"Well, if you say so," Robert shrugged.


    He ced his briefcase on hisp and unlocked it. He pulled out a picture and showed it to Jeffery.


    "This is Ava, right? A few months after she disappeared?" He asked.


    Jeffery snatched the picture, his gaze softening when he saw the girl who was smiling brightly at the camera. She was just two years old when she disappeared.


    "You were the one who kidnapped my daughter?" Jeffery demanded.


    "I wasn’t. It’s a long story, but just like you said, let’s not waste any time by going back to the past. I know you want to get your daughter back, but it’s not going to be that easy, Mr. rk. I have a few conditionsid out for you," Robert responded, which had Jeffery turn to look at him with a questionable eyebrow.


    It didn’t take a genius to know what Robert could want. The rk family was a billionaire family. Jeffery was sure Robert would want some of it.


    "How much do you want?" Jeffery asked him.


    The smirk on Robert’s face only stretched even more. He couldn’t believe Jeffery was already asking that question. He was close to achieving his goal.


    Robert opened the briefcase again and pulled out the property papers.


    "I want you to sign 50% of your family’s wealth into my name."


    Jeffery darted his eyes between the property papers stretched out towards him and Robert who was waiting for him to take it.


    "So you mean to tell me that if I don’t sign half of my wealth in your name, you won’t give me back my daughter?" Jeffery asked, an amused smirk on his lips as he resisted the urge tough at that moment.


    "Oh, I’m not done yet. I want your first son, Ezekiel rk to get married to my daughter Michelle, who is still currently married to Richard Wace. But I will get them divorced, that’s not a problem at all. If you take a look at the document, you will find some other conditionsid out for you—"


    "You’ve been spouting nonsense since you walked into this office," he snapped.


    Robert jolted out of fear when he heard the sudden voice that didn’t belong to Jeffery. He turned back to find Ezekiel rk, seated casually on the couch, his legs crossed as he read a magazine.


    The aura emanating from him was so cold and ufortable, that Robert thought someone had turned down the temperature in the room.


    He gulped down his saliva in fear. He had only prepared to meet with Jeffery rk, who was more easy going. Ezekiel was quite the opposite even though they were father and son.


    Robert couldn’t help but wonder where Ezekiel hade from. He didn’t see him when he walked in earlier.


    Out of annoyance, Ezekiel snapped the magazine shut and ced it aside. He stood up and walked towards Robert who was already shaking in his seat.


    "So you have my sister?" Ezekiel questioned him.


    In the blink of an eye, Robert found himself no longer seated. Ezekiel had yanked him up by the cor, his grip firm and unyielding. The intensity in Ezekiel’s re was palpable, his eyes burning with anger. "Where’s my sister?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing, reverberating through the room.


    The spectacles hung around Robert’s nose bridge as he tried to contain how frightened he was at that moment.


    "I’m not going to tell you until you agree to my conditions," Robert responded. He was aware he was pushing his luck with Ezekiel, but he wouldn’t be giving in so easily. Scaring the truth out of him was something he had already prepared for.


    "Don’t push your luck, Robert," Ezekiel spat, beforending a blow across Robert’s face, sending the man flying back to his seat.


    Jeffery didn’t bother to interfere. He couldn’t believe his daughter who disappeared 23 years ago was alive.


    They had searched for her everywhere when she did, but couldn’t find her. The rk family had thought she had been kidnapped and waited for the kidnappers to call, asking for a ransom, but they didn’t receive anything.


    For a second, Robert thought he was seeing stars. He touched the liquid that flowed out of his nose, gritting his teeth when he recognized the color.


    "You dare to punch me in the face! Do you think that’s going to make me give Ava back? What a joke! She’s nevering back to you until you agree to the conditions I’veid out!" Robert yelled, his voice tinged with embarrassment and exasperation at how things had turned out.


    "Anastasia is all grown up now and thinks of me as her father. If you hurt me anymore, she’ll never forgive you, even though you’re her real family," he threatened, his defiance unwavering despite the circumstances.