Carrie''s voice tugged at Ralph''s heartstrings.


    "Save me, Ralph."


    Scared stiff, Carrie wailed silently. Her teardrops broke Ralph''s heart.


    He wanted tofort her, but the assurance to the hostage would trigger the perpetrator, putting the hostage in further danger.


    Ralph took one long, hard look at Carrie before shifting his gaze to the man with bloodshot eyes.


    "Easy there, Brian. The girl is innocent. She doesn''t know about you. She doesn''t know the five students. She''s just an innocent bystander.


    "Take me as your hostage. I''ll take her ce. Just let her go."


    Carrie watched tearfully as Ralph inched closer to the perpetrator cautiously. Guilt washed over her.


    She med her foolishness.


    She should have stayed in the ssroom and waited for Yasmin. If she were not so clumsy, she could have escaped. But it was pointless to regret it now.


    As Ralph drew close, Brian shouted angrily, "Don''te any closer, or I''ll cut her throat and jump off the building with her. I know what you''re nning. You want to rece the hostage and take me down. You''re a cop, so I can''t overpower you. I already killed two kids, and it''s toote for me now. It makes no difference if I kill another."


    Ralph carried a serious look, but his heart was jumping out of his chest. "I understand where you areing from. I don''t have a daughter, but if my sister is a victim of abuse, I won''t put up with it. I''ll avenge my family."


    Brian''s hand trembled, drawing a deeper cut into Carrie''s neck.


    "I know your daughter is a student here. The five students assaulted your daughter. They are bullies."


    Carrie''s teary eyes widened as her painful past flooded into her mind.


    "You''re an idiot! Why are you in school? Do you understand the wordsing out of my mouth?"


    "She shouldn''t be in school like the rest of us. She should be in a mental institution."


    "Stay away from her. She''s a psycho. Maybe her insanity is infectious. Hahaha!"


    The harsh taunting haunts Carrie to this day.


    Carrie closed her eyes in agony, and her trembling legs gave out.


    Sensing the change in Carrie, Ralph felt for her, and his voice came out raspy. "I really hope to help you. You''ve taken two lives, but you can stop yourself from making more mistakes. Your daughter is still in the emergency room. You should be with her right now. She needs you more than ever. This drastic revenge is pushing you further into oblivion.


    "When your daughter wakes up and learns that her father became a murderer because of her, she wouldn''t just be haunted by the abuse, but she would also be


    shouldering heavy guilt. Don''t


    that on her. She''s been hurt enough. She has tried to take her life once. Are you trying to make her take her life again?”


    The police officers in the back looked at Ralph with respect.


    Despite his age, Ralph handled the negotiations like a pro. He kept his words brief but concise.


    Most importantly, his sincerity rang true.


    He did not just want to save the hostage; he also put himself in the perspective of the perpetrator, getting through to him via empathy.


    Sure enough, Brian started to budge.


    "Don''t lie to me. The police are full of hot air. You won''t do anything for me."


    Rage overcame him at the thought


    of his injured and unconscious daughter. "My daughter and I have contacted the school and the police more than once to straighten out the students. But because theye from wealth and power, they walk out free. Why should I believe you now?"


    Ralph grew furious.


    Savrow Art Academy was not in Ralph''s jurisdiction. Ralph''s team was put on the task when the case turned criminal.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    I<--


    ↑