Arthur recognized them right away — one was Ashley, the other was Taylor. "Ashley! Taylor!" He called out urgently, but neither of them stirred. Arthur tried to stand and move toward them, only to find his hands bound tightly behind the pillar. No matter how hard he struggled, the ropes didn’t budge. He called their names again and again in a hushed, urgent voice — and finally, Taylor began to move. His eyes fluttered open in a daze. "Why am I here?" Taylor still hadn’t pieced things together. Arthur quickly whispered, "Taylor, we’ve been kidnapped again. Don’t make any noise." He’d kept his voice low the entire time; he was sure there were people posted outside. They couldn’t risk alerting anyone just yet — not until they’d scoped out the place and figured out how to escape. Taylor froze, startled by his words. Again? The last time he and Arthur had been taken, he still hadn’t gotten over the trauma. He remembered that knife — the one that flew straight at Arthur’s face — like it had happened yesterday. And the pain, the terror, when that blade plunged into his chest… he remembered that even more vividly. Panic surged through him; fear took over his whole body. Arthur noticed right away and rushed to calm him down. "Don’t panic. Breathe. We’ll find a way out of here." Taylor, hearing the calm steadiness in Arthur’s voice, slowly began to settle. Arthur then turned to Ashley, calling her name softly a few times until she too began to stir. Ashley sat across from him. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Arthur through her blurred vision. "Arthur?" Her voice was hoarse, disoriented. She had no idea what had happened. All she remembered was Zac suddenly appearing.Before any of them could react, Zac had pulled out a small diffuser — and placed it right in front of them. Just as they were wondering what he was doing, everything had gone black. When she woke again, she was here. Arthur spoke fast. "Ashley, don’t be scared. We’ve been kidnapped." Arthur's words jolted her awake. She tried to get up immediately, only to find her arms bound behind another pillar. Before she could say anything else, the heavy door swung open with a creak. Blinding light flooded the room, forcing all three of them to squint. A silhouette stood in the doorway, backlit by the harsh light. For a moment, none of them could make out the person’s face — but Arthur recognized that figure instantly. Zac. Zac stood there at the door, staring in at the three of them. Arthur’s voice was cold. "Zac. I didn’t expect it. After all this time, you’re still willing to be Solivair’s lapdog." Arthur's words made Zac’s expression twitch. A flicker of anger passed across his face. But in the end, he just sighed and touched the bandaged wound on his forehead, ignoring Arthur’s jab. Instead, he said, "Arthur, the reason we brought you here is to find out where Lynn is. If you tell the truth, Mr. Solivair won’t make things difficult for you." "Mr. Solivair? The Solivair I know?" Arthur shot back. Zac nodded. "He just wants to find his beloved daughter. If you cooperate, he’s willing to let you all go." "Oh? Is that right?" Arthur gave a cold laugh. "And you speak for Solivair now?" That question made Zac pause. He’d only just become one of Solivair’s men — and Solivair still didn’t fully trust him. He had no right to speak on Solivair’s behalf. This kidnapping had only been assigned to him as a test — a test of loyalty. Zac knew that ever since he’d joined the Tremo family, just as the company had started facing a string of losses, Solivair had begun to suspect him. What he had to do now was prove his loyalty — prove his worth.As for everything else… it didn’t matter what he wanted. He had no choice. After everything he’d been through, the hatred he once felt for Arthur had long since faded. Time and again, fate kept throwing them back into each other’s lives. They were like two lines that kept crossing, again and again. Ever since John’s death, the one he caused, Zac’s resentment toward Arthur had started to dissolve. And after everything that had happened in Seacity, Zac was no longer that petty, jealous boy from the past. If Solivair hadn’t set his sights on Arthur, Zac wouldn’t have wanted to harm him. But the man he was now — he’d changed. The world had changed him. Arthur’s eyes stayed cold. "You used to bully me when we were kids. What now — all grown up and moved on to kidnapping?"