Phoebe had never seen anything like this and was terrified. By the time she thought to fight back, she was already in the car. “Edward…”

Before she could finish, a towel was shoved in her mouth, and she was tied up. This sudden nighttime abduction nearly drove her mad with fear. Phoebe struggled, but several hands held her down. The car door slammed shut, and the black business car sped off.

In less than a minute, she watched helplessly as Edward was taken away by two men in black, getting farther and farther away.

Despair washed over her, and a million thoughts raced through her mind.

‘Who wants to kidnap me? What do they want? Is Vanessa behind this?’

The car was eerily quiet. After tying her up, the men in black did nothing else. The dark vehicle and flickering streetlights outside made it worse.

The silence made Phoebe even more anxious. She tried to push the towel out of her mouth but couldn’t.

Two men in black sat on either side of her, their faces cold and ruthless.

The more she thought, the more scared she got. Then, they covered her eyes with a black cloth.

‘Why cover my eyes? Are they going to kill me? At least they should use me to get money from Theodore,’ she thought angrily.

Even if Theodore wouldn’t pay, her mom, Evelyn, would know she was kidnapped and find a way to get the money.

At this point, money didn’t matter. Losing her life was the real fear.

The car sped down the highway. An hour later, it stopped in an underground parking lot where Lawton was waiting.

Seeing Phoebe dragged out, tightly bound, Lawton’s heart nearly stopped. He glared at the bodyguards. “What’s wrong with you? I said to bring her, not tie her up like this.”

Lawton was almost suffocating. He wanted to speak but feared Phoebe would hold a grudge and punish him later. He was in a tough spot.

He quickly waved for the bodyguards to take her into the elevator.

Phoebe felt something was wrong as she was dragged out of the car. Being taken into the elevator made her even more uneasy.

‘In TV shows, kidnappers hide their victims in remote places. Why are they taking me to a hotel? Wait, a hotel! Are they planning to film something obscene to ruin my reputation?’ she thought. Her heart raced. With her eyes covered and mouth gagged, she couldn’t see or call for help. She could only wait for a chance to escape.

Lawton stood in the corner, watching her expressions change. He felt like dying. How would they end this?

The elevator opened, and Phoebe was carried out. The strong smell of disinfectant hit her nose.

‘What kind of hotel smells like disinfectant? Are they taking me to a hospital to harvest my organs?’ she thought, stunned.

Phoebe was nearly scared to death by her own thoughts. She felt the kidnappers stop, then they opened a door and shoved her inside. She stumbled and fell to the ground. The door closed behind her.

The room was eerily quiet. Though she couldn’t see, her hearing sharpened. She heard rustling, like clothes rubbing together.

Then came the sound of slippers on the floor, slowly approaching. A cold, strong hand gripped her chin.

Phoebe was flustered.

The person seemed to be examining her. After a moment, they grunted in displeasure and removed the black cloth from her eyes.

The sudden light made her squint. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw Theodore.

He appeared thinner, still in the process of recuperating from his injuries. His leg struggled to bear his weight, and his hospital gown exposed almost fully healed abrasions.

Up close, Phoebe could smell a faint mint scent from his collar, warmed by his body heat.

She squinted, hiding her anger.

So, this terrifying kidnapping was just Theodore’s prank. If she could speak, she’d ask if he found it funny.

They stared at each other before Theodore spoke, “Don’t glare at me. I didn’t tie you up.”

Phoebe was even angrier. She grunted, signaling him to untie her.

Seeing her angry eyes, Theodore smiled leisurely. “It’s good to keep you tied up.”

With her tied up, she wouldn’t run around, making him chase her. He thought it best to keep her tied until he was discharged.

Realizing he had no intention of untying her, Phoebe screamed, wishing she could kick him.

‘Why don’t you tie yourself up?’ she thought.

Theodore’s eyes, larger from weight loss, were filled with amusement, making her headache.

‘Is he planning to keep me tied up like this?’ she thought.

She stared at him in horror, her eyes pleading, but he ignored her. He stood up and commanded, “Two people, come in.”

The bodyguards entered. Theodore pointed at Phoebe. “Carry her to my bed, and don’t hurt her.”

Before she could struggle, the bodyguards grabbed her and carried her to the bed. She was furious.

Peeking through the door crack, Lawton quickly turned away, pretending he hadn’t seen anything.

When it came to being a pervert, Theodore was the worst. Wasn’t he afraid she’d kill him once she was free?

The bodyguards placed her on the bed and quickly retreated, as cold and emotionless as robots.

Phoebe was livid.

The hospital bed sank slightly, and her back pressed against a warm body. The fresh mint scent filled her nose, and then an arm weighed down her waist. Theodore draped his injured leg over hers in a sort of restraining embrace.

Holding her in his arms, Theodore’s heart finally settled.

He closed his eyes in satisfaction and whispered in her ear, “You heartless person, I risked my life to protect you.”

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