It was 12 noon and Anne was seen strolling through the streets, clutching a small package in her hands. She was dressed in casual clothes consisting of a white tank top and black cargo pants, complemented by pristine sneakers. Her hair cascaded in a tousled bun, giving her that radiant look on her face. And her pale white skin shone like crystal. She looked beautiful and flawless as usual.
After two hours of crying to herself because of the heartbreaking text from Carl, Anne heard her phone buzzing, revealing a message from a new customer. She was tasked with delivering a box of her delectable spring rolls to an address. Anne immediately dried up her tears and applied a dusting of face powder to hide the fact that she had been crying.
Grief could wait, she had to do what she loved the most which was baking. And like what Carl said in the text 'focus on how to raise money from her petty business'
Anne scoffed wryly as she thought of that.
She is not ashamed of being a local baker at all. She might not be rich or be a boss in one of the prestigious companies in New York but she's satisfied with the little she has. Besides, it was through her baking business she got to sponsor her brother in school and today, Dexter is a Detective.
There's no need to cry for someone who doesn't give a damn about her. Right now, Anne is making her business her top priority.
..
Anne arrived at a breathtaking estate, where she rang the doorbell and the door swung open, revealing a well-built man. Instead of accepting the package from Anne's outstretched hand, the well-built man insisted she step inside which was odd.
Anne usually hands over the package to whomever answers the door, without stepping foot inside. But today, her customer requested her to enter the mansion.
However, Anne obeyed and she got inside the house. It was one of the most beautiful houses she had ever seen. Every surface was adorned with opulence, from the sparkling chandeliers to the plush velvet sofas. The place screamed money.
"Welcome, Anastasia," Dr. Ken, the owner of the house welcomed Anne with a friendly smile. He was with his bodyguard in the room, the well-built man who opened the door for her to come in.
"Don't just stand there take the package from her," He barked at his bodyguard and the bodyguard did as he was told. He collected the package from Anne's hands and dropped it on the table without a word.
"Thanks a lot for your customer service," Anne gratefully thanked the surgeon. He was the new customer who texted her to deliver a box of spring rolls to his house. He had also wired her money to her account and even added a hefty tip.
"It's okay, please have a seat and make yourself comfortable. Um, would you like to have a glass of lemonade before you head out? It's quite sunny outside and you deserve a little refreshment after your delivery. Consider it my way of saying thanks!" Dr. Ken's voice was smooth as silk.
Anne was taken aback by Dr. Ken's warmth and charm. Most customers treated her like just another delivery person, but Dr. Ken was different. He spoke to her like they were old friends, and his offer of lemonade was a sweet gesture.
It was truly sunny outside, and Anne was tempted to sit on the plush sofa and have a glass of cold lemonade. Today started off bad after reading that mean text from Carl and she needed a break from all the stress she has been having lately.
But just like what her late grandfather used to say to her "Nothing comes for free"
Even though Dr. Ken was the most hospitable customer she had ever encountered, something seemed off. Maybe it was the too-perfect smile or the almost rehearsed manner in which he spoke. Anne already smelled something fishy going on from the moment she stepped foot into the house.
"I really appreciate the offer but I'm afraid I have other businesses I must attend to. Thanks for your hospitality," Anne flashed the surgeon a smile and turned her back to leave.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ken frowned hard as he watched Anne's backview leaving his house. He balled his hands into tight fists with an agony of defeat. He didn't know how he could convince Anne to stay back.
"Where do you think you're going?" Dr. Ken's bodyguard held Anne's arm tight, stopping her from leaving.
"Hey! Let me go, you're hurting me," Anne cried out, wincing in pain as the bodyguard tightened his grip on her arm.
She turned back to look at the surgeon with hopes that he'd help her. But to her surprise, the surgeon simply stood there, watching the scene unfold with a nonchalant expression. He cared less that his bodyguard was manhandling her.
"Let go of me," Anne yelled as she continued struggling to break free from the bodyguard.
She gasped as she suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck. Before Anne knew it, she started to feel dizzy and she lost her balance making her collapse on the cold marble floor.
The bodyguard had injected her.
"Well done Ben," Dr. Ken smirked as he stared at Anne's unconscious body lying on the floor.
"I didn't know she was going to be difficult. She's different from all the stupid idiots that have come here so far. I mean, who could resist my perfect smile and a glass of lemonade?" he laughed.
"…But this sweetheart couldn't fall for my smile... Another thing is that she is the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on," Dr. Ken said softly, staring at Anne's pretty face. He was happy he chose to kidnap Anne instead of Cassandra.
*****
After Carl's conversation with Dexter, he got to his office with a big smile on his face feeling very enthusiastic. He was such in a good mood. He believed Dexter wholeheartedly that Anne had finally fallen for him and he couldn't wait to be in her arms again.
