The Day I Kissed An Older Man
Chapter 2366

Lucas was keenly aware that the louder someone spoke, the more likely they were hiding something. These kidnappers were all desperados, and while Lucas was at a disadvantage, there were certain weaknesses to exploit.

In particular, the leader seemed to have a nostalgic attachment to his past as a youth, which might provide a window of opportunity for Lucas. Moreover, the fact that the others seemed to fear this leader suggested he was likely the mastermind behind their operations, perhaps even having blood on his hands.

However, these were just Lucas's speculations. He did not want to engage them directly if he could avoid it. There was no guarantee they would honor their agreement once they got the money.

Lucas furrowed his brow slightly, the slap on his face seemingly inconsequential compared to the gravity of the situation at hand. His concern was what would happen next, especially with Claudia by his side. From the moment they were kidnapped, he never entertained the thought of escaping alone. He could only hope that his grandfather would not truly listen to these kidnappers because relying on the police force was absolutely necessary.

When the leader went out to search through his backpack, Lucas sat back up straight.

"Claudia, are you okay?"

Upon hearing Lucas' voice, Claudia could not hold back her sobs any longer. While the leader of the kidnappers was present, she had been suppressing her cries, afraid that any loud noise would lead to her being dragged out.

"I'm sorry for involving you in this. I didn't expect they'd kidnap you too." Lucas genuinely felt sorry. "Don't worry, as long as I'm here, I'll protect you."

Claudia sniffled. "I'm okay for now. It's just that I'm starting to get numb all over from lying on the ground. We don't have any grudges with the kidnappers, so why did they kidnap us? Is it really just for money?" Lucas could tell she was very afraid when she replied to him in a relatively calm voice and did not blame him for involving her. This made him even angrier at the kidnappers. At the same time, he was grateful that Claudia's inherent kindness prevented her from blaming him. After all, nobody would be happy to be dragged into such a situation.

"They're just after money. I hope they'll let us go after they get it," Lucas replied, his tone devoid of much hope.

Hearing Lucas's pessimistic tone, Claudia felt even more despair.

"You're right. These ruthless people would not let us go after taking the money. But there's no way to escape with our hands and feet all tied up. I want to go home too! I wish I hadn't argued with my sister last night..."

Claudia broke down in tears again, her words filling Lucas with a sense of helplessness. He wanted to reassure her, to tell her not to be afraid and not to worry, but he knew it was difficult to remain calm in this situation. Speaking more would be futile; after all, his own hands and feet were bound, rendering him powerless.

'Maybe it would be better for her to let out her emotions now, especially since those kidnappers aren't around. Let her cry if she needs to,' thought Lucas.

Outside, the kidnappers were roughly tearing apart Lucas' backpack. His student ID and several other cards fell out.

"Boss, look at this kid, he's pretty handsome. Even his ID photo looks like a movie star."

The skinny guy who had offended the boss earlier grinned as he held up the cards for the leader to see.