Kate''s eyes were covered, and her voice trembled with fear, "Let me go!" Richard remained silent, the cold back of the knife sliding across her throat.


    "I know it''s you, Richard, isn''t it!" Though her voice trembled, the blindfold didn''t prevent her from urately guessing it was Richard. But it wasn''t me.


    Richard still didn''t speak.


    "Richard, let me go, or ude won''t let you off the hook. Just let me go, and I promise I''ll ensure ude doesn''t give you a hard time," she tried to coax information out of Richard with her words. But Richard''s grip tightened suddenly, and the knife identally nicked her neck, drawing a faint line of blood.


    Terrified, Kate screamed, "Don''t kill me. Please don''t kill me! I''ll tell you a secret!"


    Hearing it, Richard moved the knife away from Kate''s neck.


    Kate asked, "Do you want to know where ire has gone? If I tell you she''s dead, will you let me go?"


    With a swift motion, the knife left a mark on Kate''s face, apanied by her scream. "It hurts! My face!"


    Richard stared her down fiercely, his knife ruthlessly scratching her cheek.


    Sobbing and holding her face, Kate pleaded, "I''ll tell you where ire is, and you''ll let me go, right?"


    Somewhat moved, Richard ripped the blindfold off and coldly demanded, "Where?"


    Between sobs andughter, Kate mocked him, "You didn''t believe she was dead, but you''ll believe she''s alive?"


    Richard raised the knife toward her eyes. "Talk properly!"N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Kate said obediently, "If I tell you, and you don''t let me go, what then? Maybe do something for me first, so I know you''re serious!"


    I helplessly shook my head from the side. "Richard, don''t believe her. I''m already dead."


    But lost in his rage, Richard drove the knife into her palm. "Just tell me where she is!"


    Kate hadn''t expected Richard to be so ruthless. The pain made her tremble. Her lips turned pale, and she was sweaty like hell, her spirit breaking. Her previously arrogant demeanor vanished.


    I sighed in relief. Richard didn''t fall for Kate''s trap. But this version of Richard, post-prison, had be terrifying.


    "She''s at a cabin in Serenity Bluff." Her voice was weak, but Serenity Bluff wasn''t where we used to hike. Could it be the cabin belonging to Scar Man?


    "How do you know she''s there? What did you do to her?" Richard struck Kate''s face with a fierce punch.


    Kate cried and shook her head in plea. "I just know she''s there. It has nothing to do with me. I know, but I couldn''t save her."


    I was stunned by her expression. Battered as she was, she must be telling the truth.


    "You didn''t want to save her, it''s not like you couldn''t," Richard hit her relentlessly, turning into a devil after his imprisonment.


    Kate kept begging, "Stop. Please stop."


    Richard then stopped. "It''s not time to kill you yet. You better pray ire is okay, or you''ll join her."


    Kate curled up, trembling and crying, "But I received a document yesterday. It stated ire was dead. I seriously don''t know if she is."


    Kate seemed to be regretting something. But why should she regret anything? She knew where I was being held and kept quiet about my supposed death.


    I couldn''t understand Kate at all, not in life or death.


    Richard was also stunned. After securing Kate tightly, he left the abandoned factory for Serenity Bluff.


    Before leaving, I saw Kate''s lips curl into a smirk. A chill ran through me. Could there be a trap? I wanted to stop Richard, but I was powerless!


    He even called ude. "If you don''t act now, prepare to collect Kate''s body!"


    His words were brief to prevent his signal from being traced.


    And he muttered, "ire, I won''t let anything happen to you!"


    My heart hurt. I wanted to hug Richard and tell him to quit this craziness, not knowing the traps that might be waiting cause Kate was too sneaky. Her words were a


    mix of truth and lies.


    I returned to the police station, hoping to find something to prevent Richard from going to Serenity Bluff.


    At that time, ude was preparing for a press conference.


    "Did you hear that? It is ire


    threatening me. How could you think


    she''s the victim? If it weren''t for your


    1.n


    mistaken investigation, Kate wouldn''t be in this mess!" ude


    pushed all the me onto Ronald.


    Ronald listened helplessly to the recording on his phone.


    "Does ire have any rtives left?" Ronald''s question enraged ude again, "Are you still trying to defend ire? Her entire family is dead. There''s only Richard, a childhood friend who just got out of jail. Didn''t hee to file a report a while ago?"


    It seemed Ronald thought of something. "Can we contact Richard?"


    Though reluctant, ude tried to call Richard but only heard a cold automated voice informing him that Richard had turned off his phone.


    "If his phone is off, that''s a problem. I''ll take a team to his ce. I suspect he''s also involved in this kidnapping with ire."