Chapter 131: Let The Young Lady Go
Henry accused Vince of deliberately pulling his legs on their new investment project. Vince said, “Uncle, I am performing my duties in accordance with the company’s articles of association and the family’s creed. What’s wrong?”
“I have obtained the support of the local governor and reached a consensus with him. He is my friend, and there will never be the same scenario you said.”
“Don’t you know that person climbed to the present position by framing his friends?”
“Over the past year, you have been lying in bed, and I have worked hard on this project. Now you only need to sit down and take the profits, can you shut up?”
“It’s very hard to lie in bed, Uncle. If I can choose, I would rather help you share the burden.”
“Vince, after you had an accident, you’ve become more motivated than before.”
“Well, I almost smashed my head. Although I didn’t go to heaven like my father, I still need to improve on something. Don’t you agree with me, the second uncle?”
Henry changed his face, “What do you mean?”
“Just a joke, uncle. What can I mean?”
When they spoke, they seemed to have turned the room into a battlefield. Lady Johnson knocked the plate with her forks and said, “Gentlemen, please. Real gentlemen will only talk about the topics that can help ladies digest at the dining table.”
Arianna ate little. Lady Johnson frowned, “Arianna, don’t be picky on your food so you won’t be so thin. If you can overcome this weakness, you will solve other difficulties in your life easily.”
Vince laughed while he was drinking water on the other side of the dining table. The old lady glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
****
Arianna couldn’t run away after lunch. Lady Johnson said her dear grandson had recently sent sponsorship to the town’s vanilla puppet theater, so they were coming today to show their new play to the old lady before the premiere. Shortly after that, the actors arrived one after another, and even the stage had been set up. Henry and several maids in the family also stayed to watch the show.
Arianna had seen their show before. This time, with abundant funds, their costumes, props, and stage were all gorgeous. The show was the classic “Hamlet” with its background changed to modern. The father of the male lead died falling off the horse because someone set a trap on his horse. The male lead named Hamlet tries to investigate his father’s death. Later, Hamlet also encounters the same accident and falls off horseback. Arianna’s fingers went cold like ice.
“It’s a total mess, an insult to Shakespeare.” The old lady commented after all the actors left.
“Madam, this is called postmodern, something that young people love to play with.” The butler reminded her.
“Same goes with that cartoon, The Lion King.” A servant said.
Henry stared at the empty stage and said nothing.
After watching the puppet show, Arianna had to accompany the old lady to the tailoring shop. Lady Johnson wanted to try on her newly-made clothes. Arianna had wanted to return to York’s house, but the old lady’s eyes showed disappointment, and she couldn’t stand that.
The tailoring shop was very close to the manor. The things inside were refined. The owner respected Lady Johnson very much and even said he should’ve come to the manor to provide service.
“The craftsmanship in this small shop is no less than those in Haute Couture shops. You should also pick one. When it’s ready, I will send it to you.”
Arianna said there’s no need. The old lady said it’s not polite to refuse the old folk’s kindness. The pink retro Victorian style dress chosen by Lady Johnson looked like maternity clothes. The old lady even chose fabrics, lace, and embroidery patterns for Arianna.
When they both went out of the tailoring shop, they were abducted.
The two of them were trapped in a small wooden house, clean and tidy, and the kidnappers were also gentle and civilized.
Arianna was dizzy in her mind, and she even had the illusion they were shooting a film. The old lady said, “This girl is not one of my family members. You should let her walk away.”
Arianna quickly said, “I’m not going.” Arianna just didn’t want to be left in the wilderness. The old lady spoke with her hands shaking, and that’s also a reason for Arianna to stay.
However, when they heard the kidnappers asked for four million, Lady Johnson recovered her aggressiveness and said, “What? You guys kidnap this beautiful young woman and me for only four million?” So, later the ransom became five million. Arianna didn’t have much problem in the case that she was only worth one million dollars.
The kidnappers called the Johnson Family and threatened them not to call the police.
The two hostages were very calm and quiet. After a while, the door was kicked open, and a man rushed in. Arianna instinctively stood in front of the old lady and said, “What do you want?”
The man grinned, “You are good to go. The Johnson Family is so efficient. I think our ransom was too small.”
On a hot summer evening, the sunset was still going on. Two parties stood on two banks of a river. Vince and Henry stood on the other side of the bridge.
The transaction should take place in the middle of the bridge. Party WHITE should deliver the package, and Party BLACK should set free a hostage upon seeing the package. The old lady went first. Escorted by a kidnapper, Lady Johnson began walking to the center of the bridge. Vince carried a box and walked slowly to them. When Lady Johnson walked behind Vince, Vince opened the box and showed the kidnapper the content in the box and then closed the box. The kidnapper pointed a gun at Vince.
Vince calmly said, “I have to make sure my grandmother can go back safely.” He stepped back against the bridge railing and watched the old lady slowly walk to the shore, and he turned back to the kidnappers, “Now, let the young lady go.”
Kidnappers sneered, “We are not fools. Hostage released upon package delivery.”
Arianna stared at Vince and felt something was going to happen. Vince went on the bridge again. Two kidnappers searched his body. When they touched his body, Vince frowned. Vince threw the smaller suitcase to them, went straight to Arianna, untied the strap on her hands, held her hands, and whispered in her ear, “Are you okay?”Text content © NôvelDrama.Org.
Right at that moment, the sharp sound of a siren came from a distance. Kidnappers yelled, “fuck! Cops!”