Daniel's smile lingered long after he ended the call, a cold, menacing grin that only deepened as the silence in the room stretched on. He stared at the phone in his hand, replaying the voice of the idiot kidnapper in his mind. They thought they had the upper hand, but they didn't realize who they were fucking with. No one crossed Daniel Viggo and lived to tell the tale.
"Come in," he called out suddenly, his voice cutting through the stillness of the room like a blade. He didn't need to raise his voice; he knew they were standing outside, listening, trembling. His team always tried to stay out of sight when he was like this, but Daniel wasn't stupid. He could feel them hovering just beyond the door, too afraid to make a sound but too loyal to leave.
The door opened slowly, and his assistant stepped in. One look at the smile on Daniel's face, and the man's blood ran cold. He froze for a split second, his instincts screaming at him to run, to get as far away from Daniel as possible. But running wasn't an option. Not when you worked for Daniel Viggo.
The assistant swallowed hard and forced himself to stand straight. He'd seen Daniel like this before, but it never got easier. That smile… that fucking smile was a warning. It wasn't joy, it wasn't relief—it was the calm before the storm, the moment before all hell broke loose. And his assistant knew, without a doubt, that something terrible was about to happen.
"Prepare another bag," Daniel said casually, his tone so calm it was almost eerie. "50 billion. I want it ready in the next few hours."
The assistant blinked, his mouth going dry. Fifty billion. In cash. He wanted to protest, to ask why the hell Daniel needed that kind of money now, but he wasn't stupid. The last person who had questioned Daniel during one of his moods hadn't lasted very long.
"Right away, sir," the assistant stammered, backing out of the room as quickly as he could without turning his back. He could still feel Daniel's gaze on him, like the weight of a predator watching its prey. As soon as he was out of the room, the door clicked shut, and the assistant let out a shaky breath. He glanced at the rest of the team, who were all gathered in the hallway, their faces pale.
"He's in one of his moods," the assistant muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Prepare the bag. Fifty billion. And for God's sake, don't fuck it up."
The team scattered immediately, each person rushing to carry out the order. No one asked questions. No one dared. They had seen what happened to people who made the mistake of hesitating when Daniel gave an order.
Back inside the room, Daniel leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs as if he didn't have a care in the world. The smile remained on his face, though it had softened into something more dangerous. His mind was busy, swirling with thoughts of revenge. He couldn't stop imagining it—how it would feel when he finally got his hands on those bastards. The way they'd scream when he made them pay.
They thought they were so clever, playing him, leading him around like a fool. But they didn't know him. They didn't understand what kind of man they were dealing with. Daniel was done playing games. The second he picked up on the stupidity of that last kidnapper, he knew things were about to turn in his favor. There was always a weak link, and this idiot was it.
He ran a hand through his hair, still feeling the tension in his scalp from earlier when he'd practically torn it out in anger. He hadn't felt rage like that in a long time. But it was justified. What they'd done, what they had dared to do—it was unforgivable. And when he found them, he wasn't going to kill them right away. No, that would be too easy. Too quick.
Daniel was going to make them suffer. He was going to rip them apart piece by piece, mentally and physically, until they were begging for death. Begging to be put out of their misery. And he would make sure to draw it out, to savor every second of their pain.
His lips curled into a sneer as he thought about the ringleader. He was no doubt cocky, thinking he had won. Thinking he had the leverage because he had Lina. But Daniel had been in the game far too long to let anyone outplay him. Fifty billion wasn't the end—it was just a piece of the puzzle. Daniel didn't care about the money. He didn't care about how much he'd lose in this process.
What he cared about was the look on their faces when they realized their mistake. When they saw that they had fucked with the wrong man.
For a moment, Daniel's thoughts drifted to Lina. The image of her face flashed before his eyes, and the smile faltered slightly. His jaw tightened, the muscles in his face twitching with restrained fury. He had let this happen. He had let her get taken. And now she was out there, alone, because he hadn't been fucking careful enough.
He slammed his fist against the armrest of the chair, the sudden impact making the entire room seem to vibrate. His breathing quickened, and he could feel the rage building again, bubbling up beneath the surface like molten lava.
He wasn't going to let them keep her. He wasn't going to let her die.
They thought they had won, but they didn't know who they were fucking with.
Daniel closed his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to take a deep breath. The anger would serve him well, but not if it clouded his judgment. He had to stay sharp, stay focused. His enemies were already making mistakes, and he couldn't afford to miss his chance when it came.
The phone call had given him the opening he needed. That fool had no idea that by calling, he had signed his own death warrant. Daniel had heard the desperation in his voice, the greed, the lack of discipline. He was going to exploit that weakness. And when the time came, he'd make sure the kidnapper realized just how much he had fucked up.
His smile returned, even colder than before. This wasn't over. It was just beginning.
When his team came back with the 50 billion, he'd be ready. Ready to take control, ready to set the trap, and ready to exact his revenge.
He would make them wish they had never laid eyes on Lina. They would regret the day they decided to cross Daniel Viggo.
Because by the time he was done with them, there wouldn't be enough left of them to bury.