Chapter 16
Two weeks passed in what felt like a dream. The stitches in my abdomen healed completely, leaving behind only a faint pink line to remind me of that rainy night. My life had transformed in ways I never could have imagined.
Jules and I fell into an easy rhythm. Mornings spent over coffee discussing business, afternoons exploring the city together, evenings sharing quiet dinners where we talked about everything and nothing. He never pushed for more than I was ready to give, content with stolen touches and lingering glances.
The more time I spent with him, the more I discovered layers to Jules Prime that fascinated me. Behind the dangerous exterior lurked a man who could discuss literature with surprising depth, who had strong opinions about architecture, who laughed at my terrible jokes as if they were the cleverest things he’d ever heard.
I was falling for him–slowly, then all at once.
“What are you thinking about?” Jules asked one evening as we sat on the terrace, watching the sunset paint the sky in fiery hues.
I smiled, not quite ready to confess the depth of my feelings. “Just how strange life is. A month ago, I thought my world was ending. Now…”
“Now?” he prompted, his eyes intense on mine.
“Now I can’t imagine going back to that life.”
His hand found mine, fingers intertwining. We sat like that until darkness fell, comfortable in the silence between us.
The next morning, Jules left early for a business meeting. “I’ll be back tonight,” he promised, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead–the first time his lips had touched my skin. The gesture was so tender, so unexpected, that it left me breathless.
“I’ll be waiting,” I replied, savoring the warmth that lingered where his lips had been.
After he left, I busied myself with work–reviewing contracts for my new position as CEO, making notes for upcoming meetings. The mansion felt emptier without Jules, the silence more pronounced.
My phone rang, breaking the quiet. Unknown number. I hesitated before answering.
“Hello?”
Silence greeted me, then the sound of someone breathing.
“Hello?” I repeated. “Who is this?”
“How are you, Monica?” A deep voice finally replied, each word dripping with malice.
“Who’s calling?” I demanded, a chill running down my spine.
The man laughed, the sound like gravel being crushed. “You know me,” he said. “You know me very well.”
“If
you phone.
don’t say
who you are, I’ll end this call,” I threatened, though my hand trembled around the
2:49 am GDDD.
Another laugh, longer this time. “If you end this call, you’ll find the dead bodies of your parents.
tomorrow.”
My blood turned to ice. “What?” I gasped. “What did you just say?”
“Listen to this,” the man said.
“Monica? Darling? Are you fine?” My mother’s voice, high with panic, cut through the line,
“Mom!” I shouted, jumping to my feet. “Where are you? What happened?”
“I don’t know,” she sobbed. “I’m scared. These men burst into our house and took us. They’re hurting Bill. Monica, I’m scared.”
“Mom, it’s going to be okay,” I promised, though fear clawed at my throat. “Mom!”
Her voice disappeared, replaced by the man’s chilling laughter.
“Hey!” I screamed into the phone. “What do you want? Money? I’ll give you money! Please, let them go. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Now that’s more like it,” the man purred. “You’ll do anything, you said?”
“Yes, anything,” I repeated, desperation making my voice crack. “Just don’t hurt them.”
“I just sent you a message,” he said. “Come to this address tomorrow. Alone. If I see you with anyone, or worse, if I even suspect you’re not alone, I’m putting a bullet through your parents‘ heads. So you better be careful.”
A tear slid down my cheek. “Yes, I’ll come alone. Please don’t hurt them.”
The call ended. Seconds later, my phone pinged with a message–an address for some remote location I’d never heard of..
I sank onto the sofa, mind racing. I needed help. I needed Jules. But the kidnapper’s warning echoed in my head: come alone or my parents die.
I spent the day in a haze of anxiety, jumping at every sound, checking my phone obsessively for any more messages. When Jules finally returned that evening, he found me pacing the living
room.
“What’s wrong?” he asked immediately, his eyes scanning my face. “Something’s bothering you.”
“It’s nothing,” I lied, forcing a smile. “I’m just being dramatic for no reason.”
Jules stepped closer, cupping my face in his hands. “Whatever it is,” he said softly, pressing another kiss to my forehead, “I’m always here to listen. Don’t worry. I can do everything for you, so if there’s anything bothering you, talk to me.”
The words nearly broke my resolve. I wanted nothing more than to tell him everything, to let him. fix this like he’d fixed everything else in my life. But as I opened my mouth, a movement caught my eye–Vella, hovering just outside the doorway, clearly eavesdropping.
I swallowed my confession. “I’m completely fine,” I insisted. “There’s nothing bothering me.”
“You sure?” Jules pressed, his thumb gently stroking my cheek.
“Yes,” I nodded. “I’m sure.”
“Fine,” he relented. “Get some good sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I barely slept that night, my mind filled with terrifying scenarios. The kidnappers hurting my parents. My parents‘ dead bodies. The man’s chilling laughter.
Chapter 15
212 73.3%
By morning. I’d made my decision. I had to go. Alone.
I waited until Jules left for another meeting, then called a cab. The driver gave me a concerned look when I told him the address.
“That area’s not safe, miss,” he warned. “You sure that’s where you want to go?”
“I’m sure,” I replied, though my heart hammered in my chest.
The cab took me as far as it could, but stopped several kilometers from my destination. “Road’s not accessible from here,” the driver explained. “And it’s not safe. You really shouldn’t go there alone.”
I paid him and stepped out, squinting at the desolate landscape ahead. Nothing but dirt roads and abandoned buildings as far as I could sed.
I’d walked perhaps half a mile when I heard it–tires screeching on gravel behind me. Before I could turn, rough hands grabbed me, a cloth bag descended over my head, and I was lifted off my feet.
I kicked and screamed, fighting against my captors until a familiar voice froze me in place. “Welcome, Monica Wells,” said the same chilling voice from the phone. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
