Chapter 2607
âI can't believe this is happening to me. All I wanted was to focus on the choir
competition. Why does it always have to be me with the bad luck?â Victoria lamented, her voice
cracking with the strain of her emotions.
Balfour's complexion turned ashen, riddled with guilt, knowing full well that this mess was his
doing.
Yet, Eltonâs words carried more weight in moments like these, and he couldn't muster the courage
to convince Victoria to take any risks. He simply had no right.
As Victoria's sobs slowly subsided, Elton tenderly stroked her hair, whispering words of comfort.
âThere, there, kiddo. Have you forgotten your old manâs right here with you? Just stand behind me,
and I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you.â
Throughout their childhood, their father had been an unshakeable fortress, always shielding them
from harm. As they grew older, the hero's aura he wore in their eyes began to fade. But when real
trouble struck, like now, Victoria still believed her dad was the most reliable person in the world. His
presence was a soothing balm to her fears.
âDaddy,â Victoria murmured, still frightened but slowly warming to the thought of her father's plan.
Deep down, she knew waiting for an inevitable end was futile. Escaping offered a glimmer of hope.
"What's the plan, Balfour?â she finally asked, her voice a mix of hope and trepidation.
âMr. Lewis,â Balfour began, his tone serious, âI need you to check the wires on that window over
there. Can we break through them?â
If the window was secured with the kind of iron bars commonly found in rural areas, escape was
nothing but a pipe dream. The only way out would be the front door, which was tantamount to
walking straight into the lion's den.
âAlright, give me a sec, I'll take a look,â Elton replied, struggling to his feet awkwardly.
His hands and feet were bound, and he stumbled several times, unable to maintain his balance. The
thuds of his falls and the muffled grunts of pain caused Victoria's heart to contract with worry.
âDaddy,â she called out softly.
Elton didn't respond immediately. Instead, he took a moment before reassuring her, âDonât worry,
kiddo. I'm okay.â
Balfour detected a quiver in his voice, a sign of how badly he must be hurt, and asked, âMr. Lewis,
are you alright? Are you injured?â
That's right, even though Elton had mentioned being knocked out and brought here, he didn't tell
them that those thugs had roughed him up in the van.
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Balfour frowned, annoyed at himself for overlooking this detail.
âAh, it's nothing serious, just a little trouble keeping my balance. Took a bit of a tumble, that's all. If I
wasn't up to it, I wouldn't have agreed to help, you know. I'm not that daft,â Elton tried to sound
reassuring.
Victoria, anxious and concerned, pleaded, âDaddy, if you're hurt, please don't move anymore. We
can wait for the police to rescue us, okay?"
âI got it, sweetheart. I'll just have a quick look,â he said, as he hopped towards the window. His
movements were cautious, taking care to be as silent as possible to avoid alerting anyone outside.
In truth, he was in excruciating pain, his body trembling nonstop. He suspected that one
of Monkey's kicks had broken a rib. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out.
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