When the men saw someone with an entire group of men calling out to her, they immediately pulled her behind her, bristling aggressively. The menacing air that came from them was one that surprised Theia, as she had earlier told herself that they lacked the frightening aura that went with their size. She realized that they simply didn't use it when it came to her, something she was truly grateful for.
She tagged on the arm of the one closest to her.
"Michael, that's my brother. The one who I told you about in the van, "Theia said.
They wore identical looks of comprehension mixed with embarrassment for the way they reacted toward him earlier. Theia chuckled. They were truly adorable men. She was about to say something else when she felt someone slam into her, pick her up, and hug her so tightly that her air supply was drastically reduced. Even with her eyes closed or sense of smell cut off, she would always know who the person hugging her was. The person who probably loved her most in this world, and also the person she adored the most in this world. She hugged him back and could feel his ragged breaths and his pounding heart. She was confused at first with his reaction, but then she thought that perhaps he thought she was truly kidnapped. So she let him hug her, and hugged him back, until his heart settled. She knew that she herself wouldn't be this put together if she thought he was gone. She'd be a wreck.
Her would-be kidnappers and his men stared at the siblings with warm eyes as they watched Alex hug her as though he would lose her if he let go of her. The "kidnappers" were a bit confused though. Why this type of reception for a prank like this? Michael finally couldn't take it anymore and asked one of the men what exactly was going on. The man in charge under Alex, Dominic himself, turned to watch them confused.
"You're asking me, but should I ask you?"
"What do you mean?" Michael asked, his brows furrowed.
"What I mean is, since when do kidnappers superman lift the "kidnappee" and laugh with them happily? Since when do they act like bodyguards about to die to protect them like you all did when you saw us? "
"KIDNAPPERS??????" They exclaimed.
"When did we kidnap anyone?" Michael asked, genuinely confused. He felt as if there was a disconnect between them somewhere. Their thoughts didn't mesh at all. Why would they kidnap anyone?
Now Alex's men were even more confused than before. What did they mean? Didn't they just get out of the van with the person they kidnapped? Someone explain what was going on please?
Dominic, realizing that both sides seemed to be more and more baffled the more the other explained, finally said, "Wait. Let's both start at the top. You guys, tell us how you came to grab the boss's sister and we'll tell you why we thought you kidnapped her. "
They thought that it was a great idea, so Michael explained how they were contacted for a job which included the fake kidnapping of a rich girl who was bored with life and then proceeded to allow her boyfriend to rescue her.
"Where did the job come from?" Dominic asked.
"It came from a Theo Wellington. He paid double the amount for a realistic capture and for us to put up a struggle when the guy came to rescue her."
Michael pulled out his phone, showing the transaction record.
Dominic nodded his head and then started telling them their version of the events, including what they had found out from the still captured Ezra Dupree. When he was finished recounting, he watched them carefully and noticed the looks of shock, anger, and annoyance on their faces. Now he was truly convinced that they had been duped. It wasn't that he hadn't been sure before, but he liked to cover all possibilities before coming to a conclusion. He had them explain before so they wouldn't be able to adjust their story based on his, and then he deliberately revealed all the details to check their reactions.
Sure enough, these men were painfully honest people. They were so shaken that they revealed client information and showed them the transfer transaction without a hint of hesitation. Mmmm, they would do well to recruit them, he mused. Plus, they could serve as security for the boss's sister. She already knew them, so it might be easier for her to accept at least one of them.
Yes, he thought while looking over at the siblings still hugging each other, this could be a viable plan indeed. He just needed to make some arrangements for them. He definitely didn't dislike men like this.
Meanwhile, after Alex slowly calmed down while hugging his baby sister. He had been calm the entire time, but when he finally saw her, all the panic, the worry, the fear, and the anxiety he felt suddenly overwhelmed him. He could have lost her. The most precious thing to him in this world. He could have really lost her today. He vowed to himself that he would never let something like this happen as long as he could do something to avoid it.
He had been tolerating his parents because he didn't particularly care what they did and because nothing they did truly bothered Theia. But this time, this time they had truly crossed the one line he had set up for them.
They couldn't blame him for reacting, could they? Without money and power, how could they easily live their lives? So what he should do now is start taking it away.
He'd start working on it during Theia's exchange program, and he was sure that in less than a year, they wouldn't be able to harm her again. This was his promise to her.