The darkness enveloped Alina like a thick blanket, smothering her senses and plunging her into an abyss where time seemed to stand still. In this void, she floated, untethered and unbound, until a distant voice pierced through the silence, pulling her back towards the light.
Alina's eyes fluttered open to a blurred vision of ceiling tiles, the sterile scent of antiseptic assaulting her nostrils. For a moment, panic clawed at her throat as she attempted to piece together the fragments of her memory. The airport... the burger... the brownie... the sudden dizziness. How had she ended up here, and where exactly was she?
Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, swirling around the last image burned into her mind: the delectable brownie now seemed like a harbinger of her current predicament.
As her vision cleared, she became acutely aware of her surroundings. It wasn't a hospital, as she initially thought, but a dimly lit room, sparse and devoid of any personal touch. A single door stood as the room's only exit, its solid frame suggesting it was locked from the outside.
Panic surged once more, a torrent of questions flooding her mind. Where was she? Who had brought her here, and why? The memories of her conversation with Melissa—a lighthearted exchange —now seemed a world away.
Maybe this is my retribution for teasing Melissa with delectables all the time.
She could vaguely picture the scene of Mel laughing like an evil tyrant smiling evilly while saying 'Alina the time has come for you to pay for your sins' in her mind.
Alina shook her head to shake off her stupid thoughts and looked around once more now her mind much more clearer than the last time.
Now she could completely confirm that she was kidnapped.
With a wry smile playing on her lips, Alina couldn't help but chide herself for her foolishness. "Congratulations, Alina," she muttered sarcastically, her voice tinged with self-deprecation. "You've managed to get yourself kidnapped for the first time. What an accomplishment."
But amidst the self-deprecating humor, a wave of apprehension washed over her as she contemplated the ramifications of her situation. She imagined her parents, frantic with worry upon learning of her disappearance, their faces etched with lines of concern. The thought of them enduring the agony of uncertainty tore at her heartstrings, filling her with a deep sense of guilt.
And then there were her loved ones, her friends and family, all of whom would undoubtedly be consumed by fear and anxiety at the news of her abduction. Alina couldn't shake the image of their faces, their eyes filled with tears as they grappled with the reality of her absence.
But perhaps most humiliating of all was the thought of the news media seizing upon her misfortune, broadcasting the tale of her kidnapping to the masses. She could already envision the headlines, sensationalized and exaggerated, proclaiming the daughter of Lucifer and Selena Hale abducted while indulging in a brownie at the airport. The mere thought of it made her cringe with embarrassment and indignation.
"How utterly embarrassing," she muttered to herself, the words tinged with resignation.
The sound of a lock disengaging snapped Alina out of her reverie, her heart pounding against her ribcage as the door creaked open to reveal a figure silhouetted against the dim hallway light. Her breath hitched, every instinct screaming at her to flee, yet her body remained frozen, a prisoner of its own trepidation.
A voice, calm and measured, broke the silence. "You're awake. Good. You gave us quite the scare."
The figure stepped into the light, revealing a man clad in a dark hoodie. The hoodie was pulled up over their head, casting their face into shadow and adding an air of mystery to their presence.
"Carson?"
Alina called out softly, hoping that she was wrong about the identity of her captor, the change in demeanor in the man before her confirmed her suspicions.
"It's you," Alina stated confidently, some of her earlier fear alleviated by the realization.
Seeing that he was already exposed, Carson removed his hoodie, revealing his handsome face beneath. Alina couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the sudden transformation.
With a twinge of curiosity, Carson asked, "How did you know it was me?"
"My intuitions are damn accurate," Alina answered with a smug grin, feeling a surge of satisfaction at being proven right. But then she looked at him strangely.
"But, why did you remove your hoodie once I called out your name?"
Carson paused, caught off guard by the question. "Well, since you know it's me, why should I hide myself?"
Alina couldn't help but roll her eyes at his logic. "I don't know, maybe because you're a kidnapper and you're supposed to be sneaky and mysterious?"
Carson scratched his head, looking genuinely puzzled. "Oh, I guess I didn't think of that."
Alina couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief. "Seriously? What kind of kidnapper acts so hastily? You're not exactly a criminal mastermind, are you?"
"How am I supposed to know? It's my first time kidnapping!" Carson defended himself, his expression a mixture of indignation and embarrassment.
Alina couldn't help but stifle a laugh at his response. "Well, congratulations on your debut, I suppose. But you might want to work on your kidnapping skills if you're planning on making a career out of it."
Carson scowled at her teasing remark, but Alina could see a hint of amusement in his eyes. Maybe he wasn't as intimidating as she initially thought.
As the tension between them eased slightly, Alina saw an opportunity to gather some information. "So, Carson, mind telling me why you kidnapped me? And please, try to act a little more menacing this time."
"To be honest, we didn't actually want to kidnap you, but we just wanted your help in dealing with some things," Carson admitted, his embarrassment palpable.
Alina couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his confession. "Well, isn't that just peachy," she muttered under her breath, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
"If you wanted help, you could have just asked me. Why all the..." Alina stopped mid-sentence, realization dawning on her. "Unless you think I won't help you."
Carson's smile confirmed her suspicions, and Alina couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief.
"So what you want me to do is something dangerous? Something which can harm me?" Alina questioned, her tone laced with skepticism.
Alina was a smart person, and she had a knack for connecting the dots and spotting loopholes. She understood that Carson wasn't acting alone and that there were more people involved in this scheme. But despite her apprehension, she couldn't shake the feeling that they meant no harm.
As she mulled over the situation, Alina couldn't help but marvel at Carson's apparent lack of intelligence. She couldn't fathom why his group would leave him in charge of such matters when he seemed to be such a bumbling fool.
"I mean, seriously, what were they thinking?" Alina muttered to herself, unable to suppress a snort of amusement. "Leaving this guy in charge is like putting a toddler in charge of a nuclear reactor. It's a disaster waiting to happen."
But despite her misgivings, Alina knew that she needed to probe Carson for more information if she wanted to get to the bottom of this absurd situation. And if she played her cards right, she might just be able to outsmart him and find a way out of this mess.
"So Carson, aren't you afraid that my family would find out I am kidnapped and maybe, you know, come looking for you guys?" Alina asked, her tone laced with skepticism.
Carson shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape route. "I told you, we mean no harm. We will send you back after you help us," he reassured her, his words lacking conviction.
Alina couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his response. "Not to brag, but my family background is quite good," she remarked casually, her voice dripping with sarcasm. The Hales Corporation was not simply for namesake; they were one of the most powerful corporations in the country, with connections and resources that extended far and wide.
As she watched Carson squirm under her scrutiny, Alina couldn't help but wonder if he was simply clueless or incredibly naive. "Is this guy crazy? Is he not scared that I would rat him out if they let me go?" she mused, her disbelief evident on her face.
But before Carson could respond, a cold and sharp female voice cut through the tension, causing Alina to freeze in place. "Don't worry, we have enough confidence in ourselves to ensure that you could not rat us out," the woman declared, her presence commanding and authoritative.
As Alina turned to face the newcomer, she couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a whole lot more complicated.
With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, she realized that her kidnapping was just the beginning of a much larger and more dangerous game.
And as the woman's piercing gaze bore into her, Alina knew that she would have to tread carefully if she wanted to survive.