Anthony blamed it all on me.

After he stormed out, I called the cops right away.

Five million dollars is no small amount, and the kidnapper wanted it in cash. I couldn't get it ready right away. Besides, even if the kidnapper got the ransom, there was no guarantee they'd let my in-laws go. I had to call the cops and let the experts handle the situation.

After I dialed 911, they said they'd send cops over, but before they even arrived, my phone rang. It was someone I knew.

"Hey, it's Rich. Did you and Anthony have a fight or something?"

I frowned and asked flatly, "Why are you calling me?"

"Well, you called the cops, didn't you? Look, I know you're mad at Anthony, but filing a fake report? That's taking things too far. You shouldn't act so petty like this!"

l didn't say anything, just let him ramble.

"Listen, Anthony and Debbie? They don't have anything going on. But now you're making a scene over nothing. Seriously, you're embarrassing him!"

After listening for a while, I finally understood what he was implying.

"You're telling me Anthony said I filed a fake report?"

There was silence on the other end of the line in response to my question.

I chuckled and said in a low voice, "Rich, let me give you some advice: start doing your job—dispatch officers over. If you don't, I'll report you too."

He snorted. "Denise, don't think I'm like Anthony, always letting you boss him around. I'm not your family's freaking servant!"

Then, he added, "Ha! Crazy woman! Even a single strand of Debbie's hair is better than you!"

I hung up without another word.

Then I called the police department where Rich was stationed and made sure to report him this time.

Another team of officers arrived about 10 minutes later. They asked me some questions and listened to the recording of my earlier phone call.

Their faces turned serious.

They tried tracing the number the kidnapper used, but it wasn't registered, and when they called it back, the phone was already off.

There was nothing we could do but wait for the kidnapper to call again.

While the cops worked, I called my financial manager.

"How much cash in my accounts can I withdraw right now?" My financial manager checked, and I replied, "Three million? Okay, get it ready."

Then I called Anthony's uncle. The moment I told him that his brother and sister-in-law had been kidnapped, he gasped. "What?! Who would do this? Where's Anthony?"

"I don't know who they are. Anthony's off camping with Debbie. Uncle Joe, the kidnapper wants five million in cash. I don't have enough. Can you help me? I'll pay you back in a week."

"You silly girl! You're saving my brother! Don't talk about paying me back. How much do you need?"

"Two million."

"Got it. I'll take care of it."

Half an hour passed quickly, and the phone rang again. I grabbed it immediately, and the technicians started tracing the call, but one of them shook his head—the location couldn't be tracked.

My heart sank.

On the other end, a harsh voice snapped, "Time's up. Is the money ready?"

"I haven't got all of it yet," I said quickly. "Please, give me a little more time. My husband isn't here, and I don't have that much cash on hand."

"I told you already—no ransom, no Winston, no Adelle. I'll kill them!"

"Wait! Please don't hurt them!" I hurriedly begged. "You want money, don't you? Killing them won't get you anything. Why go through it all, taking the two of them, if, in the end, you won't get what you want? Please, just give me 30 more minutes. I swear I'll have the rest by then!"

As soon as I finished speaking, I heard raw, desperate cries of pain. It was my in-laws!

The kidnapper's sinister voice followed. "30 more minutes. If you're late again, say goodbye to their five fingers!" He scoffed, adding, "And if you're trying to buy time, go ahead and see what that gets you!"

Just like that, the call ended.

When I turned toward the door, Rich was standing there.

He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

He'd heard everything.

"Anthony called me…" Rich hesitated, but he explained, "he said his mom and dad were just helping you make a scene to keep him at home…"

Gosh. I didn't even have the energy to argue.

Officer Chavez, one of the officers next to me, cut through the awkward silence. "Sir, you should call him. Let him know what's going on."

Rich nodded and stepped aside, phone in hand. I could hear the faint sound of his dial tone, but the line was busy.

My mind wandered to my mother-in-law—her soft, fragile demeanor. She was the kind of woman who'd cry for someone to blow on her finger if it was scalded by tea. Now? God only knows what kind of pain she was enduring.

I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself, and quickly dialed Anthony's uncle.

But no luck. His line was busy, too.

Minutes dragged by before my phone lit up again—it was Anthony's uncle calling back.

