Raymond sat at the right hand side if his grandfather at a long dining table
overflowing with carefully prepared dishes, yet his hands had not touched a single plate since he arrived. His eyes were glued to his phone, fingers tightening around it as he watched the video playing on repeat. A girl swayed her waist slowly, her movents deliberate, her fingers tracing her own body in a sensual, taunting manner.
His blood boiled. Veins stood out on his temple, his eyes turning bloodshot as he continued watching.
The video had been sent by Sullivan.
Ever since Raymond traveled, Sullivan made sure to provide daily updates about her, where she went, who she spoke to, how she smiled without him. Raymond knew she was angry. He hadn’t told her he was leaving.But he had no choice.
His grandfather had called that sa day, threatening to sign over the company shares to his stepbrother if Raymond did not return imdiately. There was no ti to explain, no room for argunts. He left in a hurry, believing he could fix things once he was back. Clearly, he had underestimated her defiance.
The chatter of his family filled the dining hall, cutlery clinking, low laughter, polite conversation but Raymond heard none of it. His thoughts were consud by Lena. By her rebellion. By the way she was slipping out of his control.
"It is inappropriate to be pressing your phone on the table during dinner."
The sharp voice snapped through the haze.
Raymond didn’t look up. Gerald Black, his father, sat stiffly across from him, irritation etched into his features.
"Funny," Raymond replied coolly, eyes still on the screen, "coming from the man whose entire life was built on inappropriate choices."
The table fell silent.
"You will watch the way you speak to , boy," Gerald snapped, his voice rising.
Raymond leaned back lazily in his chair, a faint, mocking smile tugging at his lips. "Or what?" he asked, finally lifting his gaze. "What exactly will you do, Gerald?"
They glared at each other, tension crackling like a live wire. No one dared to breathe until Raymond’s grandfather slamd his hand against the table.
"Enough!" the old man’s voice bood. "This is a family dinner, not a battlefield."
Raymond gave a lazy nod, the smile never leaving his face. Gerald nodded as well, though his fists remained clenched, rage simring just beneath the surface.
"Raymond," Grandpa Black said after a mont, "why are you not eating?"
Raymond scanned the dishes briefly before smiling. "I developed a new palate in York City. I no longer find this food appetizing."
"Why not let the kitchen prepare sothing else for you, honey?" Cynthia spoke up softly. She had been silent until now.
Raymond’s eyes flicked toward her, cold and sharp. "You seem to forget sothing, Cynthia. You are not allowed to call that." His gaze swept around the table deliberately. "Or have you all forgotten who you used to reserve that na for?"
No one missed the implication. Everyone at the table had been a witness.
"Don’t be like that, Raymond," Cynthia said quickly. "You know I love you. Those things are in the past. Soon, we’ll beco husband and wife."
Raymond laughed, low and humorless. "That’s what you’ve always wanted, isn’t it? The Black family na. I’ll give you credit, your sches are getting bolder by the day."
"Enough, Raymond!" Gerald barked. "Is this how you were raised? With no manners? Why not learn sothing from your brother?"
Raymond’s smile hardened. "I raised myself. Maybe that’s why. And don’t compare to a stain on the Black na."
"You’ve gone too far," Lucas, Raymond’s stepbrother, finally spoke. "And this, coming from soone Daddy once rejected."
Raymond didn’t even spare him a glance. To him,
Lucas didn’t exist.
Just as Grandpa Black was about to intervene again, Raymond’s phone rang.
He answered it imdiately, pressing it to his ear. He listened in silence, his expression shifting. The playful arrogance drained from his face, replaced by sothing dark and lethal. He rose abruptly, the chair screeching loudly against the floor.
The entire table froze.
"Grandfather," Raymond said slowly, his voice dangerously low, "I have sowhere to be. I’ll be gone for a while." He paused. "One of my drivers will take Cynthia ho."
"Where are you going, honey?" Cynthia asked, barely masking the anger beneath her smile.
Raymond turned to her, eyes glacial. "The next ti you address with that term, I will have your tongue gouged from your mouth."
A chill swept through the room. Everyone knew he wasn’t joking.
His grandfather said nothing. He knew Raymond’s limits, and the miracle it had taken for him to return and accept this engagent at all. He chose not to push further.
Raymond strode out and dialed Liam imdiately, ordering the jet to be prepared. He needed to be in York City before morning.
