"Brother, aren't you supposed to be illiterate? How can you write on her face?" The lewd voice slithered into my ears.
"You idiot, I can't write sentences. But I can write one, two, three. I can write a hundred of them. Too bad this girl's face is too small for that many words. I'll just scribble a few..."
"Oh, big brother is so clever!"
Hearing those words, Emma Johnson's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. What was she supposed to do now?
Liam Williams, where are you? Why haven't you come to save me?
"You bastards! If you touch me today, my husband will make you pay. I'll call the police and have every single one of you arrested. You'll rot in jail!" Emma shouted, struggling against the ropes binding her.
But no matter how hard she fought, she couldn't break free. Everything felt utterly hopeless.
Slap! A heavy blow landed on Emma's right cheek. "Your husband won't let us go, huh...!"
Emma felt nothing but searing pain on her right face. A sharp, stinging sensation spread slowly, and immediately another slap followed. "You still want to call the cops on us...!"
The kidnapper's voice grew louder and louder. When the final slap struck Emma's face, she was already dizzy, her ears ringing. She could still vaguely hear his voice, "You want us punished? You have no idea who you're messing with! Let me scratch that pretty face of yours..."
Emma no longer had the strength to speak. She could only resign herself to her fate and close her eyes.
Even now, she still had no idea who would treat her so viciously.
Emma bit her lip, telling herself not to cry. Crying wouldn't solve anything. But the tears wouldn't stop.
She felt the tip of a knife press against her cheek. She held her breath, too terrified to scream, too scared to move. She could only wait for the worst.
But then, Emma heard a loud bang, as if something had shattered.
Immediately, she heard the man cry out in pain, "Ah! Who, who hit me?!"
The knife in the elder brother's hand was knocked away by a piece of wood. As they turned around, they saw a man rushing in from the doorway. In a flash, he took them down.
After that, Emma only heard the sounds of a chaotic fight, followed by the howling and begging of the men who had just bullied her. "Brother, we're sorry! Let us go! We know we were wrong..."
Emma heard a hoarse, concise voice. "If you want to live, get lost."
The man snorted coldly. If it weren't for her presence, and his desire to shield her from his brutality, those three would never have had a chance to survive.
Then, Emma heard the confused footsteps of several people retreating. Had they been beaten away?
Emma's face was still stinging from the slaps, and her hearing was still a bit fuzzy, so she didn't recognize the man's voice.
Her mind was filled with the image of one person: Liam Williams.
She couldn't help but shout, "Liam? Is that you? Did you come to save me?"
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, big and heavy. The heart that had been hanging in mid-air finally settled.
Emma heard footsteps approaching her, but her eyes were still covered, and she couldn't see anyone clearly.
She opened her mouth and cried out, "Liam! I was so scared... I'm so glad you're here..."
...
Silence.
Had her ears failed her, or was Liam simply not speaking?
Emma didn't say anything more. She just sat there quietly. The rope around her ankles was untied, and then her hands were freed.
After a pause, the man slowly reached out and removed the black blindfold from her face.
The sudden glare of light made Emma squint instinctively.
When she slowly opened her eyes again, a familiar yet unfamiliar face appeared before her.
"You... are you... Elijah?" Emma froze, her doubt slowly turning into certainty. "Is it really you, Elijah? Why are you here?"
Emma stared at him for a few seconds. Elijah Clark looked more mature than before. His chestnut hair was even more unruly, his thick eyebrows raised with a hint of rebellion. Beneath his long, slightly curled eyelashes were a pair of clear eyes, like morning dew, and a strong nose. Any girl would be moved at the sight of him.
"Long time no see, dear Emma. I didn't expect to meet again under such circumstances." Elijah gently touched Emma's face, his eyes narrowing. Damn it. Luckily, the damage isn't too bad, or this face would be ruined.
Elijah gently picked up Emma and carried her outside.
In front of him was a flashy royal blue sports car. Elijah looked down at the woman in his arms, unsure whether to feel happy or sad. After so many years, he had finally met Emma again.
But she was in such a terrible state.
During my absence, Emma, how much have you suffered?
His heart ached with pain, but the corners of his mouth pulled into a smile. "I'll take you home. Your parents must be worried."
...
It was already dark when Liam Williams returned to the company. He leaned back in his chair, exhausted, and was about to take out his phone.
Christopher Martin cautiously placed a newspaper on the table. "Sir, this is about you..."
Liam was a bit annoyed by his hesitant manner. He glanced at the cover and headline, and his face immediately darkened. He walked over to Liam's desk and said, "Sir, what's the matter?"
Seeing his nervous expression, Liam glanced at the newspaper casually. In just two seconds, he stood up and slammed his hand heavily on the table. His voice was filled with anger. "This is absolute nonsense. Find out which newspaper dared to print this baseless rumor."
"Yes, sir." Christopher was a little surprised by his boss's fury. It was the first time he had seen him so angry.
Liam thought of Emma's innocent face and began to worry. She must have been terribly wronged by something like this.
He took out his phone and found a missed call.
Damn it!
This woman must have called him in a panic, right? And he hadn't answered.
Liam's heart began to race with anxiety. He immediately called her back. But the phone was turned off.