Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 235: Chapter 235

"Well, well, you're finally awake." The man wearing a pig mask lowered his voice, a hint of mockery in his tone.
I quickly scanned the men behind him. The other five wore different masks, their eyes cold and filled with murderous intent.
But none of them held weapons, or at least, they didn't think they needed any. To them, an unconscious man and an alone woman weren't even worth the trouble.
In their eyes, the two of us were nothing.
Crushing us would be as easy as squashing an ant.
I took a deep breath, forcing a mix of panic and forced composure onto my face. "You kidnapped us for money, didn't you?"
As I spoke, I pinched my thigh hard, squeezing out a few tears.
The man in the pig mask chuckled, dark amusement flickering in his black eyes. "Take a guess. Do we want your money, or do we want your life?"
He took a step closer.
I inched backward, my movements stiff, fear flashing across my face.
He leaned in, his smile widening. "Don't be scared. I won't kill you."
Then, suddenly, his gloved hand gripped my chin, his gaze turning icy. "What a shame... beauty never lasts long."
"You can't kill us. Name your price, and we'll pay it," I said, taking a deep breath.
Pressing my lips together, I forced my expression to stay both stubborn and defiant. "Whoever hired you—whatever they're paying—we... we'll double it."
Hearing my response, the bald man loosened his grip on my chin. Then, he crouched down.
His gloved fingers traced lightly down my neck. For a moment, it felt like his hand would tighten at any second—like he could snap my neck without hesitation.
Then, just as suddenly, he withdrew his hand. His eyes narrowed as he spoke slowly, "In our line of work, we live by one rule—honor the deal. Take the money, do the job."
I let out a cold laugh.
The bald man narrowed his eyes at me, a hint of irritation flickering across his face. "What's so funny?"
I glanced at the five men behind him. It wasn't the time to act recklessly
The bald man in front of me didn't seem to have any weapons, but there was no telling what the others might be hiding. They could have knives, guns—anything.
Alex was still unconscious. Even if I was confident I could take them, I couldn't guarantee Alex wouldn't get hurt in the process.
Damn it. He was still unconscious.
I silently cursed in frustration, but my eyes remained fixed on the bald man.
"Loyalty only lasts as long as the highest bid. If the price isn't high enough, the deal isn't worth it."
I hesitated, then said, "Three times. Whatever they're paying you, I'll triple it."
He scoffed, shaking his head.
I hesitated for a few seconds, my brows furrowing slightly. "Let me go, and I'll pay you triple. I have no grudge against you. I'm not the one you're after."
At this moment, the man in the fox mask, standing behind him, spoke in a raspy voice. "Do you even have that kind of money?"
There was a hint of suspicion in the man's voice, but he was clearly tempted by my offer to triple the payment.
"I do. And even if I don't, I can get it for you."
"15 million dollars—do you have that?" the man in the monkey mask asked, enunciating each word deliberately.
I nodded firmly. I was about to respond when the bald man snapped, "Shut the hell up."
Silence fell instantly.
The bald man stared at me as if trying to read something on my face.
I instinctively put on a terrified, shaken expression. I couldn't let him see through me.
I had to hold out until help arrived.
When they forced us into the car, I had already sent a distress signal to Marvin.
Now, I was just stalling for time.
The bald man's cold, ruthless gaze roamed over me without restraint. "Isn't he your husband? Aren't you supposed to share life and death with him?
"He got out of the car without a fight—for you. And now you're trying to ditch him and save yourself?"
"What kind of joke is that? Haven't you heard the saying—when disaster strikes, even lovers go their separate ways?" I shot back without hesitation.
He was already suspicious of me, so I had to stay calm and play my role.
Right now, I was nothing more than a woman desperate to save herself.
"You... you're just after money, right? I can give you 10 million dollars. Just let me go. Let me go alone." I looked at him pleadingly.
The bald man sneered and slowly stood up. Then, without warning, he kicked Alex's chair over.
A dull thud echoed in the room. Alex jolted awake from the sudden pain, but his face remained completely unfazed.
"Not bad. CEO of Herrera Group, owner of Elysium Club—you don't scare easy, do you?" The bald man grinned at Alex.
"I suggest you let us go now. Unless you really think you'll make it out of Newton City alive?" Alex said smoothly.
I was starting to get annoyed with him. Even in a situation like this, he was still seriously threatening them.
He wasn't afraid of dying, but I was.
"Mr. Herrera, do you really think you're walking out of here alive?" The bald man's voice dropped, his teeth grinding in frustration.
He stormed up to Alex and landed several vicious kicks.
There must be a personal grudge between them.
made sense. Otherwise, no one would go to such lengths to kill Alex for just 15 million dollars.
It was clear that the bald man had a history with Alex.
The thought sent a flicker of excitement through me.
"Hey, why don't you let me go first?" I cleared my throat, trying to sound casual.
"And why the hell would I do that? Do you even have 15 million dollars?" The bald man shot me a sidelong glance, his tone dripping with contempt.
So, he knew exactly who I was.
A hitman wouldn't go through the trouble of researching a target who was already as good as dead. There was no need for that.
The fact that he knew so much about me could only mean one of two things—either he was someone close to me, someone who had inside knowledge of my life.
But that didn't add up. No one like him had ever been around me.
That left one other possibility. He had kidnapped me before. That was why he knew exactly who I was.
The gloves, the mask, his voice...
I knew who he was. That damn pervert.
His right middle finger was intact.
So, he had shaved his head to hide his identity.
I flicked my eyes toward the other masked men. If he was here, there was a good chance Bruce was too, and he had a gun.
I had to wait for the right moment.
"I do. I have the money. If you let me go, I can even help you get his share.
"He's the heir of the Herrera Group. As long as he's alive, 15 million dollars is nothing to him."
Alex stared at me in disbelief, like he couldn't process the fact that I had just sold him out.