The Substitute Bride: Idiot Or Not?

Xavier narrowed his eyes a fraction. Nevertheless, he remained calm and unruffled.

"Then, you're really dishonorable. If you're going back on your word with me now, would you still divide the gold bars among your lackey after obtaining them? Or are you not even planning to allow them to live? If you do so, would anyone still dare to follow you in the future?"

His words were tantamount to a huge rock tossed into the water, resulting in massive waves.

Sure enough, the other kidnappers present had their eyes trained on the suitcase of gold, all wearing eager expressions.

When the kidnapper in the pig mask saw that his lackeys had been successfully divided, he shot out his hand and swung it at Xavier's face.

As he did so, he roared, "Stop sowing discord here! Do you believe that I'll rip your tongue out?”

Alas, Xavier moved faster than the man, for he dodged before the latter's fist could land on him.

On the heels of that, he grabbed hold of Winnie. They then darted to the side of the wall by the window.

As soon as Xavier caught sight of an iron rod on the ground, he shot Winnie a look. "Pick it up and smash the window."

Winnie, on the other hand, was rather reluctant to do so. In a whisper, she muttered, "They've got two guns, mister."

Xavier frowned. "Just do as I said!"

"Fine." The wooden panel on the broken window was rotting so badly that it was moments away from falling off, so Winnie didn't need an iron rod. All she needed to do was to hit it twice with her elbow. With two thuds, she smashed the rotten wooden panel.

Unfortunately, that attracted the kidnappers' attention.

The man in the pig mask instantly pointed the gun at Winnie. "What are you doing?"

Winnie hastily raised her hands tactfully and shoved all the blame on Xavier beside her.

"It wasn't me, Sir! Mr. Fairchild was the one who told me to do so. He said it was too stuffy in here, so he needed some fresh air."Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

The man in the pig mask snorted a bark of laughter. "What's the fuss about whether the air is fresh when you'll be dying soon? You rich people are so fussy."

"Exactly! Rich people like them are so pampered!" As Winnie seconded him, she hooked the iron rod to her back with a leg for her convenience to use it anytime.

At the same time, the man in the pig mask ordered, "The few of you, go and tie them up first! I still want to torture them slowly!"

At that turn of events, Winnie took two steps back.

Honestly speaking, she had no problems jumping out the window behind her with her agility though it wasn't all that big.

She raised her hands even higher. "Since your target is Mr. Fairchild, I can leave, right?"

Actually, she didn't mean anything by asking such a foolish question. She merely wanted to buy time.

After all, Xavier's men, as well as Christopher and the others, were probably still on their way there.

They all had the location. While they deliberately kept a distance during the departure out of worry that the kidnappers would discover them, they likely wouldn't be that late.

"What do you think, gentlemen? Consider allowing me to leave, won't you?" Winnie continued buying time.

All the kidnappers present acted as though they had heard the greatest joke in the world, bursting into raucous laughter at once.

The man in the pig mask started mocking her. "What a naïve lady! Do you think you can still walk out of here alive when your employer is going to die?"

In a flash, someone stepped forward and suggested, "I think it's okay to spare her, Boss. She's a woman, so she'll definitely be of some use!"

"Yeah, Boss! I've been celibate for several months now, and I'd love to have a taste of her!"

"Say, aren't you too ravenous, Tigris? Look at her. She's been wearing a mask all along. Who knows what her countenance looks like beneath the mask? She might be unsightly! Yet, you don't mind it, huh?” "What's the big deal about wearing a mask? Look at her eyes! They're bright and crystalline. As such, she must be a beauty!"

At long last, Xavier snapped, "That's enough! Shut up if you don't want to die!"

They can say anything they like, but not her eyes, for her eyes are a carbon copy of Dumbo's. Never mind if they insult anyone else, but not Dumbo, including everything that bears a resemblance to her! "Whoa! You've got a broken leg and are now in captivity, yet you're still all arrogant, Mr. Fairchild!"

The man in a pig mask scratched his head with the gun. "So what if I just want to die? Are you capable of rushing over and killing me now? You're just a d*mn cripple!"

In response, Xavier sneered, "Hah! It's a piece of cake to kill the lot of you. I don't need the use of my leg at all!”

As he said that, he hugged Winnie around the waist.

Before she could gather her wits about her, he yanked open her shirt.

In a heartbeat, the buttons on her shirt scattered on the ground, revealing the black bulletproof vest underneath.

Stunned for a moment, Winnie regarded him with a frown. "What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"

Xavier ignored her, merely continuing to tear at her shirt.

Only after the outer layer of the bulletproof vest was torn off did Winnie notice two liquid bombs attached to the inside of it. She was wholly floored.

I even complimented Louis on his consideration when he brought me a bulletproof vest, but it turned out that they planted bombs in it!

Her eyes went wide, and incredulity was written all over her face. "D*mn you! Why didn't you plant the bombs in your own bulletproof vest?" Xavier looked down at her, but still, he said nothing at all.

The group of kidnappers reacted swiftly as well. The instant they saw the bombs on Winnie, they immediately scattered and backed away.

A timid one among them even wanted to open the door and leave, but a shot from the man in the pig mask stopped him in his tracks.

"Come back here! Why are you running? I don't believe it, so stop trying to play me for a fool with fake bombs, Xavier Fairchild! Would someone like you choose to die with people like us?" Xavier's lips turned up, and he took out a mini remote control from his pocket.

He lightly pressed a button, upon which the timer on the bombs promptly started a ten-minute countdown.

"You can try your luck. The remote control is in my hands. I can have it explode at once or pause it. It's your choice."

Fear began creeping into the man in the pig mask, for the bombs looked no different from the real thing. "Do you believe I'll kill you with a single shot?"

Xavier's face was devoid of expression. "As I said, it's your choice. You can kill me, but this remote control is connected to my heartbeat. Once my heart stops beating, the bombs will go off. At that time, this entire abandoned quarry will be reduced to rubble, much less the few of you. If you've made up your mind, my head is right here. You can pull the trigger anytime."

"Don't shoot, Boss! I don't want to die when we've got twenty million now!"

"Exactly, Boss! Just return that woman to him. We can't risk our lives!"

"Hear, hear! Don't act impulsively, Boss. We can flee anywhere with the gold bars in hand. There's no need to fight him to the death here!"

The man in the pig mask started wavering.

In truth, the twenty million in gold bars were an idea that occurred to him out of the blue. The orders he received weren't to blackmail Xavier. Instead, it was to forcibly inject the man with a drug, making the latter addicted and ruining his life.