The Unwanted Daughter: When Love Comes Too Late Chapter 87: Is Tracy's Kidnapping Real?

Even before the kidnappers reached out, the Jackmans were already preparing to take action, as though the thought of Erin being hurt in the slightest was something they would never, ever tolerate.

But before they could make a move, the phone rang with the kidnappers on the line, "If you want Ms. Jackman back unharmed, send five million to the account I'll give you within 30 minutes, or else ... "

"Alright, I'll do it! Just don't hurt my daughter!" Daphne cut in before the caller could finish, her voice trembled, already on the edge of breaking.

Benjamin wrapped an arm around Daphne, his gaze dark with both anger and fear, showing no attempt to hide his worry.

Andrew was more composed than Daphne, but behind those gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes burned with fury. "If you want the cash, we need proof she's alive and safe."

His voice carried a sharp warning. "We can pay, but if my sister is harmed in any way, I swear you'll pay for it."

Liam's temper flared as well.

Yet something in the kidnapper's words stirred a different feeling in him.

That phrasing ... Why does it sound familiar?

He froze, memories surfacing of the time Tracy had faked her own kidnapping—the kidnapper had used almost the same lines.

But Erin was pure-hearted. She'd never do something like that.

Then ... could it be that Tracy's kidnapping was real?

The thought sent a jolt of alarm through him.

No—if it was real, how did Tracy return without a scratch? She must have been pretending all along!

He tried to convince himself of that, but when the kidnappers sent over a video, his certainty wavered.

On screen, Erin sat bound to a chair, a piece of cloth gagging her mouth, tears welling in her eyes as she stared at the camera.

Her face was filled with panic and fear, tears streaking down her cheeks, making her look pitifully vulnerable.

Still, her clothes were untouched, her hair perfectly in place, and apart from her pitiful expression and tied-up posture, there wasn't a trace of the usual chaos that came with being kidnapped.

Liam's mind drifted back to the video the kidnapper had sent when Tracy was being kidnapped.

When he compared them, Tracy had looked far more like the real victim.

Once this thought entered his mind, he couldn't push it back down.

He found himself weighing Erin's situation against Tracy's.

The more he considered it, the more convinced he became that Tracy's kidnapping had been real.

Erin, being gentle and pure-hearted, wouldn't lie about something so serious. So, that means Tracy was really kidnapped?

Tracy was simply less fortunate, falling into the hands of far crueler kidnappers than Erin.

As Liam was lost in thought, Andrew's voice broke through, "Liam, what are you spacing out for?"

Liam quickly pulled himself back to the present, noticing that Benjamin, Daphne, and Andrew were already standing, prepared to leave.

Seeing him still standing there distracted, Andrew's brow creased. "The kidnappers have released Erin. Come on, we're going to bring her home."

The family hurried to the spot the kidnappers had mentioned, with Liam driving so fast it felt like he was in a race.

When they got there, they found Erin lying near the road, her hair messy and her clothes wrinkled, looking far more shaken than she had in the video.

Even in her messy state, she still appeared fragile and helpless.

"Erin, are you okay? You scared me half to death!" Daphne cried as she pulled Erin into a tight hug, her voice trembling.

Benjamin looked relieved as he quickly moved to remove the ropes binding Erin.

Andrew gently helped her to her feet and checked her with worry. "Erin, how do you feel? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Liam had meant to step in too, but the sight of them like this made him suddenly freeze.

A sudden memory of Tracy came to mind—how she had returned alone, worn-out and looking abandoned after being kidnapped.

Back then, he had been too focused on exposing Tracy's scheme to notice much else. But thinking about it now, he remembered seeing blood on her.

She had been hurt, yet hadn't mentioned it. Could it be ... she really hadn't been acting?

Liam's face turned pale.

He remembered what he'd told the kidnappers at the time, to throw the body farther away ...

For the first time, Liam felt a wave of guilt and regret toward Tracy.

He had assumed she was pretending, that everything was staged—he hadn't actually meant what he said.

His thoughts were a tangled mess, and all he could think about was finding Tracy right away to set things straight, so much so that he didn't notice the others calling his name repeatedly.

"Liam!"

Andrew's firm voice finally pulled him back to the present.

With a serious expression, he said, "You've been distracted for a while now. Didn't you hear Erin calling you over and over?"

Liam turned his head toward Erin and saw her looking at him with a hurt look in her eyes.

Even though she was the one being ignored, she defended him. "Maybe Liam was just too worried about me and didn't catch what I said."

Liam's heart softened.

He knew this wasn't the right time to bring it up, but those thoughts kept circling in his mind.