The woman stood before Alina with an air of calculated confidence, her posture erect and commanding. She was tall and slender, her figure draped in a sleek qipao, the traditional Chinese dress, tailored to perfection and adorned with intricate embroidery that spoke of wealth and prestige. The fabric hugged her curves in all the right places, accentuating her graceful silhouette with an understated elegance.
Her jet-black hair was pulled back into a sleek bun, adorned with a delicate hairpin that glinted in the dim light of the room. Strands of hair framed her face, softening the sharp angles of her high cheekbones and sculpted jawline. Her almond-shaped eyes, a deep shade of espresso brown, were framed by long, dark lashes that fluttered with every subtle movement.
There was a regal air about her, a sense of poise and dignity that spoke of a noble lineage and a lifetime of privilege. Yet, beneath the veneer of sophistication lurked a steely resolve, a determination that hinted at a formidable inner strength.
As Alina studied her captor, she couldn't help but feel a sense of awe mingled with trepidation. This woman, with her impeccable attire and commanding presence, was not someone to be trifled with.
"Are kidnappers all with high visuals nowadays?" Alina wondered aloud, her voice tinged with disbelief.
As a staunch member of the high-visual-loving group, Alina couldn't help but rate the woman before her as a world-class beauty. She observed her with a critical eye, unable to deny the allure of her striking features and graceful demeanor.
The woman's expression faltered for a moment when she heard Alina's words, a hint of surprise flickering across her features before she quickly regained her composure.
With a measured stride, she walked towards Alina, her movements graceful yet purposeful, until she was standing before her, holding her hands.
Alina, still mesmerized by the woman's beauty, couldn't help but admire her poise even in the face of her own blunt commentary. "I'm fine if you kill me," she continued, her voice tinged with a touch of sarcasm, "dying by the hands of beauty is much better than dying in an idiot's arms."
Both the woman and Carson were taken aback by Alina's audacious remark.
Carson, feeling indignant at being labeled an idiot, couldn't help but interject, "Hey, I'm not an idiot!"
A smile bloomed on the woman's face, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she regarded Alina with newfound interest. Despite the seriousness of their situation, she couldn't help but find the girl's boldness and wit rather endearing.
"Kidnapped, but can still spew out such funny things," she mused, her voice laced with amusement.
Alina's serious tone contrasted starkly with the absurdity of her situation as she pointed at Carson. "Beauty as my last words, let me tell you, a partner like him," she began, her words dripping with earnestness, "will lead to your downfall. I reckon you change him immediately."
The woman shook her head with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. Without missing a beat, she gently placed her fingers on Alina's wrist, checking her pulse with practiced ease. After a moment, she withdrew her hand, a knowing smile playing at the corners of her lips.
"You are fine now," she stated matter-of-factly, leaving Alina dumbfounded by her assessment.
Confusion clouded Alina's expression as she struggled to comprehend the woman's actions. Why had she checked her pulse? And why had she made such a cryptic comment about her health?
Sensing Alina's confusion, she offered a simple explanation. "When we kidnapped you, I found your appearance quite sickly, so I checked your pulse," she explained calmly. "You had food poisoning. So even if we hadn't kidnapped you, you would have blacked out."
Alina's eyes widened in disbelief as the reality of her situation sank in. Food poisoning? It seemed almost comically mundane compared to the dramatic circumstances of her abduction.
"By the way, my name is Lucy," she introduced herself casually, her voice carrying a soothing undertone that contrasted with the chaotic events unfolding around them.
With a calm demeanor, she rose from her seat and made her way to the medicine box resting on the nearby table.
Alina listened to Lucy's explanation with a mixture of disbelief and resignation. Food poisoning? It seemed absurd that her grand adventure had been derailed by something as mundane as a dodgy brownie. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at her misfortune.
"Food poisoning," she muttered to herself, shaking her head in disbelief. "Of all the ways to get kidnapped, it had to be food poisoning."
Her mind raced with a flurry of thoughts, each more incredulous than the last. Who would have thought that her culinary indulgence would lead to such a predicament? And to think she had been looking forward to that brownie with such anticipation.
"Oh yes, I thought I had increased the dosage of chloroform and something happened to you but you actually got food poisoning. It was so funny," Carson remarked, his laughter echoing in the room.
"Says the guy who gave himself out to his captive," snarked Alina, her annoyance evident in her tone.
Carson responded by pulling out his tongue and making funny faces at Alina, who couldn't help but return the gesture.
Observing their playful antics, Lucy couldn't suppress a sense of trepidation. 'Did these guys forget their identities? Why are they acting like children?' she wondered silently.
"Umm, guys," Lucy interjected, snapping their attention away from their impromptu face-off. She then administered an injection to Alina, who accepted it without resistance.
"Hey, kid, aren't you scared that I would drug you or something?" Lucy asked, her curiosity piqued by Alina's obedient demeanor.
"If you wanted to harm me, you would have already done so when I started probing Carson, but you didn't," Alina responded calmly. "I feel that you have no malicious intentions against me. You even checked my pulse. No kidnappers do that."
Lucy proceeded to remove the bindings that restricted Alina, her movements deft and practiced. As the restraints fell away, Alina couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her.
Watching Alina's movements, Lucy couldn't help but find her adorable. There was something endearing about her curiosity and determination.
After being freed, Alina got up and stretched herself, feeling the stiffness of her limbs dissipate. With a newfound sense of freedom, she couldn't help but bombard Lucy with questions.
"So what did you mean by saying that you had the means to send me back after I helped you guys?" Alina inquired, her tone both curious and cautious. Despite the seemingly harmless demeanor of Carson and Lucy, Alina wanted to understand the gravity of the situation she had found herself in.
"And what exactly do you need my help for?" Alina continued, her eyes flitting between Carson and Lucy as she settled onto the floor, her legs folded beneath her.
Carson and Lucy exchanged a brief, meaningful glance, silently communicating their shared understanding. Carson then turned to Alina, his expression serious yet tinged with a hint of urgency.
"Remember the lines that you helped me complete on the plane. They are actually a very important clue that we needed to find something," Carson explained, his voice low and measured.
Lucy interjected, seamlessly picking up where Carson left off. "And Carson told me that you provided the next lines for those sentences very easily and quickly. It was something that we couldn't accomplish for more than 6 months," she added, her tone reflective of the gravity of their situation.
Alina's mind reeled with disbelief. She couldn't fathom how something as seemingly trivial as completing song lyrics could lead to her being kidnapped. It felt like a cruel joke orchestrated by the universe, and Alina was struggling to find the punchline.
"So you're telling me that you guys kidnapped me because I completed the lyrics of a K-pop song?" Alina blurted out, her incredulity palpable in her voice.
Both Carson and Lucy's faces froze at Alina's words, their expressions a mix of surprise and embarrassment.
Alina couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief. She never imagined that her innocuous act on the plane would lead to such a bizarre turn of events.