Millionaire’s Wife Humiliated the Waitress — Her Response Left the Entire Room Speechless!
Chapter 9
For the first time since the night began, Elena lost control.
She ran toward the door.
Daniel caught her.
“Stop.”
“Let me go!”
“We don’t know where she is.”
“I know who took her.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Victoria.”
Richard shook his head.
“Victoria wouldn’t personally take your daughter.”
Elena turned.
“Then who?”
Richard hesitated.
“Her security chief.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“Gregory Shaw.”
Richard nodded.
“Where would he take her?”
“I don’t know.”
Elena pushed past them.
“I’ll find her myself.”
Daniel grabbed his phone.
“Call the police.”
Richard looked at him.
“Not yet.”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
“If Victoria realizes we have the files, Lily becomes leverage.”
Elena stared at Richard.
“So what do you suggest?”
“Give her what she wants.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Richard looked at him.
“She’s trying to acquire control of the company.”
Daniel understood.
“You want me to surrender.”
“I want to buy time.”
Elena looked between them.
“How much time?”
“Enough to find Lily.”
They contacted Victoria.
She answered immediately.
Daniel put the call on speaker.
Victoria’s voice was calm.
“Hello, darling.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Where is Lily?”
“You don’t sound happy.”
“Where is she?”
“Safe.”
Elena stepped closer.
“Let me speak to her.”
Victoria laughed.
“Of course.”
A recording played.
Lily’s voice.
“Mom?”
Elena nearly broke.
“Lily!”
The recording stopped.
Victoria said:
“She’s fine.”
“Let me talk to her.”
“Not yet.”
Elena gripped the phone.
“If you hurt her—”
“I won’t.”
Victoria’s voice became cold.
“Unless you force me.”
Daniel said:
“What do you want?”
“Your shares.”
“How many?”
“All of them.”
Richard interrupted.
“I’ll give you mine.”
Victoria laughed.
“Too late.”
Elena stared at Daniel.
“Do it.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
“Give her what she wants.”
He shook his head.
“Elena—”
“She has my daughter.”
Victoria smiled through the phone.
“Smart woman.”
Elena’s eyes narrowed.
“But I want something.”
Victoria laughed.
“You aren’t in a position to negotiate.”
“I am.”
“What?”
“Proof she’s alive.”
Silence.
Then Victoria said:
“Fine.”
A video arrived.
It showed Lily sitting in a chair.
She looked frightened but unharmed.
Elena watched carefully.
Something was wrong.
The room behind Lily had no windows.
There was a red toolbox.
A yellow stripe painted across the wall.
And a clock.
The time was 3:17.
Elena replayed it.
Daniel watched.
“What do you see?”
“Not where she is.”
“What?”
“When the video was recorded.”
She pointed at the clock.
“3:17.”
Daniel frowned.
“It’s afternoon.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
She remembered Lily’s school schedule.
The video showed Lily wearing the same jacket she had worn that morning.
But it was evening now.
The video was prerecorded.
Victoria hadn’t sent a live feed.
Elena suddenly smiled.
Daniel stared.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because she thinks fear makes people stupid.”
Elena looked at the video again.
“The red toolbox.”
“What about it?”
“Lily’s school is next to a community workshop.”
Daniel understood.
“Chicago Maker Center.”
Elena nodded.
“They use those exact red toolboxes.”
Richard shook his head.
“That’s across town.”
“How long ago was the video?”
“At least several hours.”
Daniel grabbed his keys.
They called the police.
This time, they had enough evidence to act.
But Elena noticed something else.
The yellow stripe.
She had seen it before.
At the Bellmont House.
In the basement service corridor.
She suddenly remembered an old storage area beneath the restaurant.
It had the same yellow safety stripe.
Her eyes widened.
“She’s not across town.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Where?”
“The restaurant.”
They raced back.
When they arrived, the dining room was nearly empty.
Mr. Harris stood behind the bar.
He smiled.
“Back so soon?”
Elena looked at him.
“Where is Lily?”
His smile disappeared.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Call the police.”
Harris reached beneath the counter.
But Elena was faster.
She grabbed a heavy serving tray.
“Don’t.”
Harris froze.
Elena’s voice was ice.
“You picked the wrong waitress.”
