At the construction site.
Since the Pinnacle Corporation's real estate development plan had been approved a few days earlier, Liam Williams and Christopher Martin had arranged to meet with several project managers early that morning. They were inspecting the workers' progress on a vacant lot on the outskirts of Silverdale.
Liam had left his phone in the car, so he naturally hadn't received any calls from Emma Johnson.
He knew nothing about the newspapers.
The company's construction project was massive. Liam had to oversee it personally from the start. One small mistake could lead to irreparable losses.
After the meeting, Emma decided to head home early. She felt uncomfortable no matter where she was, so she might as well go home.
The rain was still falling heavily. As Emma stepped outside the magazine office, she spotted several reporters gathered by the entrance. They were probably there to interview her.
If the person involved admitted to such a big story, the news would become even more deeply rooted in people's minds.
Emma was smart. While they hadn't noticed her yet, she quickly raised her umbrella to cover her face, lowered her head, and hurried away from the magazine entrance.
She didn't look up the entire way, afraid someone might recognize her face. It would cause her a lot of trouble.
Fortunately, it was raining, so there were fewer people on the streets. She couldn't help but relax her guard a little.
At the intersection ahead, the light was red. Emma held her umbrella, counting down the seconds on the traffic signal.
Suddenly, a black van screeched to a halt right in front of her.
Emma's eyes widened. Before she could react, the van door slid open. Two large men jumped out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into the vehicle.
The umbrella hit the ground. The van was long gone before it landed.
Emma's first thought was kidnapping!
She was being kidnapped?
Just as she opened her mouth to scream, a large piece of cloth was roughly shoved into her mouth.
Immediately afterward, her eyes were blindfolded.
In that moment of chaos, she only caught a glimpse of a crescent-shaped tattoo on one of the men's necks. She knew nothing else.
Throughout the ride, her kidnappers didn't speak. Emma could only feel the van driving endlessly, with no sign of stopping.
Her heart was filled with panic and fear. She had no idea who these people were or why they had taken her.
If they wanted money, fine. But if they had any malicious intentions toward her... then her innocent body, which she had struggled to keep pure for over twenty years, would be defiled.
She didn't know how long it took before the van finally stopped.
Emma was grabbed by both arms and led into what felt like an abandoned warehouse.
It was very quiet here. Emma couldn't hear any other vehicles passing by, nor any voices of people talking. All she could hear was the sharp sound of her own shoes hitting the floor.
Where the hell was this place?
And what did these people want?
Just as she was thinking about it, she was shoved onto a stool by a strong force. Her hands and feet were tied to it.
The cloth was pulled from her mouth, but her eyes remained covered.
"Who are you? What do you want? I have no grudge against you! Why did you kidnap me?" Emma cried out.
"To be honest, Miss Johnson, we have nothing against you. We're just taking money to do a job. Don't blame us," one of the leading men said. His voice was rough, his tone full of arrogance.
"Who hired you to hurt me? How much did he pay you? I'll double it. No—name your price. Just let me go..." Emma's voice trembled as tears streamed down her face.
"Oh, look at her. She's so pitiful. It's hard for me to control myself, big brother. Why don't we have some fun with her? She doesn't know who we are anyway. The three of us can enjoy ourselves tonight..." Another kidnapper spoke, his words dripping with filth.
When Emma heard him say that, she finally couldn't hold back. "Help! Is anyone there? Help me!"
"Stop shouting. We're in the middle of nowhere. No one can hear you even if you scream your throat raw. Save your strength," the leader said. After a pause, he continued, "Miss Johnson, our third brother here is very principled in this business. Since our employer paid us, we'll follow his instructions. So... except for your face, we won't touch anything else. Don't worry. You'll be fine."
So they were going to ruin her looks? How was that supposed to make her feel safe? Emma trembled with fear, panic rising in her chest. "No! You can't do this! I'm Liam Williams's wife! If you touch me, I swear he won't let you get away with it!"
"Ha ha ha! What are you talking about? Liam Williams? I know who he is, but I didn't know he had a wife. Miss Johnson, you're terrible at lying, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not lying! Didn't you read today's newspaper? I am Liam Williams's wife! It's true!"
Emma tried to explain more clearly. Hearing Liam's name should scare these guys.
"I told you, girl, who has time to read newspapers? Besides, my brothers and I are illiterate. We only know money. Even if your husband is Liam Williams, so what? The mountain is high and the road is long. By the time he finds you, he'll divorce you. Because right now, I'm going to carve a few words on your pretty white face. What do you think?" The leader pulled out a sharp knife and gently traced it across Emma's cheek. The cold tip of the blade touched her skin, making her shiver.
But...