Return of the Crowned Heiress novel Chapter 424

Mike chased a man up to the iron railing on the second floor. Just as he was about to close the distance, the man, Frank Goode, spun around, perched himself on the railing, and barked, "Don't come any closer!"

In his arms was a little girl with delicate features, her face pale and frightened—it was Sandra.

"Stay back! If you take one more step, I'll throw your daughter off!"

Frank, holding Sandra, had a scar running across his forehead. Dressed in a black tank top, his arms were covered in tattoos, and his face was cruel and menacing.

Mike froze, stepping back a few paces and raising his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I won't come closer. Just don't do anything rash. Let my daughter go, and I promise I won't go after you."

Frank sneered, "And what if I have other demands? You gonna agree to those too?"

"Of course!" Mike's voice was firm. He didn't care what the terms were as long as Frank was willing to negotiate. Nothing mattered more than Sandra's safety.

"Just come down from there. I swear, whatever you ask for, I'll give it to you," Mike said, his tone softer now. He was trying to calm the man down.

The railing wasn't very high, but beneath it was a massive machine, its gears grinding loudly as it operated. If Frank let Sandra go, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Stephan, observing from below, gestured subtly to one of his men. The man slipped away, heading toward the machine to try and shut it down.

But there was a problem. The machine didn't have a visible power switch, and its wiring was hidden deep within the structure, making it nearly impossible to disable quickly.

Realizing the movement below, Frank tightened his grip on Sandra's neck and shouted, "Tell your people to back off! Get out of here, or don't blame me for what happens!"

Sandra, barely over two years old, hung limply in his arms. She wasn't crying or making a sound. She was likely drugged during the hours she had been held captive. The sight of her like this tore at Mike's heart.

"Stephan!" Mike shouted toward the ground floor. "Tell your men to stand down! Move them out of here!"