Chapter 3
Antony let out a dismissive laugh, his eyes filled with disdain. Suddenly, he felt foolish for having worried about Jenny’s actions earlier.
“The package contained a ring,” his assistant paused, “it looked like the one Ms. Jones always wore.”–
Antony’s eyes narrowed sharply. “Say that again.”
His assistant quickly sent over a photo of the ring. Antony recognized it immediately. It was the engagement ring he had given her when he confessed his feelings at sixteen. Jenny had always treasured it, wearing it like a prized possession.
A complex emotion stirred within Antony, but it was soon overshadowed by anger. He quickly typed into the chat window, his fingers flying over the keyboard:
[Can’t keep up with your staged kidnapping act, huh?]
[Trying to play the ‘hard to get‘ game to threaten me again?]
[Jenny, if the ring’s returned, then we’re really done.]
[Don’t bother me anymore!]
After sending the messages, he was met with silence, like shouting into a void. Jenny, who usually responded instantly, was nowhere to be seen in the chat.
Feeling irritable, Antony scrolled through their chat history. It was filled with Jenny’s one–sided check–ins and sweet messages. A cold smile tugged at his lips–of course, Jenny loves him. This was all just a show.
Determined to teach her a lesson, Antony turned off his phone, cutting off any chance of her reaching out to make amends. He then stood up abruptly, shaking a bottle of champagne vigorously.
“Pop!” The cork flew off, and he smashed the bottle on the ground. Turning to the woman in his arms, he laughed wildly, “I’m in a great mood today! Let’s celebrate!”
The next morning, I woke to find Allen absent from the room. Having been “kidnapped” for the first time, I had no clue what the protocol was after spending the night with the leader of the kidnappers.
Was I supposed to wait for someone to pay my ransom? Or was I now bound to him for life?
Or maybe…
I glanced around the empty room, noticing my unbound hands and feet. Could I just walk out of here?
The clothes on the floor were a mess, my shirt and stockings torn to shreds. I picked up Allen’s oversized shirt and quietly made my way to the door.
From the balcony behind me came Allen’s playful scoff, “Those three are your loyal followers, not mine. As far as I’m concerned, they’re nothing but rebels from your old regime. Breaking a few bones is getting off easy.”
As he stepped out onto the balcony, Allen didn’t notice me by the door. He moved his phone slightly away from his ear, as if the person on the other end was getting a bit too colorful with their language.
Allen’s smile grew colder. “Dad, let’s not forget, I’m the one calling the shots at the Bishop Group now. If they mess up my plan, they’re in for a world of trouble. You better keep your temper in check.”
Without waiting for a response, Allen hung up. His eyes lifted and landed on me, a hint of teasing in his gaze.
“Thinking of running after taking advantage of me?”
Startled, I shook my head vigorously, “No, no, I wasn’t going to run.”
At that moment, I remembered who Allen really was–the top gangster in the city, dealing in dangerous, high–stakes business. Running from someone like him was out of the question. Listening was the key to staying alive.
04:46
Allen raised an eyebrow and closed the distance between us, backing me against the door. His gaze swept over my legs peeking out from beneath his shirt, darkening as he scooped me up, placing my bare feet atop his shoes.
“Guards are swarming the entrance. Were you planning to go out dressed like this? I don’t think you’re trying to escape; it looks more like a death wish.”
It was impossible to stay balanced like this. I clung to Allen’s neck, leaning slightly against the door, whispering, “My parents are researchers, always out of signal range in the mountains. They’re respected in society but not particularly wealthy. It might take a while before they even realize I’m missing and come up with the ransom.”
Allen paused before chuckling, “Stay with me, and you won’t want for money.”
I hesitated. So, if there was no ransom, did that mean I was to stay with him forever?
“I’ve never been in this situation before, I don’t know what comes next. Do I stay here? Or, or…”
Suddenly, Allen’s lips were on mine, a gentle peck that turned into a smile. “Do you know how to date?”
I blinked, confused, “Huh?”
Allen lifted me effortlessly, laying me back on the bed, his voice a soft murmur against my lips, “Let’s just follow the dating protocol.”
Three days later, Antony finally powered up his phone. Three days of wild, reckless partying had left the mansion in shambles, like a hurricane had swept through, leaving behind only the debris of a decadent chaos. He fished his phone out from between the couch cushions, slumping back, expecting a flood of notifications.
There had to be countless messages from Jenny. Day after day, she sent him messages about the most trivial things. Annoying.
He bet there’d be an essay from her this time.
Just as the notifications stopped dinging, a call came through, and without thinking, Antony answered it.
As soon as Antony saw the caller ID, he sighed. It was his mom again. He suspected that Jenny had enlisted her help to mediate between them once more.
Antony furrowed his brow, preparing to speak, but his mom’s anxious voice interrupted him: “Antony, have you been able to reach Jenny? Why hasn’t she responded to my messages for three days? Is something wrong?”
The haze from the alcohol vanished almost immediately, leaving him alert. No contact? No response? Suddenly, Antony remembered a phone call from three days ago about a kidnapping. Was Jenny still playing games?
Antony’s lips tightened, his expression darkening as he dialed her number. He couldn’t quite articulate his feelings–panic was there, but mostly it was frustration and anger. Jenny had really crossed the line this time! “Hello?” The call connected quickly. But on the other end was the deep, hoarse voice of a stranger. Antony’s face turned stony. His heart sank. Three in the morning. And a man answered Jenny’s phone.
Those two facts combined into the grim realization of a kidnapping. Panic surged through him. Antony clenched his fist, his voice taut with tension: “Where’s Jenny? Let her answer the phone! You haven’t harmed her, right? Give me the address, and I’ll come to get her!”
There was a pause on the other end, followed by what sounded like a chuckle. But the voice remained calm and gentle: “Tonight’s not a good time. She’s worn out. Even if you brought a whole cavalry, she probably wouldn’t have the strength to leave with you.”
Antony shot up from the sofa. His eyes filled with a palpable tremor! Almost immediately, he roared in anger, kicking over the coffee table in front of him, his eyes bloodshot:
