Chapter 6 Kidnapping

When Giselle arrived at Midnight Coffee, she realized something was off.

The place was already closed for the day. The lights were dim, and it was completely empty—not even a single staff member in sight.

The air was thick with the stale smell of old coffee mixed with dust.

"Stella?" she called out tentatively, but only her own hollow echo answered back.

The unease in her heart grew heavier. She turned to leave, but the heavy glass door behind her was pulled shut from outside. Two sleazy-looking men blocked her way.

The leader, Kai, had a buzz cut and fierce tattoos covering his arms. A malicious grin spread across his face. "Ms. Montague? We've been waiting for you."

Giselle's heart sank to the bottom.

I don't know these people.

The only possibility—it's Stella! She lied to get me here just so these men could come after me!

A chill shot from her feet to the top of her head. Giselle forced herself to stay calm, quietly slipping her hand into her bag to find her phone. Backing away, she steadied her voice. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"What do we want?" Kai leered as he moved closer. "Stella said you were lonely and asked us to keep you company."

It really was Stella!

Giselle's heart filled with both hatred and cold fear. Her fingers quickly pressed the emergency number on her phone screen. Just as she was about to bring it to her ear, the other man, Ace, suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"You damn bitch trying to call the cops?" He snatched the phone from her hand and smashed it hard on the ground. The screen shattered into pieces and went completely black.

Her only hope was crushed. Giselle's face turned pale, but she bit her lip hard, refusing to show any sign of fear.

She had to save herself!

Seeing that despite her fear, her eyes still held a stubborn defiance, Kai became even more interested.

He grabbed Giselle's chin, his rough fingertips rubbing against her delicate skin. "You're quite a looker, way better than in the photos. Don't worry, I'll make you feel real good."

Giselle's stomach churned. Fighting back her nausea, she suddenly forced out a pleasing smile. "Sir, isn't there some misunderstanding? Stella's young and doesn't know better. If she offended you gentlemen, let me apologize on her behalf."

As she spoke, her eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, looking for any chance to escape.

Seeing her soften, a smug look appeared on Kai's face.

Giselle took the opportunity to remove a thin gold necklace from around her neck and carefully held it out. "This is just a small token, not much. Take it and buy yourselves some drinks, and please let me go, okay?"

That necklace was something she'd bought herself with her first scholarship money. Though not expensive, it was her most treasured possession.

Kai weighed the necklace in his hand, greed growing in his eyes, but his hands didn't stop their movements.

Ace, behind Kai, quietly pulled out the hand she'd hidden behind her back and spotted a crystal bracelet on her wrist. He tried to grab it too.

"Not this one!" Giselle quickly tried to protect it.

In the struggle, the bracelet's string snapped. Over a dozen crystal beads scattered across the floor, rolling into the dark corners.

Just then, Kai's phone rang.

He answered it, responding impatiently a few times. After hanging up, his expression instantly turned vicious. "Shit, what's the rush!"

He cursed, pulled out a small pill bottle from his pocket, shook out a pill, and roughly pried open Giselle's jaw to shove it in her mouth.

Giselle struggled desperately, but the pill was still forced down her throat.

Soon, a strange heat rose from her abdomen, quickly spreading through her limbs, making her body go weak and her vision blur.

"Take her!"

The two men dragged her into a deeper alley behind the coffee shop. The alley was filled with garbage, reeking of rot.

Kai pinned her against the cold wall and impatiently began tearing at her clothes.

Giselle's mind was foggy, but her survival instinct forced her to hold onto her last thread of clarity.

She couldn't let herself be destroyed like this!

"Sir, don't... don't rush..." she panted, her voice taking on a seductive quality from the drug's effect, sounding like she was playing hard to get. "You're so strong, like this... it's not convenient for you."

Kai paused, clearly flattered by her compliment.

"You... take off your pants first, and I... I'll help you." Giselle's voice grew softer, but her trembling hand reached for his belt.

Aroused by her teasing, he didn't suspect anything and let her unbuckle his belt.

The moment his pants dropped, Giselle's eyes flashed with determination. She used all her strength to pull out the belt, wrapped it around his neck from behind and yanked it backward, while simultaneously driving her knee hard into his groin!

Kai let out a scream and instantly doubled over.

Giselle quickly wrapped the belt several times around his flailing arms and tied a tight knot, then pushed him away and ran.

The drug made her legs feel like they were walking on cotton, but her will to survive pushed her forward.

"You damn bitch! I'll kill you!" The furious shout from behind made Giselle's heart race with terror.

She ran blindly, tripped over something, and fell hard to the ground. Her knees hit the rough gravel road, instantly becoming bloody and raw.

Before she could get up, Kai had caught up and kicked her in the back.

The kick made Giselle's vision go black. She was dragged back deeper into the alley.

His eyes were bloodshot, like an enraged beast. His massive body pressed down on her, pinning her beneath him.

"Run! Try running again!" he snarled, his filthy hands reaching for her collar once more.

Despair flooded over Giselle like a tide. Tears mixed with humiliation streamed down her face. Just as she closed her eyes, ready to bite her tongue to end it all—

A blinding beam of headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the alley entrance bright as day.

Against the light, a tall, imposing figure suddenly appeared, radiating overwhelming force.

"Stop!"

That voice was cold as ice, each syllable carrying towering rage and murderous intent, making Kai's blood seem to freeze instantly.