It was a beautiful morning. Ava was on her way to meet her father and his friend, Mr. Brooks, at his company when she witnessed a kidnapping. A group of men were dragging a young, handsome man into a van, heading toward their hideout. Driven by curiosity and her martial arts skills, Ava decided to follow them in her car.
As she approached the hideout, a chilling realization hit her—it was a trap. The leader of the syndicate, Michael Black, had already noticed her.
The man who had been kidnapped was named Kai, a man Ava didn't know, but who turned out to have a complex history. Kai was a retired Army ranger who had recently entered the business world. Years ago, while still serving in the military, he had gone on a mission to take down a syndicate group led by Michael's father. Kai was responsible for Michael's father's death, and the shock of that loss killed Michael's mother as well. Since then, Michael had survived, plotting revenge against Kai and the military.
Ava, however, had no idea about any of this. She was simply caught in the crossfire. Mistaken for one of Kai's allies, she was captured and held hostage for three months. During this time, Kai managed to escape, leaving Ava behind to endure the syndicate's tortures alone.
As Ava was led deeper into the basement, she caught a glimpse of a figure in the shadows. He wore a mask, and with her hands bound and blindfolded, she couldn't see his face. But as soon as he saw her, she froze.
"Who is this?" Ava demanded.
The masked figure didn't respond.
"This is our boss," Roland, Michael's right-hand man, replied.
Ava's heart raced as Michael stepped forward, his eyes never leaving hers. A shiver ran down her spine as he reached out to touch her face.
"You are beautiful," he whispered, his voice low and husky.
Ava pulled away, repulsed. "Don't touch me!"
Michael chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Interesting. Stubborn and strong. I like it."
With that, he turned and left, leaving Ava to process the encounter and the danger that still loomed.
A few hours later, Michael's henchmen dragged another person into the room where Ava was being held. The air had been heavy with silence, but the arrival of this stranger broke the oppressive stillness.
The man, blindfolded like Ava, managed to shuffle closer to her. As soon as he was within reach, he leaned toward her and whispered, "Hold still." Gently, he removed the blindfold from her eyes, revealing a rugged yet determined face beneath his own restraints.
"Hi, I'm Kayden," he said, flashing a faint smile.
Ava blinked, taken aback. She hadn't expected to find anyone else in this nightmare. "Ava," she replied hesitantly. "But… how did you end up here?"
Kayden sighed, glancing around the dimly lit basement. "Kidnapped, just like you," he said grimly. "Some men grabbed me on my way home." His eyes darted around the room, scanning for weaknesses or exits. Then he added in a reassuring tone, "Don't worry. I'll find a way to get us out of here."
Ava raised an eyebrow, skepticism written all over her face. "How?" she asked.
Kayden grinned, a flicker of confidence lighting up his expression. "I have a plan."
"What kind of plan?" Ava pressed.
He turned toward her, studying her briefly before asking, "How good is your Kung Fu?"
Ava's lips curled into a faint smile. "Not bad," she replied.
"Good," Kayden said with a nod, his tone firm. "I'll need your help. This isn't going to be easy, but with the two of us, we might stand a chance."
Though still unsure of Kayden's plan, Ava felt a spark of hope for the first time in weeks. Perhaps this unexpected ally could turn the tables in their favor.