Chapter 49
The bald man and the scarred thug finally got a good look at who had barged in— Lyman. Instantly, their faces drained of all color.
They clearly recognized Lyman, and it was obvious they understood they’d picked a fight with the wrong person.
“M-Mr. Etheridge, this is… this is just a misunderstanding!” the bald man stammered, his voice trembling with fear.
The scarred man clutched his stomach, groaning in pain as he pleaded, “Please, have mercy! We were just following orders… we didn’t want any trouble…”
Neither of them could understand how Lyman had found them so quickly, not in a place this remote and hard to locate.
Effie, who’d been tense and on the verge of panic only moments ago, now stared at Lyman in a daze, half-convinced she must be dreaming.
Her fingers clenched tightly around her suit jacket as she rasped out, “Talk. Who put you up to this?”
Even though she already had her suspicions, she needed to hear it from their own mouths.
The two kidnappers exchanged glances but stayed silent, holding onto a last shred of loyalty. They weren’t about to sell out the people who hired them-at least, not yet.
Lyman’s expression was ice-cold as he gave a curt wave. His men stepped forward immediately.
“Teach them a lesson. Keep going until they talk.”
At that, the scarred man nearly collapsed, shaking uncontrollably. “I-I’ll talk! It was… it was Vera and Miss Bagnold! They told us to kidnap this lady, and… and make some compromising videos of her… Please, I swear we didn’t know who she was…”
“Yeah, that’s right! We’ll never do anything like this again, Mr. Etheridge, please spare us… I’ve got a family to support…” The bald man was practically in tears, seconds away from losing control.
They truly had no idea how foolish they’d been.
Lyman Etheridge was infamous-a man everyone in the underworld feared. Crossing him was a death sentence.
Damn those two women. Why hadn’t they told them this girl was connected to Lyman? Even with ten times their courage, they’d never have dared touch her.
Lyman’s face darkened with worry. He hadn’t expected Effie to be surrounded by such danger.
Effie herself staggered back a couple of steps, stunned. She’d had her suspicions, but hearing the truth directly from the kidnappers was still a shock.
She couldn’t understand it.
She’d already left the Bagnold family. Her relationship with Shepard was all but severed. Why were they still so intent on destroying her, resorting to such cruel and vicious tactics?
Pressing her lips into a thin line, her gaze turned icy.
If that’s how they wanted to play, she’d stop holding back.
Lyman, his expression frosty and his entire presence radiating cold fury, snapped, “Call the police.”
But Effie shook her head, stopping him. “No. Don’t call the police.”
Lyman looked at her, puzzled. “Why not? You can’t just let them go. Don’t worry- if you’re afraid, I’ll handle everything.”
He thought she was hesitating out of fear.
Effie’s voice was cold as steel as she turned to the bald man. “You’re going to call Vera right now. Tell her you’ve been found out. If she doesn’t want this to go public, she needs to wire thirty million-immediately.”
Everyone in the room stared at her in disbelief, as if she’d lost her mind.
For a moment, even Lyman’s lips curled in a faint, approving smile.
“But…..” the bald man stammered, wondering if this was some kind of sick joke. “You don’t have a choice,” Effie said, her tone almost casual. “Either do as I say, or I call the police and you both rot in prison. Your call.”
“No-please, ma’am, don’t! I’ll do it!” The bald man nearly dropped to his knees, scrambling for his phone.
He dialed Vera’s number.
She picked up right away, her tone anxious and impatient. “Well? Did you get that slut’s nudes yet? Make sure you get her face and… private parts. Strip her down and-“