Chapter 1788: I'Ll Make The Exchange

Chapter 1788: I'll Make the Exchange

Luther shouted, "Put the child down. You're surrounded. The people

you brought will soon be subdued by my men."

Just as he spoke, a column of mercenaries rushed in, fully armed.

After seeing Luther, they reported, "Mr. Warner, we have taken control

of the situation outside.”

Several other mercenaries restrained the remaining black-clad

individuals who had been stunned inside the house. They tightly

encircled Cloud.

Cloud held Anderson in front of himself and laughed maniacally. "I don't

care about those people outside. With him in my hands, you can't stop

me."

Luther knew that Cloud wasn't just bluffing. He knew that the leader of

OGW was skilled in ninjutsu, practically disappearing among a hundred

people. Most importantly, Luther couldn't let Anderson suffer any harm.

He shouted, "I know you, Cloud. Let's negotiate. You name your

conditions, and I can fulfill them. Whatever Athena can give, I can give

you."

"Heh," Cloud sneered, "Sorry, I'm not interested. I only fight; I don't

negotiate.”

He held Anderson in his arms and took a few steps closer. "If you don't

want to harm the child, step aside."

The mercenaries were itching to move forward, wanting to press on.

Luther quickly raised his arm to stop them. "Don't move forward. Stay

where you are."

The mercenaries held their guns, watching vigilantly.

Luther continued to persuade Cloud, "You're a man. Holding a child

hostage doesn't reflect well on your reputation. Besides, Athena has

been sent to Christian's place. You don't necessarily need to obey

Athena in everything. Give the child back to me, and I'll find a way to

satisfy your demands."

Cloud didn't care. "What I want, you can't give. Step aside.”

"Or you can take me hostage and let the child go. We can make the

exchange,” Luther proposed again. "This way, you can also give

Athena an explanation.”

Cloud wasn't here for Athena, after all.

He didn't want to say much and simply took out his gun, pointing it at

Anderson, and coldly commanded, "Stop talking and step aside."

Luther was filled with anxiety. Darrin pulled him back forcefully. "Mr.

Warner, don't push him. Desperate men are prone to taking risks, and

that would make Anderson even more dangerous.”

Luther understood this reasoning well. He couldn't bear to watch

Anderson be captured again.

Unexpectedly, a cold female voice sounded from outside, a voice with

penetrating power that pierced through all the haze.

"How about using me as the exchange?"

Hearing this voice, Cloud was startled. It was her!

Luther also turned towards the voice and saw Vicki, dressed in a snug

black outfit, exuding a heroic aura. She walked in, stopping not far from

Cloud, facing him directly.

"Put down Anderson, and I'll go with you. Your goal can be achieved

the same way," Vicki said in a calm tone.

Cloud squinted his eyes. During the conflict between OGW and Mr.

Ball's men just now, he felt that something was amiss. He didn't get too

involved until Athena realized it was a diversionary tactic. It was only

then that he suddenly understood. Vicki deliberately diverted their

attention.

He promptly withdrew his troops from OGW without further

entanglement. He didn't expect Vicki to appear here again.

Vicki saw that Cloud remained silent and beckoned to one of the

mercenaries, smiling as she asked, "Do you have handcuffs? Give me

a pair."

The mercenary glanced at Luther and then took a pair of handcuffs

from his side and threw them to Vicki.

Vicki caught them and tossed the key to the handcuffs to Cloud.

Cloud caught it.

"Click, click." Vicki handcuffed herself, saying to Cloud, “This should

work. Rayan."

She used Cloud's original name.

"Deal," Cloud readily agreed. Originally, everything he did was for Vicki.

Since Vicki was willing to go with him, he didn't need to hold Anderson

hostage.

Luther spoke up to stop them. "Vicki, what do you mean? Although I

want to rescue Anderson, how can we let someone else take the

danger in his place? How can I explain this to Felix?"

Vicki looked at Luther with a smile. “You don't need to explain to Felix.

Because he's already here.”

As she spoke, Felix had arrived. He was a step behind Vicki because

he had been explaining the arrangements outside. When he reached

the door, he had already heard Vicki's exchange condition.

He rushed to Vicki's side, looking down at her handcuffed hands, his

thin lips trembling, unable to say a word.

Cloud's eyes turned cold when he saw Felix, especially when henoticed

the wedding rings on their ring fingers. His impatience grew, and he

urged, "Are we making the exchange or not? I'll count to three, and if

you don't come over, I'll release Anderson.”

Felix looked at Cloud, who was holding Anderson in his arms. Anderson

had already passed out and was motionless. Although he was worried

about Vicki, he couldn't let the child suffer. Knowing that Vicki wouldn't

listen to him even if he objected, he chose to remain silent. Rayan was

dangerous, and he had fought so hard to be with Vicki. Now...

“Three, two, one!"

As Cloud began counting down, Vicki shook off Felix's grip and

approached Cloud. At the same time, Cloud released Anderson and

aimed his gun at Vicki.

Seizing the opportunity, Darrin rushed forward, holding onto Anderson

as he retreated continuously until he reached a safe area surrounded

by mercenaries. He finally stopped. His hands trembled uncontrollably,

but he felt relieved now that the marshal's child was safe in his arms.

Luther's heart was filled with relief as he saw that Anderson was safe.

At the same time, he looked at Felix apologetically. "I'm sorry, Felix. I

asked for your help, but I didn't expect things to turn out like this.”

Felix's eyes dimmed, but he pretended to be lighthearted. "It's not your

fault. Cloud's target has always been her. Instead, he dragged the

innocent Anderson into this. Don't worry, although they have their

differences, Cloud once admired Vicki. Hopefully... he won't harm her."

In the end, Felix himself wasn't certain. He clenched his fists and

realized that his hands were shaking uncontrollably, unable to stop.

He glanced at Anderson, who was curled up in Darrin's embrace, and

said with relief, "As long as the child is safe.”

At this moment, Darrin approached.

He handed Anderson to Luther, who quickly embraced him. The long-

lost sense of reality overwhelmed him with excitement.