Chapter 168

Victoria returned to her room, nervously locking the door and adding an extra bolt for good measure.

She kept glancing at the time on her phone. William had been gone for most of the day with no word.

Despite her intense dislike for him now, she still didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

The thought made her even more anxious.

Clutching her phone tightly, she bit her lip and hesitated for a long time before finally dialing William's number.

But the phone rang for a long time without anyone answering.

Victoria's heart leapt into her throat, and a wave of worry and fear washed over her. She couldn't help but dial William's number again, but once more, there was no answer.

In that moment, Victoria's mind buzzed with panic.

William, please don't let anything have happened to you.

Panic quickly spread through her body. Her fingers fumbled over the phone screen as she sent William a message: [Are you okay?]

After she sent the message, her eyes stayed glued to the screen, afraid to miss his reply.

And then began the long wait.

Victoria paced back and forth in the room, anxiety gnawing at her.

Outside, the sun blazed brightly, casting a vibrant glow over the tropical greenery of the resort, full of life and energy.

But inside, she felt like she was in an icebox, the cold seeping into her bones.

How could she just sit here and wait?

What if something really had happened to William? What would she do then?

Victoria bit her lip hard, made up her mind, and quickly changed into some comfortable clothes, putting on a baseball cap. She was determined to go out and look for him.

Just as her hand grasped the doorknob, the door suddenly swung open from the outside.

Victoria's eyes widened in shock. Standing at the door was William, supporting someone.

"Ms. Scott?" Victoria was both surprised and relieved. She hurried forward to help William bring Daisy into the room, then anxiously looked outside. "Where's my dad? Is he behind you?"

Daisy looked exhausted and worn out, glancing up at Victoria.

Just as she was about to speak, William cut in quietly, "Close the door first. We'll talk inside."

A wave of unease washed over Victoria, a sense of foreboding settling in her heart.

She forced herself to stay calm and nodded.

Once inside, Victoria didn't waste any time. Seeing Daisy's clothes covered in dirt and grime, she quickly found some clean clothes for her to change into.

Daisy's emotions were relatively stable, but her attempt to appear calm was too obvious. Anyone paying attention could see the fear in her eyes.

She looked at Victoria, her lips trembling, and managed to say, "Victoria, I'm sorry."

Victoria was pouring water into a cup when she heard this. Her hand shook, spilling hot water and burning her hand. She let out a small cry and quickly put the cup down.

William reacted instantly, grabbing her hand and carefully checking it. "Did you burn yourself? Is it bad?"

"I'm fine." Victoria pulled her hand back forcefully, not even looking at him.

She turned to Daisy, trying to appear calm, but her eyes betrayed her worry and fear. "Ms. Scott, can you tell me where my dad is now?"

Daisy opened her mouth, but before she could speak, she started coughing violently.

She coughed several times, her whole body hunching over.

From Daisy's halting, tearful account, Victoria finally learned what had happened after they were captured.

That day, Alvin had fought off several gang members to protect Daisy during a gang fight.

One of them was the top enforcer for the local gang, The Raven Syndicate.

After they were captured, the gang wanted to kill them.

It was only because Daisy revealed her identity as a member of the Scott family from Crystalia and offered to pay for their lives that they were temporarily spared.

When William brought the $50 million ransom, the gang demanded three times that amount.

William had no choice but to pay an additional $100 million.

But seeing how generous he was, the gang went back on their word, agreeing to release only one person and demanding $1 billion to release the other.

William had no choice but to get Daisy out first.

Daisy lit a cigarette, her hands shaking. She looked up at Victoria, her voice trembling. "I'm sorry, Victoria. Your dad could have escaped on his own. He stayed because of me. I wanted him to go with William, but he refused."

Hearing this, Victoria's hands clenched tightly at her sides, her face turning pale. "I'm calling the police."

William scoffed. "Call the police? Do you know where we are? This is Xandria! The police and the gangs are in cahoots. Do you think the police will risk crossing The Raven Syndicate for you and your dad? Wake up."

His tone was cold and harsh.

His words felt like a knife to Victoria's chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

Victoria closed her eyes in pain, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

Suddenly, she grabbed William tightly, her voice breaking with desperation. "William, please, give me the $1 billion to save my father. I'll do anything for you, work for you for the rest of my life, no complaints. Please."

Her voice was hoarse with despair, her eyes full of pleading.

William looked at Victoria, both angry and anxious.

He bent down, trying to lift her up, but she stubbornly pushed him away.

He sighed, his voice tinged with exhaustion and urgency. "Victoria, get up. Calm down! Even if we could gather $1 billion in cash quickly, do you know what that would mean? Such a large amount could cause international issues. And you saw what The Raven Syndicate is like. They'd take the money and kill us all. We wouldn't save your father, and we might all end up dead."

"I don't believe it! I don't believe they would be so brazen!" Victoria shouted, her voice filled with sorrow and anger. "You just don't want to save my dad! He killed your parents, and you want him dead. I was foolish to trust you. How ridiculous of me!"

William's brow furrowed deeper, his face darkening.

He stared at Victoria, his lips trembling, struggling to speak. "Is that what you think of me?"

"Yes!" Victoria answered without hesitation, her eyes red and swollen, shouting at William with gritted teeth. "In my eyes, you're a despicable, treacherous, heartless bastard! If you won't save him, I will!"