The moment I heard those words, a chill ran down my spine.

For the longest time, I had believed James was completely unaware of what was happening. I had been counting on him noticing my absence and rushing to call the police to save me.

But to my horror, I now realized he was in on it all along.

I had treated him well and trusted him, so why would he betray me like this?

Was it really just for the five million?

I couldn’t bear to listen to their conversation anymore.

Instead, I threw all my energy into rubbing at the rope, desperate to break free. If I escaped, there was no way I’d let him get away with it.

Before long, I had managed to cut through one of the ropes.

A surge of joy rushed through me and I was just about to finish the last one when I heard keys turning in the door.

Panic gripped me. "This is bad!"

I grabbed the broken rope and quickly pulled myself back to my original position.

The door creaked open and in stepped a plump middle-aged woman who promptly yanked the tape from my mouth.

"Little handsome guy, if it weren't for me, your legs would’ve been broken by now and your face would be a mess. Aren’t you going to show some gratitude?"