THE HILARIOUS HUSBAND (LEE BROTHERS #2)

Chapter 68

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT 

RESCUE

★HOPE RYKER LEE★

KAMPANTE akong bumalik sa table namin ni Elisse para hintayin na lang siya. Nabasa ko ang text niya na sinabing may pupuntahan lang at babalik din agad, kaya mas pinili ko na lang maghintay. Kaysa naman gumala ako sa loob ng mall para hanapin siya, baka magkasalisi lang kami at ako ang hindi niya abutan dito pagbalik niya.

Sa unang kinse minutos, hindi ako nainip sa paghihintay sa kaniya. Pero no'ng tumagal na siya nang kalahating oras, medyo naalarma na 'ko. Kung may nakalimutan lang siyang bilhin, siguradong hindi siya aabot ng gano'n katagal.

My patience ran out—I stopped watching reels and was about to call her when her name suddenly flashed on my screen. Tumatawag siya. Agad ko 'yon sinagot.

"Hello, Elisse? Nasaan—" But I didn't get the chance to finish, because the voice on the other end wasn't Elisse's.

It was her father.

"Sit down. Let's talk, and I'll consider letting them go."

"What do you want?"

"Fifty million. Kailangan ko ng fifty million mula sa 'yo para pakawalan ko ang dalawa."

A sense of dread tightened in my chest as I furrowed my brows, trying to process what I'd just heard. Instinctively, I tapped the record button on my phone to capture the call, then switched to speaker mode so I could still listen while my hands worked quickly, typing a message to Mommyla and our family group chat, letting them know I needed help. Dahil doon pa lang sa sinabi ng Daddy ni Elisse na kailangan niya ng fifty million kapalit ng "dalawa", kinutuban na agad ako na nasa alanganing sitwasyon ang asawa ko. At mas lalo ko pa 'yon nakumpirma nang marinig ko ang mga sumunod nilang pag-uusap, maging ang pagsigaw ni Edward at Ella ng, "Ate Elisse!"

Then, in the background, I heard Elisse's voice struggling, her panic unmistakable. My heart pounded, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios. I didn't waste a second. With my heart in my throat, I jumped up from my seat and bolted out of the restaurant, moving as fast as I could, determined to find her.

Dahil narinig ko ang boses ni Edward at Ella sa kabilang linya, parang alam na agad ng instinct ko kung saan sila pupuntahan. As soon as I got to my car, my phone lit up with an incoming call from Mr. Garcia—Elisse's father. It was only then that I realized the call with Elisse had ended, though I couldn't tell if she'd hung up or if it had cut off somehow. Dammit, I didn't know.

My pulse was racing, but I took a steadying breath and answered, forcing myself to keep calm. "Hello?"

"Hope Lee," he greeted me, his voice cold and disturbingly casual. "Bring me fifty million in exchange for your wife. You're coming alone, no one else—and definitely no police. I'll be waiting at Ella's apartment until six p.m. today. Pero mas okay kung mas maaga kang darating."

Every word hit me like a hammer, but I kept my voice steady. "Fifty million? Pa'no mo naatim na gawing bihag ang sarili mong anak kapalit ng pera?" My jaw clenched, anger simmering as I gripped the phone.

He laughed, as if I'd cracked a joke. "Anak? Hindi ko anak si Elisse, Hope Lee. Anak s'ya ng ina n'ya sa ibang lalaki. A bastard who couldn't even afford to raise her. I was just stuck with the responsibility." Natulala ako at napakurap sa rebelasyon niya. "Nito ko lang din napagtanto kung bakit si Elisse ang ipinagkasundo ng ina n'ya sa mga Lee. Gustong masiguro ng ina niya na maganda pa rin ang magiging buhay niya pagdating ng panahon. Edward and Ella are my real children. So, if you don't bring me the fifty million, only those two are guaranteed to walk away safe. As for your wife? I can't make any promises about her safety."