On Valentine’s Day, my enemy kidnapped my wife and brazenly started a livestream across the entire internet.

“Mr. Dawson, if you want your wife back, exchange her for shares of your company. Otherwise, I’ll kill her!”

The kidnapper’s tone over the phone was extremely arrogant.

I found a comfortable position on the sofa and spoke calmly. “Bro, do you know what the three greatest joys in a man’s life are?”

The corners of my mouth lifted unconsciously, my tone even more excited than the criminal’s. “Of course. It’s getting promoted, making a fortune and your wife dying!”

——

The day after my wife was kidnapped, the kidnapper continued his arrogant livestream to the whole internet.

In the video, Ivy was lying on the ground with a pale face and there were still fresh bloodstains on her palm.

They matched exactly with the severed finger that the courier had just delivered.

On the phone screen, the live stream comments were flying by rapidly.

“My God, this looks too real. Could someone have actually been kidnapped?”

“Did you guys notice the blood on the ground? It really looks like human blood...”

“If that’s true, then this kidnapper is insane. He’s even livestreaming it. Isn’t this outright provocation?”

In the livestream, even though the kidnapper was wearing a hood, I could roughly guess his identity from his voice.

It was Alan Turner, the president of the Turner Group.

After his company went bankrupt, Alan disappeared for an entire year.

But what I didn’t expect was that the once-glorious president would reappear in the public eye in such a way.

To support his new venture, I immediately transferred some money backstage and gave him a few likes as a gesture of goodwill.

However, before I had even finished, my father-in-law, who had been sitting on the couch just moments ago, suddenly rushed in front of me.

“Eric, please, please save my daughter. No matter what, she is your wife!”

I raised an eyebrow and gave him a cold look. “Dad, it’s not that I don’t want to save her, it’s just that the ransom the kidnappers are asking for is way too high.”

My father-in-law trembled with anger after hearing my words. "Eric, no matter what, Ivy was the one who helped you build the company from the ground up! But you actually don't care about her life or death over such a small profit? I’ve misjudged you!"

I noticed the look of disappointment in his eyes, but at this moment, I couldn’t care less.

The kidnappers were demanding 50% of the company’s shares, which was far too valuable for me to part with.

When it came to emotions and money, I didn’t hesitate to choose the latter.

"Dad, you know how hard I’ve worked to get to where I am today. I hope you can understand. As for Ivy, don’t worry. If she really dies, I will make sure to give her a grand funeral," I said coldly.

As soon as I finished speaking, my mother-in-law suddenly rushed over, pointing at my nose and cursing me out. "Eric, are you even human? My daughter is still carrying your child!"

I casually watched the live broadcast, occasionally giving a few likes. "Sorry, but this is my final bottom line."

My actions completely enraged Ivy's parents. They rolled up their sleeves and charged toward me.

Fortunately, I had hired a few bodyguards today and their attack was easily neutralized.

At that moment, in the live broadcast, Alan shouted my name at the screen. "Eric, you coward! How long do you plan to hide?"

Before I could react, a wave of comments flooded the screen.

"Ah? The kidnapper actually kidnapped the wife of Dawson Group’s president, Eric Dowson? This is unbelievable!"

"Yeah, I heard that Mrs. Dawson is always surrounded by a dozen bodyguards whenever she goes out. How could she have been kidnapped?"

"This might be a prank! Someone is deliberately causing trouble to gain attention, right?"

Seeing these comments from people who didn't know the truth, Alan was furious and screamed in frustration.

He held up his phone with one hand and yanked my wife’s hair with the other, dragging her up harshly.

Immediately, the video was filled with heartbreaking screams for help.

"Ah! It hurts!"

The next second, Ivy's pale face appeared on the live stream.

"Honey, can you hear me?"

"Please don't listen to him. Even if I die here today, you must never give up the shares."

Her voice was hoarse and there were still tears in her eyes.

The viewers in the live stream were deeply moved by this scene and some even called the police out of concern.

Seeing her daughter's tragic appearance on the screen, my mother-in-law almost fainted from the shock.

"Eric, did you hear that? My daughter is still thinking about you!"

"Is your heart made of iron? Ivy has said all this and you're still unmoved?"

I raised an eyebrow playfully, a faint smile hanging on my lips.

"Mom, you heard it too. Your daughter doesn't need me to save her. If she wants to die so badly, then let her die."

After a few more screams, the live stream finally returned to normal. Alan's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the screen. "Eric, I know you're watching the live stream. Get the hell out here! I'll give you an hour to decide. You choose the company or your wife?"

As he said this, he suddenly cracked a grin. "For every ten minutes you take to think, I'll chop off one of your wife's fingers. Until all ten of her fingers are gone."

