chapter435

Zach and Loretta sat motionless on the couch, their movements restricted and their voices silenced by the heavy tension in the room. The reality of their predicament was etched in the sheer terror reflected in their eyes.

Upon spotting Mila, their panic spiked. They struggled against their restraints, their muffled protests serving as a desperate, silent signal for her to turn back and flee while she still could.

"Grandma, Grandpa..." Mila’s face drained of color. Her voice trembled with a mixture of fear and fury as she turned to the figure at the end of the room. "Oliver, what is the meaning of this? What do you want?"

Oliver lounged at the opposite end of the couch, his posture deceptively relaxed, his legs crossed with an air of cold indifference. "Isn't it obvious, Mila? I’m simply settling the score."

As they spoke, a guard approached, systematically confiscating their phones and watches, cutting off any link to the outside world.

Sienna leaned toward Daniel, her voice a sharp whisper that cut through the heavy silence. "Look around, Daniel. We’re at a dead end. One wrong move and everything ends here. Does this satisfy your sense of justice? To see us all fall together?"

Daniel remained impassive, though his jaw tightened. He closed his eyes, his fists clenching as he filtered out her words. He didn't need her commentary to understand the gravity of the situation; the air in the room already felt like a closing trap.

When Oliver’s gaze fell upon Daniel, a flicker of something dark crossed his face. He stood and approached the wheelchair, looking down at his childhood friend. "What happened to you, Dan?" he asked, his tone unusually solemn. He could scarcely reconcile this weakened figure with the formidable man he once knew.

Mila stepped between them, her courage anchoring her. "If I am the one you are after, let them go. This is between us."

Oliver ignored her, his eyes still fixed on Daniel. "I asked a question. What happened?"

"He did his duty," Mila replied, her voice steadying. "He sacrificed everything to uphold the law, and he paid a price you couldn't possibly understand."

After a brief, cold pause, Oliver shrugged, returning to his seat on the couch. "Every path has its risks, I suppose. We’re all just trying to navigate our own survival. I’m not exactly in a favorable position myself." He gestured to the room around them. "I am a fugitive now, stripped of my inheritance and my future. So, the rules have changed."

With a chilling smile, Oliver narrowed his eyes. "The fate of everyone in this room is now in my hands. But I am a reasonable man—if the offer is tempting enough, I might consider a different conclusion."

"How much?" Mila asked, her voice cold.

"Fifty billion," Oliver replied calmly, holding up five fingers as if discussing a common transaction.

The number sent a shockwave through the room. Mila scoffed, her eyes flashing with disbelief. "Do you even understand the scale of what you're asking? That isn't a ransom; it's an impossibility."

Oliver reclined further, spreading his arms across the back of the couch. "For the heiress of the Hoffis fortune and the inner circle of the wealthiest family in Norvania, fifty billion is a manageable figure. Liquidate the shares, sell the real estate, transfer the offshore assets. You have the means."

"But a transfer of that magnitude cannot be done instantly," Mila argued, trying to find a tactical opening. "The regulations, the time—"

"Seven days," Oliver interrupted, his expression turning ominous as he picked up a small remote control, his thumb hovering over the buttons. "I want to see fifty billion in my accounts within seven days. If the clock runs out before the money arrives... well, I think we all know how this story ends."