The Greatest Regret

Three days ago, Yael disappeared while playing downstairs in our residential complex. I was frantic as if my entire world had collapsed.

Two hours later, I received a call from an unknown number.

The voice on the other end, which was distorted by a voice changer, sounded chillingly cold. "If you want your son to stay alive, prepare ten million dollars. Don’t call the police."

My palms turned cold with sweat in an instant. My voice trembled as I asked, "Where do I deliver the money?"

The kidnapper gave an address to an old warehouse in the southern part of the city. "Leave the money on the second-floor staircase. Once I see the money, I’ll send the boy back. Be quick. If you’re late, I can’t guarantee what might happen."

Before I could say anything, the line went dead.

I forced myself to stay calm and drove to Silas’s office while comforting myself, ‘Ten million is a trivial amount for Silas. Yael will come back soon—very soon.’

I bypassed the receptionist and went straight into Silas’s office without waiting to be announced.

The scene before me made my heart sink.

Silas was holding a little girl on his lap, his expression uncharacteristically gentle and doting. Beside him, a woman watched them with a soft, tender smile.

It was Lily, the Gardners’ adopted child, and her daughter, Yuna. I had seen them in the Gardners’ family photo albums.

The moment I barged in, the laughter stopped abruptly. The air froze as if I were an unwelcome intruder.

With furrowed brows, Silas looked up and scolded me harshly, "Lena, don’t you know the rules? Can’t you knock before entering?"

I didn’t have time to care about such things. Fighting back tears, I choked out, "Silas, Yael has been kidnapped. Ten million. The kidnappers are demanding for ten million dollars."

Silas remained completely unfazed, casually stroking Yuna’s hair. "Kidnapped? Don’t panic. A Gardner needs to endure hardships to grow."

I couldn’t hold back and shouted, "Silas, Yael is just a child! He’s only five years old!"

Unmoved, he pressed the intercom button and ordered coldly, "Escort Madam out."

My heart clenched, my temples throbbed violently. Throwing aside all pretense, I fell to my knees before Silas, prostrating myself repeatedly as my words tumbled out in desperation. "I beg you, Silas. Ten million is nothing to you, but every hour we delay could mean life or death for Yael. He’s just a child; he shouldn’t have to go through this. Please save Yael."

Lily pretended to comfort me, her voice dripping with false sincerity, "Don’t worry. Silas won’t ignore Yael. After all, he’s his flesh and blood. Go home and wait for news."

Silas glanced at me coldly. "Look at Lily—just how considerate she is. Why can’t you learn from her? All you do is cause me trouble every day."

I felt utterly shattered. Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled to my feet, leaning weakly against the doorframe. Silas could be heartless to me, but he had no right to direct his anger toward Yael.

He snorted dismissively. "Enough. Stop being such an eyesore. Go home and reflect on your actions."

Taking a deep breath, I turned and left that suffocating office.

In the hallway, I heard laughter echoing from the office again, as though Yael’s kidnapping was nothing more than a trivial matter.