Balfour finally, with a weight in his heart that felt like a sack of potatoes, gave a solemn nod. "Don't worry, Mr. Lewis, my word is my bond."
"Good, with your word, I can rest easy," Elton replied, his voice a mixture of relief and concern.
The die was cast, and Victoria, despite her fierce resistance, could not stop their movements.
Balfour and Elton tiptoed to the large window at the back, working to pry off the wire mesh quietly, while she kept watch.
She held her breath, afraid to make even the slightest noise that might wake the two thugs snoring like freight trains outside the door.
"Hurry up!" Victoria whispered urgently.
Balfour and Elton were drenched in sweat. Despite the task being manageable, the need to be silent made it torturous.
"Thud—"
Elton accidentally hit the window frame, sending a sharp sound into the air, freezing all three of them.
Victoria's gaze locked onto the two kidnappers, praying they wouldn’t wake up and ruin everything.
Fortunately, the kidnappers had been drinking earlier and it was the dead of the night, their sleep was deep; they didn’t stir.
The duo sped up their efforts, and it wasn’t until the wire mesh was lifted enough for Balfour and Victoria to crawl through that they stopped.
Elton and Victoria switched places.
She looked at her father through tear-blurred eyes. Balfour had already crawled out and was waiting to help her through the window.
Elton's eyes were red too. He pretended to casually wipe them and waved at her. "Go on."
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