Chapter 97: The Kidnapping

Kimberly was pacing her apartment, her mind racing. The stolen documents were already taken care of, and she felt a brief sense of triumph over her successful heist. That triumph was shattered when her phone rang, its shrill tone slicing through the silence. “Hello?” she answered cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper. “Kimberly,” a menacing voice growled on the other end. It was Edward, a man she had hoped never to hear from again. Her heart sank, a cold dread creeping into her chest. “What do you want, Edward?” “You know what I want. The money of course,” he hissed, his tone dripping with malice. “And if you don’t bring it to me, your family will have to pay the price for your defiance.” Kimberly’s blood ran cold. “What have you done?” Edward laughed darkly, the sound echoing in her ears. “I haven’t done anything yet, they're with me now. Safe, for the moment. But if you try anything funny, if you go to the police, or if you tell anyone, they’ll regret it. Do you unders