[94]
Josh paid attention to his appearance. His smile was always present on his face, not wanting to let it fade for a moment. Today was special to him. He had so many things prepared in his hands, on his gadget, and on his laptop that would silence Leonel and make him comply with all his wishes.
He whistled softly while running his hand through his neatly groomed hair. Shortly after, he confidently walked out of his room, striding towards the car prepared for him. His heart was filled with excitement. The image of Leonel losing and being helpless was already in front of his eyes.
The morning they greeted him with brightness. Even his breakfast tasted delightful. The servants in the grand house were in harmony with his mood. If only he could experience this atmosphere every day, his life would be much more enjoyable.
His phone rang just as he entered his car. He put on his earphones to answer the morning call. It usually came from Emir, providing updates on many things to be done that day, but this time it was someone else on the line. Someone is executing a different plan.
“Everything is under control, Boss,” the person informed.
“Make sure my woman doesn’t even take a single bite of breakfast. You’re responsible until I join her there.”
“Understood, Boss.”
“But don’t force her. She’s very precious to me.”
“Got it, Boss.”
Josh grinned with satisfaction. He hung up the phone and looked at his reflection in the mirror again. Feeling satisfied, he started the car’s engine and drove away from his home. “This time, it’s your turn, Leonel.”
Meanwhile, in another place, Chloe hugged herself, trembling. The air conditioning in the room, similar to a luxurious villa, was pretty warm. When Chloe regained consciousness, she was on this enormous, plush bed. What she remembered was the darkness that engulfed her room. And then Peni. That’s right.
She didn’t know what had happened to Peni. Her phone wasn’t even in her hand. She felt confused and afraid. Robby had assured her that the security around Chloe’s house was high. But how did Chloe end up here?
Was she involved in a kidnapping? But by whom?
As she came to her senses, she noticed the clock on the room wall showing 2 a. m.; until now, she hadn’t been able to close her eyes. She screamed for help, pounded on the large door, and thought about how to escape through the window, but it was too dangerous. She didn’t know the condition of this place, did she?
Chloe didn’t even know which part of the world she was in.
All her efforts were in vain. Only a few responses came from anyone. No one answered her cries for help. In this dire moment of Chloe’s life, she cursed and swore in frustration. But still, it only drained her energy further.
She was a captive.
She was locked in a rather luxurious place with plenty of facilities, but she cursed anyone who did this to her. At first, she couldn’t think clearly until she remembered Josh. He was capable of anything. Even his cunning smile and the ambition in his eyes that scanned Chloe were evident.
Right. It must be all Josh’s doing. But how?
Forget it. Chloe gave up trying to figure it out. She just needed one chance to escape as far away from this place as possible and seek help from anyone. Hours passed, but no one came to her room. She didn’t even feel tired. She was afraid that she would face severe threats in her slumber if she fell asleep. Fear, sadness, anger, everything merged into one, making her tremble even more.
“What did I do wrong?”
Suddenly, she thought about Darren’s words regarding the truth about the accident that happened to her, especially with Ester’s strong denial. Despite being annoying, there seemed to be honesty in her claim that it was all orchestrated and pointed at Chloe.
Could this also be because of Josh?
If so, dear God, what kind of person was Chloe involved with? Does that mean if Josh orchestrated her downfall, she wasn’t just a victim and a murderer? If God hadn’t been kind enough to give Chloe a chance to live, what was the purpose of the accident for Josh?
Chloe truly didn’t understand.
Time passed, albeit slowly, but Chloe didn’t care. She waited for the right moment: when anyone would open the door, and she would dash away as fast as possible. Leave this place and seek help. Her heart kept praying for strength to leave and escape from this place safely.
Finally, her wait was over. The door handle moved. Chloe immediately pushed aside the blanket that had been covering her body. She had prepared herself to run.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
“Miss,” someone called as they opened the door. They held a tray of food in their hands. The woman smiled broadly. “Let’s have breakfast first.”
Chloe didn’t care. She crashed into the server with force. The tray, which held a complete breakfast with a possibly warm glass of milk, fell to the ground, making a loud and disturbing noise. Chloe also pushed the server to the right with a firm shove. She ran.
