The man on the other end bristled. "What do you mean? I did exactly what you said. Tortured her until she was covered in wounds. Just bad luck—she couldn't handle it. Played her to death. Now pay up. We need to run, or none of us will make it."
A chill crawled up Diana's spine, but she quickly decided he was running a scam.
"She's been with me every day. Just now she almost strangled me to death, and you're still lying?"
"What the hell are you talking about? We made sure she was dead before we left. Day before yesterday, my guy went to check—her body's still there. Nobody's collected it."
Now Diana was certain they were trying to cheat her.
"Nice try. Not happening."
She hung up, but her heart wouldn't stop racing. Her steps felt unsteady.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Mom. The banquet's started—let's go!"
She pulled Rose toward the front hall. When she spotted me standing at the end of the corridor, she turned and bolted.
"Thank you all for coming to celebrate my daughter's college acceptance!"
Samuel and Rose basked in the praise, practically glowing. The screen behind them began playing clips of Diana's hardworking childhood.
Then the footage changed.
The day I was kidnapped.