Chapter 3

I let out a desperate wail, tearing myself free from the crowd.

The whispers around me started again.

"Oh, so she's the hostage's mother. No wonder she's so emotional!"

"Pfft, whose fault is it if she wasn't quick enough with the ransom? Just don't drag our children into it!"

"One daughter dying to save all our other kids? Worth it!"

I trembled with anger, charging forward and grappling with a passerby.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my back.

David, who had been watching coldly, couldn't sit still anymore. He hit me with a stick, knocking me down, then apologized to the people around him.

"I'm so sorry, everyone. My wife is being unreasonable. I'll take her away right now!"

The anger of the crowd subsided by half.

"Her man really knows how to prioritize the bigger picture!"

"If anything really happens to your child, we'll all pay our respects to her."

David put on a look of profound sorrow.

"If my daughter's death can pave the way for other children to live, then her death will have meaning!"

I lay on the ground, my consciousness fading, tears silently falling.

"Tie her up and take her to the back room!"

David stood up and instructed his teammates.

They immediately complied, turning to grab some rope.

I struggled frantically, flailing my arms and legs, hoarsely screaming.

"Let go of me! David, you beast! You'll get your comeuppance! Lily is your daughter!"

But how could I, a powerless Sarah, possibly resist several strong team members?

The rough rope cut harshly into my wrists, the pain nearly making me faint.

"Take her away!"

Two team members grabbed my arms, dragging me like a dead dog towards the back room.

I looked at the tightly shut preschool gate,

And could almost hear Lily's heart-wrenching cries.

"Lily... Mommy is so sorry..."

I choked, a metallic taste rising in my throat.

I was dragged into a dark room, the door slamming shut with a "bang."

My wrists were raw and bloody from the rope. I twisted my body desperately.

"Let go of me! I need to save Lily! David, you animal!"

The force on my wrists suddenly intensified. David himself stepped forward,

Snatching an electric baton from a teammate's hand and unhesitatingly jabbing it into my side.

Current surged through my limbs, making me convulse, my bones feeling like they were being pierced by countless needles.

I curled up on the ground, foaming at the mouth, but my eyes remained fixed on the closed door,

In that direction, was where Lily was being held.