Chapter 1
Chapter 1
In the lavish cabin of the private jet, a heavy, obsidian–black coffin was securely fastened to the right side, an oppressive and jarring presence that clashed starkly with the aircraft’s luxury.
The air seemed to grow heavier aroun
Seated nearby, Natalie Reel ac giving it an ethereal glow. She c phantom teetering on the edge of
sifth mere sight of the coffin cast a shadow over the opulence,
I motionless. The sunlight streaming through the cabin window kissed her clear skin, o delicate, so otherworldly, it was as if she might fade away at any moment, a fraye
ence,
The sudden chime of her phone bi the suffocating silence. Her long, curled lashes fluttered slightly, the only sign of life in her otherwise still figure.
Slowly, the bewildered sorrow clouding he captivating eyes began to dissolve, replaced by a faint, flickering, warmth- fragile trace of emotion returning to her expression.
“Grandpa, Dad and I…” her voice faltered as she spoke, the word Dad catching in her throat. Her gaze drifted toward the black coffin, and the color drained completely from her face. “We’ve arrived at the airport
“Nat,” her grandfather’s voice came through the line, unusually heavy with urgency, though he addressed her fondly by her nickname. “There’s been a terrorist bombing at Hocem Airport. The plane had to land farther from me than expected:
His tone was calm but grave, each word a deliberate attempt to mask his worry. “Don’t be afraid. I’ve arranged for someone to pick you up. Stay on the plane, do not move…”
The call began to break up, static crackling through the connection. His words became fragmented, distorted. “If anything happens… just say… you’re Jonas Lawson’s fiancée… Remember to-”
Before Natalie could respond, a deafening explosion shattered the moment. Boom! The private jet’s cabin door blew open with a force that sent fiery debris and scorching heat flooding inside.
The air was filled with the acrid smell of smoke, burning metal, and seared leather, a hellish assault on the senses.
Shouting erupted as a group of armed men stormed into the cabin, their harsh voices barking commands. Panic coursed through her veins, but she had no chance to react. A chemically soaked cloth was pressed over her mouth and nose, the sickly sweet scent overwhelming her as her vision blurred.
Darkness claimed her, swift and unrelenting, as the chaos spiraled further out of control.
*****
Natalie’s body slumped limply against the car door, her head leaning against the window. Her hands were tightly bound, and a thick blindfold covered her eyes, leaving her with no idea what was happening around her.
Even as her forehead bumped against the glass with every jolt of the car, she didn’t dare move. She couldn’t risk letting the kidnappers realize she was awake–losing the element of surprise could mean losing her only chance.
Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt.
Her heart clenched, and she strained to pick up any sound, her ears desperate for clues.
The rough movements of the car earlier had loosened the fabric of her black blindfold just enough to create a tiny slit above her left eye. Through that narrow gap, she caught a glimpse of two towering figures standing outside, clad in camouflage military uniforms.
‘Soldiers!‘ For a fleeting moment, hope flared in her chest like a match struck in the dark.
She shifted slightly, bracing to call out for help, only for her stomach to drop as cold sweat broke out across her skin. The
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words she overheard turned her fragile hope into sheer dread.
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The men outside were speaking in Nocriudorian. Panic stabbed through her as she remembered where she was–not America, her peaceful homeland, but Nocriudor, a war–torn country embroiled in brutal conflict for over twenty–one years.
This wasn’t a haven of law and order. Here, armed factions ruled with bloodied hands, and soldiers were anything but saviors.
The voices outside grew louder. another soldier peeked into the ve
of the men demanded a toll, his tone laced with impatience. Natalie watched as
his sharp eyes catching sight of her bound form.
Instead of intervening, the man iet out a lewd chuckle, his lips curling into a crude smirk.
“She looks good. Bet she’ll fetch a decen rice, huh?” he jeered, his words sending a sickening wave of fear coursing through
her.
The kidnappers responded without hesitation, upping the toll they offered. Money exchanged hands quickly, and the car rumbled back into motion, leaving the so–called soldiers behind.
Natalie’s entire body stiffened. Her limbs felt ice–cold, the kind of numbness that crept in when terror froze one from the inside out.
She shuddered at the thought of what might have happened if she hadn’t understood Nocriudorian. If she’d recklessly cried out for help, not knowing the soldiers were no better than her captors, the kind of punishment she might have brought down on herself would’ve been gruesome.
But just as quickly as relief surfaced, a crushing weight pressed down on her chest, as if an invisible hand had clenched around her heart.
The sharp sting of panic was replaced by a violent thudding in her chest, her thoughts spiraling, her pulse roaring in her ears. ‘What am I supposed to do? How can I, alone, stand a chance against two heavily armed, muscle–bound kidnappers?‘
Suddenly, a chilling sensation crawled up Natalie’s spine, the unmistakable feeling of being watched by something vile.
One of the kidnappers, Felix Woods, sneered, his voice dripping with frustration and vice, “Damn it. Bro, this little bitch is so damn hot. I can’t hold back any longer. Come on, let me have a little fun. I swear I won’t kill her.”
The heat of his sweat–soaked body radiated closer, the sticky warmth making her skin crawl with revulsion. Fear, sharp and all–consuming, surged through her veins like liquid ice.
Just as Natalie’s muscles coiled, ready to lash out and fight back in desperation, a harsh voice from the front seat barked an order.
“Didn’t I just tell you to keep your hands off her until we get the 70 million dollars?” Leo Watts, the other kidnapper, snapped sharply.
