Chapter 236: 236-Abduction Failed.
Clementine:
We sat in the car together and began to drive. I had met Messi before, but we’d never really had a meaningful conversation. I kept my distance from Troy’s stepfamily, mostly because they were usually involved in things that hurt him. But whenever I ran into Messi, he’d greet me kindly with a warm smile.
"So your best friend is about to get crowned. How you wish you’d been an Alpha too. Imagine, two Alpha best friends," Messi joked, trying to lighten the mood, since it was already stressful for me to sit in the passenger seat with him.
We took loyalty seriously. It was simple, Troy wouldn’t talk to my enemies, and I wouldn’t befriend his. Yeah, we were crazy like that.
"Yeah, I’m really proud of him," I murmured.
"You know, I ordered a gift for him as well." The moment he said that, a sharp frown creased my forehead, and even he went speechless. He glanced at me, still keeping an eye on the road, then started to laugh.
"Come on, don’t be like that. I’m not that evil. Of course, he’s my half-brother. I got him some stuff. Yeah, I did," he chuckled.
I couldn’t help but wonder if it was because they were finally realizing they needed to be in his good books.
"Really? What did you get him?" I asked, mostly because I’d been quiet for too long, and the silence was starting to feel awkward.
"Oh, I ordered it but haven’t picked it yet. If you don’t mind, can I take a turn and grab it real quick?" he asked. Before I could even respond, he was already turning the car.
"Yeah, sure," I replied awkwardly. I didn’t know why he asked if he wasn’t going to listen anyway.
The road ahead was dark. He told me there was a small antique watch shop where he’d ordered one for Troy, and I could only imagine how much Troy would love it, he had a thing for watches. Still, I couldn’t shake the uneasiness creeping in.
I shifted in my seat, fidgeting a little.
"It’s pretty empty," I joked. Night had settled in, and there wasn’t much traffic around anymore.
"Oh yeah, there’s a reason why," he muttered, taking another turn. At that point, I noticed the shop coming into view. It was lit with an orange glow, but there were no other lights outside. The narrow road was surrounded by woods. The shop stood alone, as if waiting for a buyer to show up and purchase an antique piece.
I took a deep breath when he parked in front of the shop.
"I’ll get out and quickly grab the watch, okay?" he said, jumping out of the car and heading toward the door.
While I sat there, my instincts told me within the next two minutes to get out of the car. I didn’t know why, but the urge was too strong, so I jumped out.
The moment I stepped out, two cars rushed toward ours. Panic hit me. Whoever had arrived meant trouble. The cars were full of men, and as soon as they stopped, I bolted toward the woods.
"Hey, catch her!" one of the men shouted, and my heart sank into my chest.
While running, I tried to unlock my phone and call for help, but it slipped out of my hands and fell to the ground. I raced into the woods, the men still chasing me. There was no way they could catch me if I ran fast enough, I’d been a good runner since I was a kid. But at the back of my mind was Messi.
What if they’d been hired to abduct us both? Or harm us? Or what if they’d come for Messi? Questions swirled in my head as I ran through the woods, dodging big trees and branches in the darkness.
Then it hit me. I had to go back. I had to go back for Messi.
I turned, careful not to cross paths with any of the men searching for me. As I neared the shop from the back, I saw the cars still parked there, but not much activity. The men, dressed in all black, were just lingering around.
And then I heard Messi.
"What? You want me to pay double? But you only did one job. If you had done both, I would have been paid for both and would have paid you for both tasks as well," Messi snapped, and my heart pounded in my chest.
I crouched behind the back of the building, listening to their conversation.
"It’s not our fault she ran away. Before we could even arrive, she jumped out of the car. It wasn’t easy chasing her down in the dark either," one of the men complained.
At that point, it wasn’t a mystery anymore, these men weren’t hired by someone else. They were hired by Messi himself. But why?
"Well, I have one package, but we failed to secure the other package. That man is going to ask me where she is. What am I supposed to say then?" Messi grumbled, making my eyes widen in fear and shock.
"We did our best. We were going to get paid our cut for selling her to the buyer too. But what can be done now?" the man said bitterly.
I crept backward until I was once again swallowed by the bushes.
I took off on my feet and ran back to my pack and my home. I had to take a few buses here and there, but soon enough I was already back. I rushed upstairs to my attic without telling anyone what had happened. They wouldn’t care.
My father wouldn’t care. And my stepmother would only use the chance to stop me from ever going out, disguising her animosity toward me as a sense of care. I couldn’t let my freedom slip away.
Once in my room, I went through a storm of emotions, including confusion, fear, worry, anger, but that was all. I couldn’t act on any of it. That was my life. I would just sit in my room, worrying for three or four hours before finally falling asleep.
I woke up early in the morning to the door opening. A maid walked in. I watched her with half-closed eyes as she placed something next to my pillow before she left.