Chapter 16: Chapter 16



“Help! Help!” Joelle screamed, her voice shrill with terror, but the man’s grip was strong, rendering her efforts to escape futile. The back door of his van swung open, yawning like the jaws of a trap ready to snap shut. No matter how desperately she pleaded, no one stepped forward to help. Instead, the crowd murmured with cruel indifference.

“She’s vicious, abusing the elderly, cheating, and abandoning her family!”

“She deserves worse! A good beating will teach her a lesson!”

“No! No!” Joelle shook her head frantically, her tears cascading down her face. But her pleas fell on deaf ears as she was dragged into the van. The vehicle sped off, the rear door slamming shut.

This was no random abduction; it was a well-orchestrated operation. The man, who had claimed Joelle was his wife, roughly shoved a hood over her head and bound her hands and feet behind her. Her struggles were useless, especially once he taped her mouth shut, silencing her cries.

Time passed in agonizing silence until she heard the man make a phone call. “Hey, I’ve got the woman. When will I see the money?” Joelle’s mind raced. His words suggested this wasn’t ordinary human trafficking. She strained to hear more.

“Aren’t you afraid of the consequences? Fine, whatever! I’ll drop her off soon, but if that million isn’t in my account, don’t blame me for what happens next.” Joelle’s heart plummeted. This was a targeted kidnapping. But who could be behind it? Who hated her enough to go this far?

Suddenly, the van screeched to a halt. The man cursed under his breath, “Damn it! Can’t you drive properly?” From the front, the driver responded nervously, “Landen, there’s a Lincoln in our way!” A Lincoln! Joelle’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be Adrian?

“Shit! It’s Adrian Miller’s car!” The man, Landen Dudley, ordered the driver to reverse, but it was too late. Adrian’s men had already surrounded the van. Landen gulped, his bravado faltering. The little girl beside him clung to him, her voice trembling. “Daddy, I’m scared!”

“It’s alright,” Landen muttered, though his own fear was palpable. But before he could say more, the van door was yanked open, revealing Adrian. He stood there, one hand casually in his pocket, his tie missing, and a few buttons of his suit undone, revealing his muscular chest.

“I heard my wife is also yours?” Adrian’s voice was a low, dangerous growl, each word dripping with menace. Landen nearly crumbled, his legs threatening to give out beneath him. “Mr. Miller, please, it’s all a misunderstanding! I swear!”

He rushed to untie Joelle, but the moment his hand brushed against her, Adrian’s expression darkened, as if a sacred boundary had been violated. Landen recoiled, and with a shaky breath, he stepped back, allowing his daughter to finish untying Joelle.

The first thing Joelle saw when the hood was lifted was Adrian’s face. Relief washed over her like a warm tide—she was safe. As twilight deepened, casting the sky in shades of orange and gray, streetlights flickered on, stretching into the distance like sentinels. Adrian carried Joelle in his arms, the soft hum of eight black cars’ engines surrounding them, their headlights converging on him.

Joelle’s tightly wound nerves finally unraveled, and she surrendered to exhaustion, closing her eyes. Later, she awoke with a start, her dreams still haunted by the memory of Landen’s ferocious face. She found herself crying, but Leah was there, gently wiping away her tears. “Madam, it’s alright now. You’re safe. Sir brought you back.”

“Leah!” Joelle gasped, clutching the maid’s hand as if to ground herself in reality. “Where’s Adrian? I need to see him!” “He’s in the study.” Joelle didn’t hesitate. She hurried to the study, where she found Adrian in the middle of a remote meeting. Without thinking, she barged in.

Adrian, wearing a Bluetooth earpiece, frowned, clearly displeased. “I have something urgent. The meeting is paused for two minutes,” he said to the screen before removing the earpiece. “Joelle, you’re becoming increasingly reckless,” he added, his voice laced with annoyance.

Joelle’s heart was still racing, her thoughts in disarray. “What happened to the man who kidnapped me? He was working for someone. If we catch him, we can find out who’s behind this!” Adrian lit a cigarette, his movements measured and calm. “Landen Dudley is a known criminal. You’re not the first he’s kidnapped. He, his daughter, and their driver have all been handed over to the police.”

Joelle stepped closer, her voice steady despite the fear coursing through her veins. After an ordeal like this, she knew she had to remain composed. “I’m telling you, Landen isn’t the mastermind. Someone else is orchestrating this. The real threat is still out there!” Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Joelle, your imagination is running wild.”

“I’m not imagining things! I heard it myself. Someone called Landen—the real person who wants me dead!”

“Enough!” Adrian’s voice cut through the air as he put his earpiece back in place. “I’m busy right now! We’ll discuss this later.” Joelle stood there, her words swallowed by the silence between them. One second, two seconds, three seconds passed, each one stretching into eternity.

Finally, in a voice tinged with defeat, she asked, “Was it someone from the Lloyd family? Erick or Rebecca?” Adrian didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her down onto his lap. His voice was a low, commanding whisper. “Quiet for a moment.”

Then, into the earpiece, he resumed his meeting. “Continue.”

.

.

.