The sound of polished shoes echoed down the hallway, drawing closer with every step.
Simone’s nerves instantly snapped taut.
Should she keep pretending to be asleep?
She hesitated, weighing her options, but then a distorted male voice, filtered through some kind of voice changer, broke the silence.
“I know you’re awake.”
Since her cover was blown, Simone didn’t bother to keep up the pretense. Lifting her head, she demanded, “Who are you? Why did you kidnap me? Is it money you’re after?”
The man replied coolly, “Money is the least of my concerns.”
Her heart sank. “Then what do you want?”
He gave a low, mocking laugh. “I have some unfinished business with Leonard. Kidnapping you, Miss Lerman, is all about him. I’ve set a trap here, just waiting for your brother to fall into it.
I’ve heard you and Leonard are full siblings, inseparable since childhood. I’m curious—will you sacrifice yourself to save your dear brother from my scheme?”
Simone wasn’t naive. In a situation like this, unless someone rescued her, she was as good as dead. Still, she didn’t rush to ask for a call to Leonard. Instead, she tried to stall for time and fish for more information.
“Who are you, really? What did my brother ever do to you?”
She hesitated, then added, “I’m just a woman—dragging me into whatever grudge you men have seems pretty low, don’t you think?”
The man let out another strange laugh. “A grudge between men? Your brother never cared about that when he went after women.”
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