His tone was cold, commanding, leaving no room for argument. “If she tries anything and kills herself, she’ll ruin the whole deal. And don’t forget that the brass said she’s connected to Jonas Lawson. You really want to piss off that psycho? Who knows what he’d do.”
At that, Felix grumbled under his breath, but the nauseating warmth of his presence withdrew slightly.
As the crisis momentarily passed, Natalie’s stomach unclenched by a fraction, but her terrified brain–previously in a state of numb paralysis–finally began to process the chaos unfolding around her.
She thought to herself, ’70 million? My family’s well–off, sure, but we could never scrape together that kind of money. And Jonas Lawson? Who the hell is that?‘
If it weren’t for her grandfather having mentioned the name before, Natalie might have wondered if these kidnappers had
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mistakenly kidnapped the wrong person.
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Felix, clearly frustrated, hissed. “We’re already outlaws, Leo. What’s one more mess? And if she really is tied to jonas, well, didn’t that lunatic just sit on his hands when her dad got offed? He didn’t do a damn thing”
Natalie’s head whipped toward him instine ively at the shocking news, her body reacting before her brain could catch up. What does he mean, got offed? My fath died in a car accident, didn’t her
The motion betrayed her, il
eyes locked on hers. His lips twisted into a malicious grin as he reached over, grabbing
a fistful of her hair and yanking it
“Awake, huh? And still playing possum? Lasten up, bitch” His American English was broken, each word guttural and laced with venom. “You’d better play along. I make you regret it. Hey, bro, what do you say want first go at her?”
. Pain ripped through her scalp like fire, her head jerking back under his iron grip
The stabbing pain shot down to her neck, ars stinging Natalie’s eyes as she felt like her scalp was about to be ripped clean off.
But pain was the least of her concerns now. All the fear, confusion, and desperation bottled up inside her erupted in a blind fury. She struggled wildly, her bound hands flailing uselessly as she fought back with everything she had.
Her efforts, though frantic, were pitifully weak. Felix’s arm was thicker than her thigh, his sheer size and brute strength making her resistance seem laughable, like a child’s tantrum against an immovable wall,
Her voice, though shaky, carried an unyielding resolve as she forced the words out. “If I die, you’ll get nothing…”
The driver, Leo, snapped his head around, barking in frustration, “Damn it, this girl’s got some fight in her. What if she really ends up dead? We may not fear death, but if we cross Jonas, his methods are worse than dying. Do you understand, you idiot–worse than dying.”
Jonas wasn’t some warlord commanding armed forces, but his power ran deeper than anyone dared to imagine. Rumor had it even Queen Estelle of Nocriudor, a sovereign not known for kneeling to anyone, had once begged him on her knees.
Jonas was feared by both the underworld and those who walked in the light, a figure of ruthless authority whose grudges were legendary. To anger him was to invite torment beyond the grave.
Leo’s anger and preoccupation with berating his accomplice distracted him just long enough for disaster to strike. He didn’t. see the vehicle approaching from the intersection ahead.
The van slammed into it with a deafening crash. Natalie felt herself thrown into the air as gravity momentarily lost its grip on her. When her body slammed back into the seat, pain radiated through every nerve, and for a fleeting second, she thought her soul might leave her body.
Sharp ringing overwhelmed her ears as the chaos settled into an eerie silence. Then, the van door was yanked open, and a rough, clammy hand gripped her arm, yanking her out into the open.
Natalie stumbled forward, her legs barely cooperating as she was dragged along. Through the tiny gaps in the black fabric covering her eyes, she strained to take in the scene.
The van they had been traveling in was crumpled, smoke curling ominously from the wreckage. Opposite them stood at hulking military–grade SUV, its imposing figure like a predator cornering its prey. The kidnappers–Leo and Felix–now stood with guns drawn, their stances tense but clearly faltering.
Leaning nonchalantly against the hood of the SUV was a woman with a buzz cut clad in camouflage. Her features were sharp, bold, and arrestingly fierce, though her expression remained icy and detached.
She held a submachine gun with a casual case, the barrel resting across her thighs as if the weapon were merely an extension
of her.
The standoff seemed theatrical. On the surface, it looked like a tense confrontation, but in reality, the kidnappers were hopelessly outmatched. It was clear to everyone who held the upper hand.
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Even Leo seemed to grasp the futility of resistance. He raised his hands slightly, his tone adopting an uncharacteristic note of submission. “We mean no offense. Name your price. Or just take her instead. She’s worth 70 million dollars. Gorgeous face, flawless body–she’s as premium as it gets”
A soft, mocking laugh cut through the heavy tension, slicing it cleanly in two. The sound was so sudden, so dismissive, that all eyes turned toward the SUV
From within the vehicle, a muscul fingers, the faint glow of its tip catch
pped rough bandages extended lazily. A lit cigarette dangled between his two Mint of a silver bracelet coiled loosely around his wrist.
The casual flick of his fingers sent ash scaring into the air, the gesture dripping with an air of untamed recklessness.
The man’s voice followed, rich and deep, o handing her over to me like that?
ing with sarcastic amusement. “She’s worth 70 million dollars? And you’re just
Leo exhaled in reef, thinking they had found common ground for negotiation.
But the stranger wasn’t done. His tone shifted, laced with a devil–may–care edge that sent a shiver down the kidnappers‘ spines.
“Shame,” he drawled, his words deliberate and unhurried. “I’m not in the mood to take anyone to bed today. So…”
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