Tangled in his Obsession novel Chapter 157

When Herman arrived at Leandro's apartment, he was dead set against Leandro's decision to personally deliver the ransom.

But nobody, including Herman, could change Leandro's decision.

As he helped Leandro put on his bulletproof vest and tracker, he muttered under his breath, "Who the hell is this Seraphina? She's a real trouble magnet. It wasn't long ago that we had that Balch incident, and now you're risking your neck for her again..."

Leandro gave him a side-eye, "Do you think that's appropriate talk for a cop?"

Herman looked back at him, then at his own actions, saying, "Do you think this is appropriate? You'd better come back in one piece this time. If anything happens to you, I'll pay for it with my future."

With all the preparations complete, Leandro didn't respond, but turned to leave.

"Leandro," Herman was still worried, "we're not sure if the kidnapper has any other motives. Be careful. I'll be right behind you. If anything goes wrong, you have to let me know asap."

Leandro nodded, turned to leave, but suddenly looked back.

Up on the second floor, Valerio was sitting on the floor, hands gripping the railing, watching him with hopeful eyes.

After a brief eye contact between the father and son, Leandro finally left.

Valerio's grip on the railing tightened, but he remained sitting quietly.

Leaving the apartment, Leandro met up with Keen at a nearby bank, collected the prepared money, said a few words to Keen, and then drove off.

Keen watched the car leave nervously. A minute later, Herman's car stopped in front of him and Keen immediately got in.

The exchange was to take place at a construction site in the outskirts. It was desolate, making it easy to hide and observe the surroundings, and also easy for a quick getaway.

From the moment he received the call to driving alone here, Leandro had almost no hesitation.

He had his attachments, but this situation just came at him, and he felt he had no other choice.

Leandro parked in front of the building, then got out.

The surrounding was eerily quiet, with no sound other than the wind.

He stood by the car for a few seconds, saw no sign of anyone, and then walked into the unfinished building.

The unfinished building made of steel and concrete was equally deserted, with no safety measures at doors, windows, or stairs. Leandro ascended the 16 floors, step by step.

The room was semi-open, devoid of doors and windows. In the midst of this space was a lone chair, and on that chair sat Seraphina. She was bound to it, yet her face remained uncovered—no blindfold or gag in sight. Her demeanor was eerily calm, almost as if she thought it was a mere jest.

As footsteps echoed, Seraphina lifted her gaze. Spotting Leandro, she chuckled, "You really showed up?"

Leandro locked eyes with her briefly. Without a word, he dropped a bag of money and started advancing.

"Hold on!" Seraphina's voice held a warning, her face steady, "There's a bomb strapped to my hand. I have no idea when it'll detonate. I'd hate for you to get caught in the blast."

Leandro paused for a moment after hearing her words, but continued moving towards her.

"Leandro!" She called out again, "This is not a joke."

Leandro walked straight up to her, checked her safety, and then looked at the bomb on her hand.

It was a simple homemade bomb, remotely controlled, meaning it could explode at any time.

Leandro squatted down next to the chair.