As I was leaving his lavish penthouse, all I could think about was how he would alternate between smirking, having a blank face, and suddenly scowling like an idiot. He was an idiot, that was my final conclusion, although, he did build a multimillion dollar empire all by himself. Unless he stole all this from someone else making him a crime lord of some sort, well I wouldn't put it past him because he does look like one, with that Armani suit jacket stretched along his broad shoulder and that strikingly handsome face that just screams trouble.
I was deliriously tired by it all, I had given my best or ate last what I think is my best to help save Noah. Now all I have to do was wait for a madman to decide my fate.
Once I exited the building, my anxiety reduces a ton. I had clearly indicated that I was the thief with that stupid stunt of carrying the ring back to the scene of the crime, But he didn't mention it and there was no sign of him having any idea. He really must be mad.
He was just as mad as the men I was forced to meet three years ago….
//"So why exactly was I tied up and brought to some dingy warehouse building in the middle of the fucking night?" I said while thrashing around in the chair I was bound to.
I was totally caught off guard during the kidnapping, they must have used a combination of chloroform and some sort of alcohol or drug, otherwise there was no way I was just kidnapped from the street that easily, they were clearly prepared, knowing how exactly to overpower me. So it's definitely not going to be as easy as a ransom request.
"Don't worry, princess, you're not the only one who was abruptly taken off the street." Said a male voice beside me, it was in my height range which means they were tied up as well, meaning a group abduction?? What for?
I was blindfolded unable to see anything at all and the chloroform was just wearing off causing me to shiver intensely, and I couldn't focus on my surroundings.
"I don't get why I was also kidnapped alongside a woman, if they just wanted their way with her, I don't have any use here at all then." Another male voice on my other said in a harsh tone.
He was clearly trying to push my buttons. And they were pushed.
"It's laughable how a man is saying all this whilst also being kidnapped it just proves that you're all just as much as a princess as I am, and that's your use here, being treated like the woman you oppress without batting an eye" I quipped back at both the men who spoke to me.
A light laugh came from not so far away from me, distinct from the other voices but male. So probably 4 people were kidnapped. What for? I wouldn't know, the people beside me seem to all be different, with nothing distinct to put us in a group like gender.
I tried thrashing around again, increasing the pressure I felt from the tightly wrapped rope on my wrist.//
I rub my hands, still feeling the sting of the rope that was once around my wrists. Nevertheless, I had buried these memories long ago. I had gone through intensive therapy to help me process them, and eventually, the memories vanished. But they just keep popping up in my head lately, unwantedly.
I kept my mind focused on how I was going to safely exit my current predicament. Ian owes a lot of money to Adem. Even if I offer to decrypt the cameras this one time, it actually wouldn't be enough, I was actually just hoping to impress Adem so much by my hacking skills that he keeps me as his hacker for a little longer, so I can keep helping Ian pay off his debt that way. But Adem seemed so unsure about it.
I decide to shoot him a quick text about the rest of my offer and make my way to downtown.
Interviews for staff for my bakery were supposed to happen yesterday, but I got caught up with a rich man, so I will have to spend the entire day hiring staff and managing the grand opening of the bakery.
🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫
"Welcome to Sweet Salvation, today is our grand opening, so any pie of your choosing is on the house." I said when I heard the front doorbell ring without even looking up, I had memorised the same line all night long in order to ensure that I got it right for the opening.
"I'm happy with what you've done to the place, but you never told me you would be choosing a cheesy name such as sweet salvation." The voice in front me said while laughing.
My head snapped up quick, it was Noah. I rounded the counter and threw my hands around him, he was the only one that I didn't loathe to hug.
"How are you out? Did Adem let you out?? Why??" I asked in rapid motion.
"Okay, relax. Let's sit down and talk." He pointed to a matte black table set that was positioned by the window for the view of the street.
The whole bakery had a black eerie theme to it instead of the traditional bright colours that most bakeries use, I don't like bright colours, and it seems that neither do most customers. Today had already been a smashing success even though we've been open for only a few hours, with our customers complementing the unique bakery.
I call over one of the new staff I hired today to take care of greetings after writing it down for them, then I followed Ian to the table.
"The place looks great, Keres." He said it with genuineness in his voice, but his face told a different story, he was sad, incredibly so and it looked like something was in his mind, disturbing him.
"What happened?" I said trying to get out what he's clearly trying to hide.
"I'm leaving town." He said, looking down, as if ashamed.
"Why?" I asked needing an immediate answer, I've never been separated from Noah, since Ian took me in me and Noah had been beside each other always, it's why I'm so attached to him, he is true family to me.
"Let me finish." He held my hand gently, but with a force that wasn't truly there.
"Dad is also leaving, and we aren't going together, we are going to separate places."
Nothing made sense, how did Noah leave Adem's capture, why is he leaving, why is Ian also leaving and why separately, does that mean that I also have to leave? And what about Adem won't he just hunt them down anyway, so what's the point of it??
"Noah, you're confusing me, tell me what's happening, how did Adem let you go?"
"Because of you, he said you offered him your hacking skills in exchange for me."
So he's agreed to my request, but hasn't even contacted me to tell me.
"But Keres, working for men like him is very dangerous, It's why I'm leaving town and so is Dad, we want you to leave town as well."
"So you're just going to run away from him? From this humongous problem?" I said, removing my hand from his grasp.
"We've never run away from problems, why this time? Why does some rich man scare you." I said getting angry.
I get why they want to run, Adem is dangerous, but it's just infuriating how he has us at his mercy and at his every whim.
"Keres please think of it, it's for our safety, all your bags will be packed by tonight, when you pick them up go to the train station and leave, we will contact you after 3 days, don't try to contact us first." He said while standing up. He leaned down and kissed my forehead in a swift motion, then left.
For the first time in my life after my family was destroyed 11 years ago, I wanted to burst out crying. Another family of mine just got destroyed.
I calmed down and walked back to the counter with resolve in me, resolve to go back home today and unpack my bags, I'm staying, I'm not going to run away again.