to find Kevin; he must be somewhere, gathering strength, waiting to bring the Johnson Family to justice. And I haven't opened the box Mom left yet. Anna has already made a golden statue for Reverend Aaron, and Olivia will surely come to help me soon. I have a deep grudge to settle; I can't die here.'

Shirley suddenly opened her eyes, reaching for the silver needles at her waist. Her eyes were cold as she looked down at Kenneth lying in the cage.

If she threatened Kenneth's life, maybe she could get a chance to survive. Or she could lure the leader towards the cage, throw a silver needle at his pressure point to knock him out, then grab the key and free herself.

But that would expose her in front of Kenneth, and she wasn't strong enough to risk that yet. So Shirley decided to pretend to threaten Kenneth's life to buy herself some time.

Just as she touched the silver needles, a phone rang, breaking the silence of the warehouse.

Shirley's body stiffened, a sly look flashing in her eyes, and she quickly pulled her hand away from the needles.

"Can I answer that? I had plans with a friend the other day, but I didn't go and didn't send a message. I promise I won't say anything I shouldn't," Shirley asked tentatively.

"No." the leader instantly frowned, thinking, 'This woman has too many tricks; who knows if the cops will come after she answers the call? I can't take that risk.'

"But I've been out of touch with my friend for over 24 hours. If he can't reach me, he might call the cops," Shirley said, pretending to be anxious. Her expression was so convincing that anyone who didn't know her would believe she was telling the truth.

Just then, Shirley's phone stopped ringing. But only for a moment, then it started ringing again.

Hearing the phone ring again, the leader of the men panicked a bit but tried to stay calm. "Fine, you can answer it, but don't try anything funny."

He pointed his gun at Shirley, a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He always felt Shirley was an unpredictable variable.

"Okay," Shirley agreed immediately, nodding and reaching for her phone in her pocket. Just as she took it out, Kenneth snatched it from her.

Seeing her phone taken, Shirley was instantly furious. "Why are you taking my phone!"

It was one thing for Kenneth to refuse to spend money to save their lives, but taking her phone to stop her from seeking help was beyond the pale.

Kenneth ignored her and spoke to the leader in a cold tone, "This woman is a liar. If you let her answer the call, the cops will be here in less than ten minutes, and you won't get your money."

Hearing this, Shirley froze, glaring coldly at Kenneth. 'Is Kenneth so desperate to die? If he wants to end his life, he shouldn't drag me down with him!' With this thought, Shirley suddenly started crying, tears streaming down like pearls.

"Kenneth," she sobbed, clutching his sleeve tightly, "this is my new sugar daddy. Even if you're jealous, you can't take my phone. This sugar daddy installed a tracker in my phone to always know my whereabouts."

She glanced at the leader. "He said if he couldn't reach me, he'd track my phone. He could find me even if I fled abroad. Just let me answer it! Otherwise, my sugar daddy will track my phone, and it'll be trouble. I promise I'll just answer the call and won't say anything inappropriate."

Shirley looked incredibly pitiful, making anyone believe she wasn't lying. The leader was getting anxious and suddenly spoke up, "Give her the phone."

Kenneth stared at Shirley, feeling a strange anger when she mentioned another sugar daddy.

Shirley ignored his angry look, only wanting her phone back. In truth, answering the call wasn't her main concern; the key was to get the leader to open the cage, providing her with an opportunity to flee.

Shirley reached for the phone in Kenneth's hand. Kenneth held onto the phone tightly, suddenly asking, "Did you sleep with him?"

Shirley frowned, looking at Kenneth in confusion, speechless at his question. Kenneth's behavior was unusually strange today; he had repeatedly hindered her attempts to save herself and now was asking her such a random question.

The leader was getting anxious, fearing that if Shirley didn't answer the call soon, the person on the other end might track the phone, and he wouldn't get his money and might end up in jail.

The leader quickly opened the cage and walked towards Kenneth, reaching for the phone in his hand. "Give it to me. Let her call back."