Chapter 4

　　Nyelle

　　"You're finally awake." The deep male voice instantly made my eyes snap open.

　　For a few seconds, everything around me looked blurry and distorted. My head pounded painfully while darkness surrounded the room except for a single dim bulb hanging above me.

　　Then reality hit. My breathing stopped, I was tied to a chair.

　　My wrists burned against the rough rope holding them tightly behind my back while my ankles were tied to the chair legs. Panic exploded inside my chest immediately.

　　What the hell was happening?

　　One horrible thing after another kept happening to me so fast that my brain could barely keep up anymore. Was the universe personally trying to finish me before the cancer could?

　　A tall man dressed completely in black stood a few feet away from me. Even his face was hidden behind a black mask, revealing nothing except his cold eyes.

　　The moment he started walking toward me, my heartbeat became uneven.

　　I instinctively tried moving backward, but the chair scraped harshly against the floor instead.

　　The sound echoed through the room.

　　"Relax," he said calmly, though somehow that made him even scarier. "I'm going to call your husband now and tell him you've been kidnapped."

　　My chest tightened painfully at the word husband.

　　Vincent. Would he even care?

　　A bitter laugh almost escaped me internally.

　　Maybe if this happened a week ago, I would have believed he'd come for me immediately.

　　But after tonight? After hearing him say he wouldn't care if I disappeared from his life forever?

　　I wasn't sure anymore.

　　Still, a small stupid part of me hoped. Because no matter how badly Vincent treated me, I couldn't stop my heart from wanting him to choose me for once.

　　The masked man pulled out his phone before dialing Vincent's number. By the fourth call, Vincent finally picked up.

　　The kidnapper immediately placed the phone on speaker.

　　"Your wife has been captured by me," he said bluntly.

　　There was a brief silence. Then Vincent's voice came through the phone casually.

　　"Okay."

　　That was it. Okay? No panic or even concern.

　　The kidnapper glanced at me briefly before continuing.

　　"If you want her back alive, you'll need to pay one billion."

　　"I know this is some scam," he said coldly.

　　Something inside my chest cracked quietly. The masked man frowned before suddenly switching the call to video.

　　The screen lit up instantly, and my stomach twisted painfully the second Vincent's face appeared. He was shirtless and Cassia was beside him wrapped in bedsheets while leaning against his chest lazily, her hair messy from sex.

　　Sweat glistened across both their skin. My fingers curled tightly against the ropes.

　　"You think I'd pay that amount of money for her?" Vincent scoffed while shaking his head in disbelief. "Are you serious right now? Do whatever you want with her. I'm not paying a dime. Stop wasting my time."

　　Each word felt like a knife pushing deeper into my chest.

　　From beside him, Cassia laughed softly before kissing his jaw.

　　"Baby," she murmured flirtatiously, "come on… let's go for another round."

　　A soft moan escaped her lips afterward. My eyes immediately burned with tears.

　　I quickly looked away from the screen before they could fall.

　　The man slowly lowered the phone before ending the call completely.

　　Then the masked man turned toward me slowly.

　　"Are you sure that man is really your husband?" he asked bluntly.

　　I didn't answer. Honestly, even I was starting to question it myself.

　　The man stared at me for another moment before speaking again. "He just gave me permission to do whatever I want with you."

　　The second he stepped closer, fear rushed through me violently. His hand reached toward my face, but I reacted immediately, leaning forward and biting his hand hard.

　　"Shit!" he cursed loudly.

　　The next second—Smack!

　　The slap landed so hard across my face that the chair tipped sideways completely.

　　Pain exploded through my cheek as I crashed against the floor with the chair still attached to me.

　　A broken groan escaped my throat automatically.

　　My ears rang painfully.

　　"You crazy woman," he snapped angrily. "Your husband already said I can do whatever I want with you, so maybe I should just sell you off instead. Sounds more useful."

　　Sell me? My heartbeat turned frantic.

　　Panic rushed through me so badly that I immediately forced myself upright despite the pain shooting through my body.

　　The moment he untied the chair roughly to drag me back up, I quickly grabbed his leg desperately.

　　He frowned. "What now?"

　　I looked around frantically before starting to sign

　　quickly with trembling hands.

　　"I can give you something better."

　　The masked man paused. To my shock… he understood. My eyes widened slightly.

　　Funny how a complete stranger understood my signs faster than Vincent had in five years.

　　"What do you mean?" he asked slowly.

　　I swallowed hard before signing again carefully.

　　"Something you'd like."

　　His eyes narrowed curiously. "And what exactly would I like?"

　　I stared directly at him before signing the next words.

　　"I know you're the one blackmailing Vincent."

　　The atmosphere changed instantly. Even through the mask, I saw the shock in his eyes.

　　For the past year, Vincent had been receiving anonymous blackmail calls constantly. Threats, secret information, and financial leaks.

　　I always knew the person behind those calls would eventually make a move. Turns out I was right.

　　The masked man slowly crouched in front of me now, studying me carefully like I had suddenly become interesting.

　　"And how do you know that?" he asked quietly.

　　I simply stared back at him. Because unlike Vincent, I actually paid attention to people.

　　The man suddenly smirked beneath the mask.

　　"Interesting."

　　Then he tilted his head slightly. "So what exactly are you offering me?"

　　I signed one word slowly. "Money."

　　That immediately made him laugh. "I like that answer," he admitted.

　　A few minutes later, after making a deal with him, he finally untied me completely and let me leave.

　　The moment I got home, exhaustion hit me instantly. But before I could even process everything that happened tonight—

　　"Ahh… Vincent…"

　　Cassia's loud moan echoed through the house.

　　Followed immediately by the sound of the bed slamming against the wall.

　　Clap…Clap…Clap.

　　My entire body stiffened. Seriously?

　　Were they trying to torture me on purpose?

　　Anger exploded inside me so suddenly that I even got shocked.

　　I turned around immediately and stormed back outside before getting into my car again.

　　Then I drove straight back toward the abandoned warehouse where the kidnapper was waiting.

　　The second I entered, he looked surprised. "You again?"

　　I quickly started signing toward him immediately.

　　"I need the phone you've been using to blackmail my husband."

　　The masked man stared at me strangely for a few seconds. Then slowly… his eyes narrowed.

　　"Why do you need it," he asked suspiciously, "when you're mute?"

　　He stepped closer carefully.

　　"Unless…" his voice lowered dangerously. "You can actually talk and you've just been pretending this whole time?"