?Chapter 167:


    With effortless calm, An, Merlin, and Manley dropped into their seats on the sofa beside Cole.


    The leader of the men in ck looked at these imposing figures, his chest tightening with unease. His pulse raced wildly. He had followed Merritt into all kinds of shady dealings, but never had they taken a gamble this foolish—going up against the Evans, Shaw, Swain, and kely families all at once. It felt like Merritt was flirting with death.


    Momentster, a middle-aged man wearing a mask stepped into the hall…


    The man behind the mask wore a ck casual ensemble, his broad frame intimidating, resembling the kind of underworld boss often portrayed in gritty crime shows. As he moved forward, his shoulders swung with heavy purpose, drawing every eye in the room.


    Without hesitation, he dropped onto the sofa opposite Cole, letting out a gravellyugh. “Mr. Evans, I never imagined you’d care so deeply for that ugly wife of yours. Not only did you respond, but you showed up in person to collect her.”


    Although the masked man and Cole now sat across from one another, a notable gap remained between them.


    Cole cast a frigid nce at the masked man before shifting his gaze downward again, his silence tightening the atmosphere like a noose.


    From her screen, Elliana continued to observe. Her lips curved into a cold, mocking smile as her eyes remained fixed on the masked man. Right now, Merritt was still testing the waters. Too cautious to appear himself, he had chosen to hide in the shadows, sending ackey to y the frontman while he monitored Cole’s reactions from a safe distance. It remained unclear whether Cole had already seen through this flimsy act.


    Just as the thought crossed her mind, she watched Cole slowly raise his eyelids and lean back into the sofa, his stare turning cold. “Stop wasting my time.”


    The masked man hesitated briefly beforeughing again. “Mr. Evans, you really don’t like to dance around. Fine, let’s talk business.” Raising three fingers, the masked man said clearly, “We want three billion as ransom.”


    The second those words left his mouth, the room tensed visibly. That amount was outrageous. Not even a bank robbery could bring in three billion so easily.


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    “Mr. Evans, we’re holding your wife. That should be a fair amount, right?” the masked man added with a smug grin.


    “My wife’s value rests entirely on how I feel about her,” Cole sneered. “If she means something to me, then three billion wouldn’t even scratch the surface. But if she doesn’t, then even three dors would be a stretch.”


    There was a brief pause before the masked man asked, “Then tell me, Mr. Evans, how much do you think she is really worth?”


    Cole reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin, letting it spin effortlessly between his fingers. “You’re asking about her? She’s worth exactly this—just a single coin.”


    Every person in the room heard the words loud and clear.


    From her hidden spot, Elliana caught the sentence too, her eyes fixed on the surveince feed.


    In their separate rooms, Merritt and Paige also caught every word. But their interpretations could not have been more different.


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