Fred creased his brows, worry etched on his face as he yelled, “Natalie got kidnapped?!”

Bethany's mouth fell open. “Oh my God! What happened?” she repeated in shock.

The voice on the other end hesitated before correcting itself. “Wait… did I say Natalie? I meant to say your wife… Chantel has been kidnapped!”

That stutter set off alarm bells. Clicking his tongue, Fred replied coolly, “Really? Are you willing to let her out for five million dollars?”

The voice wavered. “Yeah… yeah… that’s already too—Um… I mean, you can send it to her account! I’m sorry… I mean, my account!”

A chuckle escaped his lips, but his sneer carried more...