Chapter Thirty -Eight
Reina was reveling in her cleverness, her body entwined with Albert’s as they engaged in a passionate encounter. She had promised him the best sex of his life, and she was determined to deliver. But amidst the fervor, she remained cautious, ensuring their noises were muffled to avoid detection. Simultaneously, she was orchestrating a sinister plan, her phone call to the men holding Evelyn captive a testament to her cunning.
As she whispered instructions, her voice was laced with malice, her intention clear: to deceive Evelyn into believing she was hearing Antonio’s intimate moments with Reina herself. The ruse was meant to crush Evelyn’s spirit, to extinguish any hope she might have held onto.
However, after her successful plan, Albert’s phone rang, shrill in the silence, and Jacob’s voice on the other end delivered news that would upend Reina’s scheme. Evelyn’s phone had been tracked, and a rescue mission was underway. Albert’s eyes met Reina’s, and he relayed the message, his voice barely above a whisper.
Reina’s expression transformed, her eyes flashing with anger and her face contorting in a maniacal laugh. “Antonio may be smart, but I outsmarted him this time!” she gloated, her voice low and menacing. “Let’s see him try to rescue Evelyn now!”
Albert’s countenance was solemn, his eyes locked on Reina’s. “You need to be cautious, Reina. This isn’t a game anymore.” With that, he disentangled himself and exited the room, his departure nonchalant yet urgent.
Reina’s focus shifted to her phone, her fingers flying across the screen as she contacted her henchmen. Her tone was laced with venom, her words dripping with malice. “How did the phone get switched on?” she spat, her anger palpable.
The men’s sheepish admission only fueled her ire, and she berated them mercilessly. But time was of the essence, and Reina knew it. She ordered them to discard the phone and relocate Evelyn to a secure, undisclosed location. Her mind raced with possibilities, her intention clear: to ensnare Evelyn in a trap from which she might never escape.
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Evelyn’s POV
As the men dragged me out of the room, I couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope. “Are you finally letting me go? Thank you so much! I can start a new life and forget about anyone and anything from my past,” I exclaimed, my words tumbling out in a rush.
But my optimism was short-lived. One of the men growled in his thick Italian accent, “You better be quiet if you don’t want bruises on that mouth of yours.” His tone was menacing, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.
I tried to struggle, but it was futile. They were too strong, and I was too weak. “Wait, are you going to kill me? Did that witch already order you to kill me?” I pleaded, my voice laced with fear.
But they didn’t respond. Instead, they swiftly bound my hands and legs with rope and blindfolded me. I was trapped, helpless, and at their mercy. My mind raced with thoughts of despair. “Yes, it’s time. I’m going to be killed. No one even cares,” I thought, tears streaming down my face.
I was lifted and tossed into the same mini bus that had brought me to this nightmare. The familiar feeling of the rough fabric beneath me and the sound of the bus’s bouncing suspension brought back memories of the initial abduction. I felt like I was reliving the horror all over again.
The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the sound of the bus’s tires hitting the rough road. I lay there, helpless and blindfolded, my mind wandering to Debbie and school. I missed the sounds of laughter, of chatter, of life. All I had now was the eerie silence and the constant bouncing of the bus.
As we hit the main road, the sounds of other vehicles filled the air, and I felt a pang of nostalgia. “I miss this,” I muttered to myself, my voice barely audible. My thoughts were a jumbled mix of fear, despair, and longing for a life that seemed lost forever.
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Antonio’s eyes narrowed as he stared at his laptop screen, his mind racing with the implications of the changed location. “Fuck! What is this?” he exploded, his voice like thunder, causing his men to turn to him with a mix of concern and fear.
Jacob, always the brave one, dared to ask, “Boss, what’s wrong?” but Antonio’s response was a growl, “The location changed!” His eyes blazed with anger, and his jaw was set in a determined line.
Albert, however, remained calm, his eyes fixed on Antonio with a knowing glint. He had suspected Reina’s involvement from the start, and this latest development only confirmed his suspicions.
“It’s at a point!” Antonio barked, his patience wearing thin. “Don’t fucking disturb me!” He glared at Jacob, his eyes flashing with warning.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
The driver, sensing the tension, accelerated the vehicle, eager to reach the new location before Antonio’s wrath turned on him.
As they arrived at the location, Antonio’s laptop beeped, and he pounced on it like a predator. His eyes scanned the screen, and his face darkened as he spotted something on the ground. With a swift motion, he leapt out of the vehicle and sprinted towards the object, his men following close behind.
It was Evelyn’s phone, broken and battered, but still intact. Antonio’s hands trembled as he picked it up, his eyes fixed on the shattered screen with a mix of anger and despair.
His men fanned out, searching the area, but returned empty-handed. Antonio’s expression turned grim, his eyes blazing with determination. “To the next location!” he barked, his voice like a whip crack.
The driver sped off, and they arrived at an abandoned building, its walls worn and weathered. “This is where Mr. Donald used to live,” one of the men remarked, and Antonio’s eyes narrowed as he remembered the connection.
With a swift kick, he opened the door, and his men followed, their guns drawn. The interior was musty and decaying, but Antonio’s eyes scanned every inch, searching for any sign of Evelyn.
That was when he saw them – pictures of himself, defaced with red lipstick kisses. Reina’s signature move. Antonio’s anger boiled over, and he kicked the table, shattering it into pieces.
He stormed through the rooms, his men at his heels, searching for any trace of Evelyn. And then, he saw it – a familiar hairclip, Evelyn’s hairclip, lying on a dusty shelf. Antonio’s eyes welled up with emotion as he picked it up, his fingers closing around it like a vice.
The search yielded nothing else, but Antonio’s determination only grew. “To the mansion!” he growled, his eyes blazing with a fierce intensity. His men knew better than to argue, and they rushed back to the vehicle, ready to face whatever lay ahead. His eyes not leaving the road to see if he’d find anything that’d lead him to Evelyn.
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Evelyn’s POV
I stirred awake, my senses foggy, and my body aching from the prolonged bus ride. I tried to sit up, but my movement was met with a stern glare from the men, their eyes fixed on me like hawks. I felt their gaze even though I was blindfolded, and the sound of their shifting in their seats was a subtle warning to remain still.
The bus came to an abrupt halt, and I was yanked out of my seat, my arms pulled behind my back. I stumbled, my feet dragging on the ground as I was dragged into a building. The sound of the door slamming shut behind me was deafening, and the click of the lock was a stark reminder of my captivity.
Time passed, and I heard the door creak open. The blindfold was removed, and I blinked as the faint ray of sun entered my eyes. A tray of food and water was placed on the floor beside me, and one of the men gazed at me with a mixture of indifference and contempt. He turned and left, leaving me alone in the hot, dirty room.
I stared at the food, my stomach growling with hunger, but my mind wary of the potential poison. Yet, something inside me urged me to take a bite, to taste the bitterness of my fate. I had no choice. I picked up a piece of bread, the crust hard and dry, and took a small nibble. The flavor was bland, but it was enough to spark a spark of hope within me.
As I ate, my thoughts wandered to Debbie, to Antonio, and to the life I once knew. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I fought them back, determined to face my reality head-on. I was a prisoner, a pawn in Reina’s game of revenge, but I refused to let her break me. I would hold on to hope, no matter how fleeting, and pray for a miracle to set me free even if I’d have to do it myself.