He didn't care about the last argument they had in the storage room the other day. He has totally forgotten about that. He believed that Anne's behavior was driven by jealousy of seeing him and Cassandra together at the restaurant.
He also felt that Anne didn't know how to express her feelings to him. But now that he was sure she felt the same way about him, he'd make things easier for her. He'll show her how much he loves her and make sure things go back to the way they were before.
Carl sat down on his swivel chair and then he noticed how organized his office was. All the papers on his desk were well arranged, thanks to Sasha.
She must've done an amazing job he thought. As a matter of fact, she even did a better job than his secretary Cassandra.
Carl heard his phone vibrate and he picked it up from his desk. He received a text from an unknown number and he opened the message and saw a picture.
Carl stood up from his seat in shock as he saw a picture of Anne lying with closed eyes. Her lips were sealed with a seal tape and her hands were tied up together. The photo was accompanied by a chilling message which reads,
'If you ever want to see your lover alive again, come to 1345 Park Avenue alone. Do not involve the authorities or anyone else... You have 30 minutes. Tick Tock!'
Carl's blood ran cold as he realized the seriousness of the situation. His heart was pounding rapidly like it was about to explode from his chest any time soon.
'How did this happen?' He questioned himself in his head.
And what type of kidnapper would ask to see him without asking for money as usual?
Right now, he wasn't thinking like a prosecutor. He wasn't even thinking at all because his brain was unsettled. His body was trembling with fear of what might happen to Anne if he didn't show up on time.
With shaky hands, Carl kept his phone in his pocket. He looked at the wall clock in his office and saw that the time was 12: 31 p.m. He had just 29 minutes left to save Anne and what bothered him the most was that he couldn't involve the police.
He dared not to do so because he couldn't afford for the kidnappers to kill Anne.
Without wasting any more time, Carl rushed out of his office. He needed to save Anne at all costs no matter what. Her life depended on him at the moment.
....
Anne was still unconscious and she was trying hard to force her eyes open. She felt weak as she kept squeezing her eyes to wake up from this nightmare. Her eyelids finally flew open but her vision was quite blurry. All she could see were rays of sunshine that were piercing through her eyes.
Anne squeezed her eyes shut and when she opened them again, she saw a huge surgical light. It was a harsh, white glow illuminating her face. It wasn't her imagination, it was real.
Anne's heartbeat accelerated.
Where was she?
She tried to move but she couldn't. Her body felt numb and her head kept spinning.
Anne gasped with wide eyes as she saw a sculpture human skeleton looking at her. Her eyes wandered around the place and she saw creepy jars of human organs, and surgical tools, Everywhere was a picture frame of blood cells under a microscope and that was when she realized that she was in an operating room. It's like the whole place was decorated with pictures of the inner workings of the human body.
Anne was immediately clothed with fear. How did she get to the hospital, inside an operating room? Heaven knows she doesn't need to perform any kind of surgery.
Despite feeling weak, she got a whole of her body and tried to get up but she couldn't. She was shocked after seeing that she was cuffed to the surgical bed she was lying on. Her wrists and ankles were secured to the metal handrails on either side.
Anne began to panic as she started shaking the cuffs off her wrists to break free from the surgical bed but it was pointless. She was trapped and helpless. She then recalled passing out after trying to leave Dr. Ken's house.
Everything made sense from how the surgeon was being unnecessarily nice to her like how he was asking her to have a glass of lemonade. Also, the spring roll he ordered was definitely a setup and she fell smoothly into the trap.
Perhaps Dr. Ken and his bodyguard were kidnappers.
But why did they bring her to an operating room?
'Was this his hospital?' Anne thought.
She was just about to scream for help and suddenly, the entrance door creaked open as Dr. Ken and his bodyguard walked in.
"Darling, you're awake," Dr. Ken voiced out, walking towards Anne with his perfect smile.
Anne creased her brows as she heard the surgeon call her "darling". She noticed that he was wearing a lab coat on his suit and medical gloves in his hands.
"Why am I here?" Anne angrily said, glaring at the surgeon and his bodyguard but they stayed mute.
"Answer me! Why am I trapped her? …And take these handcuffs off me or else I'll scream!" Anne cried out, shaking the cuffs.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ken ignored Anne's tantrums and leaned closer to her.
"If you scream, you're going to wake up the venomous snake I kept in a big jar under your bed," he said with a serious expression.
Anne froze with fear.
She wasn't just trapped in an uncomfortable room with these two kidnappers. There was a venomous snake hidden under her bed and the thought of it was scaring her to death.
Her heart continued to beat rapidly and she was sweating profusely on her forehead.
Anne's eyes were filled with tears as she sobbed silently. She had to keep shut so she wouldn't wake up the snake.