Detectives, especially Mallister—who had spent months tracing Martin’s criminal web—were visibly shaken. How could they justify letting a confessed criminal escape justice? Yet Chance was torn. Was this a real opportunity to save his uncle or just another manipulation from a master deceiver?

Across town, Phyllis Summers, furious and suspicious, called Jack. “He’s lying,” she hissed. She suspected Martin was spinning a tale to incite panic and buy time to disappear. But Jack, burdened with the impossible weight of choosing between law and life, knew they had to proceed cautiously. Martin promised to send a photo of Alan as proof. It was their only lead—and maybe, their only hope.

Soon after, an email pinged into inboxes across the city. The attachment? A haunting image of Alan—alive, thin, shackled, but unmistakably him. Behind him, a crude message read: “Freedom for one. Justice for none.” Tracy’s gasp echoed through the Abbott living room. It was him. She knew it. But Chance wasn’t convinced. The photo lacked identifiable details. Could it have been staged?

Still, the pressure mounted. The public was watching. Lives were on the line. Jack, pushed to the edge, made the call to the district attorney. He offered a temporary suspension of Martin’s extradition—on the condition that proof of Alan’s location was verified and Martin agreed to surrender post-rescue.

And then, the screens across the courtroom went dark—before flickering to life again. A live feed appeared, showing Alan sitting on a makeshift bed in a concrete cell, eyes burning with quiet resolve. Tracy broke down, sobbing with joy and grief. “He’s alive. He’s really alive.”

Martin’s chilling voice cut in once more. “He’s alive because I choose to keep him alive. That’s the bargain.” Every word drove the knife deeper—forcing the city to weigh justice against compassion.

Now, Genoa City teeters on the edge. If they accept Martin’s terms, he walks free. If they reject him, Alan may perish. The clock is ticking, and Martin holds all the cards. In this high-stakes game, every move counts—and the soul of the Abbott family may hang in the balance.