As fast as she could, down a rather long staircase, Chloe paid little attention to the building where she was being held captive. It might be beautiful, but she didn’t like being here. It wasn’t her place, and she didn’t want anyone who did this to her.
At the bottom of the stairs, she saw a slightly open white-painted door. Regardless of how vast this building was, she aimed to find an exit. Unfortunately, her movement came to a halt as someone grabbed her.
“Let go!” she yelled with an intense struggle. The man who held her acted pretty roughly. His grip on her wrist caused her pain. “Let me go!”
The man remained silent, only tightening his hold on Chloe’s body.
“Let go, you bastard!” Chloe resisted and struck randomly, aiming at the man’s body. Regardless of where her punches landed, Chloe kept fighting. “Don’t touch me!” Chloe scolded.
“Miss, I don’t want to be rough. Please don’t resist!”
“Let go, you son of a bitch!” Chloe tried to kick the man’s shin.
“Damn it!” the man cursed. The kick hit his shin, causing him to release Chloe. But he knew that the woman wouldn’t be able to run out of this grand house. The security here was tight, and he blew a long whistle. He didn’t need the assistance of other guards. Let the pet dogs in this place handle it.
As expected, not long after, three chestnut-colored dogs blocked Chloe’s path. The woman slipped and slid in shock and fear. The faces of the three dogs were intimidating. Their drool dripped onto the floor where she stood.
“Go away!” Chloe commanded with a trembling voice. “Go away!”
The dogs kept getting closer with a menacing growl, making Chloe even more scared.
“Do you want to escape, Miss?” the man said. His words made Chloe turn, and her eyes were wide with hatred. “Go ahead. I won’t stop you. None of us will.”
Chloe’s eyes darted around quickly. Several tall, sturdy men with tattoos were around the man. They stared at Chloe, full of lust. Some didn’t hesitate to lick their lips as if silently saying that Chloe could satisfy their desires.
Wait to ask how Chloe’s body is now. She felt fragile, drained of all her energy.
“You are allowed to escape after passing Tom, Timmy, and Tendi,” the man said again mockingly. “Oh… the five of us too. You have to get past us. Do you think you can?”
“You bastard!” Chloe hissed, displeased. Her eyes burned with anger.
“The five of us want to touch you, Miss. You’re so beautiful. I even want to keep you for myself.” The man spoke with a mocking gleam in his eyes. “By the way… I’ve been longing to have a taste of you.”
“Hey, me too!” one of them laughed mockingly.
“Don’t forget; I should get my share.”
“Damn, you!!!” Chloe struggled to stand with the last of her strength. “I’d rather die than serve you!”
“Go ahead. Even your lifeless body seems delicious for us to enjoy!”
“Bastards!”
They all laughed in satisfaction.
“Timmy, teach the lady a lesson!”
One of the men who acted like a dog moved closer. Chloe recoiled in fear. She couldn’t believe how cruel these people were. The man looked at Chloe as if she were a piece of meat to be torn apart. His teeth, sharp and coated with saliva, were visible.
Chloe was terrified. She tried to crawl away, but there was no way out other than the staircase where the server she bumped into earlier called out to her with a sympathetic wave. His eyes showed pity for Chloe.
“Planning to escape, huh, miss? Why are you retreating then?” the man approached, whispering while slightly bowing. “Or… going back to your room? Safer. Rather than becoming dog food or being shared among the five of us?”
Chloe spat on the man’s face vigorously. She didn’t care if it landed all over his face. The man restrained his frustration. “You’re quite daring, miss!” He gripped Chloe’s beautiful face, forcing it to look up. He stared intently into her eyes, which showed fear but still held onto their strength.
If it weren’t for his boss’s orders not to be rough with the captive, he would have loved to toy with Chloe since last night. But unfortunately, he couldn’t. His life was at stake if he crossed his boss.
“Never do this again, miss, if you still want to breathe freely.” He released his grip with a quick shove. “Go back to your room before I take further action!”
As Chloe hurriedly climbed the staircase she had stepped on before, she swore that whoever did this to her would seek revenge. She had to!!!