Before I could ask if he'd managed to gather the money, he sighed and said, "Denise, I've got to say this—how could you stage something like this to fool your husband's parents?! Look, I get that they treat you like their own daughter, but you should be the one persuading them to be more reasonable! Good grief, I nearly had a heart attack! Good thing I asked Anthony after I heard about this!"

At that moment, I felt completely hopeless.

"Uncle, are you saying Anthony told you this... this was all fake?!" My voice trembled. "Fine, don't believe me. But can you get in touch with my in-laws? Because I can't. And the cops are here right now."

There was a long sigh on the other end of the line. Then another sigh.

"Anthony has someone else, Denise. Listen, if it's too much to bear, just divorce him. It'll set you both free."

I hung up without another word.

Meanwhile, Rich had finally reached Anthony.

"Bro, you need to come back!" Rich said, his voice urgent. "Your parents might really have been kidnapped!"

But the voice that responded wasn't Anthony—it was Debbie's.

"Rich? Oh, come on, are you playing along with Denise's drama too? Your brother's busy grilling beef. Hold on, I'll get him."

I heard her call out to Anthony in the background, but he didn't even take the phone.

He just muttered to her, "Hang up. That lunatic just doesn't let anyone live in peace!"

And then the line went dead.

Rich turned back to me, his brows furrowing deeply.

I lowered my eyes and let out a bitter laugh. "I don't know what else to do. But the kidnapper wants the ransom brought to Hopewell Square. I don't have enough, but I'll go anyway. If I'm the bait, maybe it'll give the cops a chance to catch them."

Officer Chavez beside me disagreed, "Ma'am, let me bring the ransom instead."

I shook my head. "What if he knows me? If you go, they'll know something's wrong. Just please stay close by and protect me. I'll bring it myself."

With no better ideas, everyone agreed to my plan.

When the kidnapper called again, I lied and told him the money was ready. I asked where to take it, promising to hand it over in exchange for my in-laws.

The voice on the other end let out a cold laugh and nonchalantly replied, "Fine."

But something about his tone made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. My instincts screamed at me, and before he could hang up, I blurted, "Let me hear my in-laws' voices!"

The man sneered. "Why the rush, babe? You'll see them soon enough."

With that, the call ended.

I quickly instructed my financial manager to withdraw as much cash as possible. Once the suitcase was packed, I dragged it to the location the kidnapper specified.

When I arrived, another call came through. The kidnapper's voice was as sinister as ever. "Leave the money and head to the underground parking lot. The old hags are waiting for you there."

I didn't care about the money anymore—the cops were monitoring it. I left and rushed down to the underground parking lot.

And that's when I saw it.

My in-laws's car.

The door was ajar.

Inside, they sat slumped in their seats, their throats... their throats slashed! Blood... pooled... on the floor...

My knees gave out, and I collapsed, crawling toward the car as sobs ripped through my chest.

Somehow, my trembling fingers managed to dial 911.

"Two elderly… throat slashed… Hopewell Square underground parking lot. Please… send help! Quickly!"

I clutched my in-laws' cold hands tightly. "Mom… Dad… please stay with me, okay? The doctors are coming..."

"I'll call Anthony. I'll make him come here right away."

My poor in-laws, barely clinging to life, weakly shook their heads.

"Denise," my mother-in-law whispered, "after we're gone... divorce Anthony. All of our shares, properties, funds, and cash... will all go to you. Dear, we're so sorry."

I choked back a sob and shook my head frantically. "No, no, no. You don't have to apologize, Mom. It's my fault! I didn't get the money fast enough! I wasted too much time!"

She gave me a faint smile. "Oh, sweetie, don't blame yourself. It's not... It's not your fault. The kidnappers... they never intended to let us live."

I kept calling Anthony, over and over. The phone rang, but no one answered. Desperate, I sent him a message on Telegram.

[Anthony, your parents are badly hurt! Come back immediately!]

But the message seemed to vanish into the void. No reply.

I kept calling, kept messaging… until his Mom and Dad slowly closed their eyes for the last time. And still, Anthony hadn't replied.

The ambulance arrived, but it was too late. There was nothing they could do.

I stood up, the world spinning around me, everything fading to black. I grabbed the car door to steady myself, only to feel someone supporting me. I turned to see one of the officers accompanying me.

"Ma'am," he said softly, "the ransom wasn't taken. The kidnapper who came to collect it fell from a height during the chase and is currently unconscious."

He paused, then added, "I'm sorry for your loss."