I sighed lightly, staring at the phone screen, then turned my gaze toward my father-in-law and mother-in-law. "You both heard that, right? It's not that I don't want to save her, but the kidnapper's demands are just too excessive. My company is worth over seventy billion dollars, how could I just give it away like that?"

At that point, I suddenly shifted my tone.

"I don't think you two need to worry too much. Maybe the police are already on their way to rescue her."

Although the live stream's IP address showed it was overseas, there might still be a slim chance.

At least that's what I was thinking in my heart.

As soon as I finished speaking, my father-in-law slammed the table in anger. "Eric! You're nothing but scum! How could I have agreed to let Ivy marry you in the first place!"

I was about to retort when a large group of police officers stormed into my villa.

Leading them was Jack, who had been frowning since entering.

"Mr. Dawson, our police force is currently unable to confirm the location of the kidnappers. To avoid any further harm to your wife, I personally suggest that you agree to the kidnappers' demands for now."

Jack paused, casting a meaningful glance at me, then continued, "Since the kidnappers are broadcasting the situation live, the higher-ups don't want any bloody scenes appearing on the stream."

Before I could say a word, my father-in-law immediately stepped forward in agreement. “Did you hear that? Even the police are advising you to hand over the shares. What are you still hesitating for?”

I cleared my throat and slowly lifted my head. “I'm really sorry, everyone, but there's absolutely no way I'm giving up the shares. As for my wife's life or death… all I can say is let fate decide.”

After I finished speaking, everyone in the villa wore a look of disbelief.

My mother-in-law even fainted on the spot.

“Eric, how can you be so heartless! My daughter stood by you through thick and thin and the company only became what it is today because of her. She never once complained. Back when you were just a poor man, Ivy insisted on marrying you no matter how much we tried to stop her. And now, your wife who shared your struggles is kidnapped and you… you can actually watch her die with your own eyes. Do you still have a conscience?”

My father-in-law’s voice was full of grief and rage, each word cutting deep. Even the battle-hardened police officers couldn’t hold back their tears.

“Mr. Dawson, we may not know what your company means to you, but surely it's worth trading to save your wife’s life,” Jack said.

“That’s right. You two love each other so much. Just consider it for the sake of your relationship. Please agree to the deal.”

"Based on the information we currently have, it's highly likely that the kidnappers are just after money and don't actually intend to harm the hostage."

After hearing their words, I couldn't help but scoff.

"Well, well, looks like all of you want to play the good guy, huh? May I ask, has anyone here even considered how I feel? If I lose my wife, I can always marry another. But if I lose my company, then I've truly got nothing left."

No sooner had I finished speaking than my father-in-law smashed a teacup in fury.

"This is a disgrace, an utter disgrace! How did my daughter end up marrying such a heartless bastard like you?"

The atmosphere in the room instantly turned awkward and everyone's eyes were filled with contempt as they looked at me.

At that moment, a blood-curdling scream suddenly echoed from the livestream.

"Ah!"

I slowly turned my head toward the phone screen.

In the video, Alan was holding a bloodied axe high in the air. Fresh blood still dripped from it.

In the corner, my wife sat with her back to the camera, her body curled up tightly. It was unclear whether she was alive or dead.

"Has it already been ten minutes?" I muttered to myself, suppressing a wave of nausea.

"Mr. Dawson! I urge you to comply with the kidnapper's demands immediately!" Jack, who was leading the team, glared at me with a dark expression, his rage fully directed at me.

I calmly shook my head and spoke in a soft voice, "Jack, instead of trying to persuade me here, you'd better hurry up and locate the kidnapper."

As I spoke, I slowly raised my hands and examined them for a moment.

"Two fingers gone, eight left. You officers better pick up the pace."

Just as Jack was on the verge of losing his composure, Alan’s voice rang out again from the livestream.

"Eric, my patience has limits. If you still won’t make a decision, next time it won’t just be fingers I’m cutting."

I couldn’t help but curse in my heart.

In business, nothing was more taboo than going back on one’s word. The kidnapper had clearly said one finger every ten minutes, yet it hadn’t even been that long and he was already breaking the deal.

But then again, I thought to myself, if next time he went straight for the head, maybe that was not so bad. It would save me from all these people buzzing around me like flies.

My father-in-law was so furious that he looked ready to tear me apart.

“Eric! Did you hear that? My daughter is about to die! Just agree to his demands already!”

I sighed softly and looked at him with a guilty expression. “Dad, I truly understand how you feel right now. But compared to your daughter… the company means more to me. If you must blame someone, I suppose you can only say your daughter was unlucky.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, the room erupted into chaos.

At that moment, even some of the younger police officers were clenching their fists, itching for a fight. If they hadn’t been in uniform, they probably would’ve rushed over to beat me up right then and there.