Lena had been kidnapped.
Liam obeyed without question, already heading to the airport. As the engines roared to life, Raymond’s temper oscillated between rage and cold calculation.
He had leaked the photo of himself and Lena to keep predators away.
Clearly, it hadn’t worked.
Soone was about to learn a very painful lesson.
And he would make sure of it.
Lena woke up with her head splitting in two, a sharp, relentless pain pounding behind her eyes. A groan slipped from her lips as she slowly opened them, blinking repeatedly while trying to adjust to the dim, barely existing light in the room. Her vision swam, shadows lting into one another, and for a mont she thought she was still dreaming.
She tried to move.
Nothing happened.
Her body felt heavy, unresponsive, like it no longer belonged to her. Panic surged as she struggled harder, only to feel a harsh pull against her wrists and ankles. She looked down, breath hitching, and that was when reality slamd into her.
She was tied to a chair.
Thick ropes dug painfully into her skin, binding her arms behind her back and her legs to the chair’s fra. She twisted again, desperation fueling her strength, but the ropes didn’t budge.
"There is no use trying."The voice ca from behind her."The ropes are tight," the man continued casually. "You wouldn’t loosen them even if we left you here all by yourself."
Lena froze, then slowly turned her head toward the sound. At the far end of the room sat a man who looked to be in his early thirties. Jagged scars cut across his face, giving him a permanently twisted expression.
He leaned back against a dusty crate, watching her with unsettling calm.
Her eyes darted around the room. The walls were cracked, the windows boarded up. Dust coated the floor, and the air slled of rust and decay. It was abandoned.
Dread crept into her chest as fragnts of mory rushed back,.the street, the sudden grab, the cloth over her face.
She had been kidnapped.
"Who sent you?" Lena asked, forcing her voice to stay steady despite the fear clawing at her throat.
"You know this is a cri. If you’re caught, you’ll go to prison."
The man chuckled darkly. "Not if you’re already dead."
A chill ran down Lena’s spine.
"I have money," she said quickly. "I can pay you double whatever they’re offering. Triple, even."
"I don’t think you can afford ," he replied calmly.
"The person who ordered your kidnapping gave clear instructions. Hold her for two days, then let her go." He paused, studying her. "I don’t know why, but whoever it is doesn’t want you dead. Just... out of the way."
Lena’s thoughts spiraled wildly. Who would want this? She hadn’t crossed anyone. Hadn’t threatened anyone.
Then Evans’ face surfaced in her mind. Ashley’s too.Her stomach twisted. She wouldn’t put it pass them.
"I don’t plan to disrupt anything," she pleaded. "If you let go, I swear I won’t leave my house."
The man said nothing, his expression unreadable.
"Boss," another voice interrupted as a second man entered the room. "I think soone is looking for her."
The scarred man stood, his eyes lingering on Lena for a mont before he walked out with the other man.
As soon as they were gone, Lena began
struggling again. She twisted, strained, pulled, pain tearing through her shoulders,but the ropes refused to give way.
Ti blurred.
She didn’t know how long had passed, but she was sure it had been more than a day. Three n took turns watching her. One of them stared at her openly, his gaze crawling over her skin in a way that made her nauseous.
Her entire body ached. Hunger gnawed at her stomach relentlessly, and her throat burned from thirst and all the tears she had cried in silence. Eventually, exhaustion forced a grim acceptance on her. No one was coming.
She would endure the two days. Then they would let her go.
"Our boss already left," one of the n said as dawn approached. His eyes glead unpleasantly. "He said we should let you go by morning. But how do we let a pretty girl like you go without tasting you first?"
Lena’s heart slamd violently against her ribs.
Another man snapped, "Rakim, don’t. The boss said we should release her without a scratch. And the man looking for her is close. We need to leave here when he arrives."
"I don’t give a fuck who’s looking for her," Rakim spat. "I’ll take what I want before she leaves."
Lena’s mind raced, fear sharpening her thoughts.
"I don’t need to untie you," Rakim continued. "Your mouth will do. Try anything funny, like biting , and I’ll kill you."
The other man hesitated, then walked away, leaving them alone. Rakim approached her.
He yanked her hair viciously, forcing her head back. His rough hand traced her face, sliding toward her mouth. His eyes darkened with intent as he tried to push his fingers between her lips.Lena bit him.Hard.
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