The Kiss that Sparked it All

Time ticked by, dragging into the wee hours of the morning.

The trio huddled together, ostensibly catching some sleep, but in reality, Balfour and Elton lay with their ears pricked up, attuned to every little sound outside. NôvelDrama.Org owns © this.

Of the three, only Victoria had succumbed to sleep.

The adrenaline rush from the day’s harrowing events had given way to exhaustion, and she’d drifted off despite herself,

Elton watched over Victoria, her brow furrowed even in slumber, with a pang of

tenderness.

After all, this was the only shot they had.

It was only when the guards’ snores filled the room that he dared open his eyes and met Balfour’s gaze, equally alert.

“Wait a bit longer.”

Balfour mouthed silently to him.

It was just past midnight; too early to make a move. The guards weren’t yet in a deep sleep. The best time to escape would be between 1 am and 3 am.

“Got it.” Elton gestured, feigning sleep once more.

Leaning against the wall, he felt a tightness in his chest and stiffness throughout his body from the awkward position, but he dared not move.

Sometimes, he struggled to breathe, finding a bit of comfort only in this cramped posture.

“Click-”

The clock struck one, and they carefully began to untie their bindings.

Surprisingly, B

Balfour was the first to snap the hemp rope binding his hands. He’d been working at it subtly since they were captured that afternoon.

As his hands were freed, the first thing he did was to slide down his blindfold, hold his breath, and listen intently for any noise beyond the snoring.

Assured of quiet, he quickly set to work on Elton’s leg bindings.

“Mr. Lewis, we’re short on time, so listen. I’ll lift the iron wires at the back, and you take Victoria and run! I’ll draw their attention. Keep an eye out behind you. If you run out of steam, find a place to hide, somewhere far away.”

Elton disagreed, “Kid, I’m the adult here. It’s my job to take the risk. You take my daughter and get out. That’s all that matters!”

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08:12

But Balfour wouldn’t hear of it. This whole mess had started because of him. If it wasn’t for those thugs wanting a piece of the Howard family fortune behind him, the Lewis family would never have been dragged into this.

It was his responsibility to bear, and he was ready to face any danger head-on. Plus, he was confident that his grandparents and the police were already on their way.

Distracting the kidnappers was vital, and he didn’t trust Elton with the task; he suspected Elton was badly hurt.

If Elton didn’t succeed, he might not make it out at all.

But Elton was just as resolute. He couldn’t let Balfour, barely more than a kid himself, take on such peril.

“Listen, Kid. When I offered to come with the ransom today, I was prepared for the

possibility of not coming back. Finding a way to escape is more than I hoped for. You two are young. If anything happens, take care of my daughter for me.”

Balfour still refused to agree, and in their struggle, Victoria woke up. “Dad, Balfour, what were you guys talking about?”

Elton began to untie Victoria, “Sweetie, listen. I’m going to pretend to break out the front door. You follow Balfour out this back window got it? Don’t look back!”

“Mr. Lewis!” Balfour’s brows were knit tight, “You don’t have to risk it like this.”