Chapter 5

Elena's POV

My breath hitched as one of them came closer to me, his hand snatching my chin as he glared into my eyes. I felt disgusted by his sight and, instinctively, I slapped him right across the face.

His hand flew to his cheek, and in anger, he turned back to glare at me. The other two men standing behind him wanted to come deal with me, but with his hand raised in the air, they stopped.

“Let's handle her! She’s got no respect!” one of them said, his anger evident in his tone.

“Stay back, I'll deal with her myself!” the man snarled as he stood to his feet.

Before I could move an inch, he grabbed a full hold of my hair and dragged me to the center of the highway. He lifted his hand into the air, and instantly, a rope was handed over to him.

“You know one thing I detest?” he questioned rhetorically as he tied my hands and legs together. “It’s making me feel disgusted even when I was only trying to be merciful.” He snorted before standing up.

He took a step backward with a sneer on his lips. “Let’s watch you save yourself, wife!” He turned on his heels, ignoring my cries, ignoring my pleas.

I shook my head, tears filling my eyes as I watched him walk back to the bus station.

“Please stop this. I’d do anything. Just anything!” I cried out, but it felt more like I was joking. What had I gotten myself into?

It was supposed to be my divorce party, not my funeral. I begged over and over, but it wasn't getting through to them.

“You…” I was about to speak, but just then, the loud, sharp blaring sound of a huge vehicle surging toward me caught my attention.

“Too late, my dear.”

I turned sharply to the right, the bright, heavy lights blinding my sight. My eyes bulged in fear and shock. I felt frozen; I couldn’t move, I couldn’t scream.

This was it, the end for me, the end for whatever I believed. I blamed no one but myself for getting involved in this mess.

Just as I closed my eyes, ready to accept my fate, tears trickling down my cheeks, I suddenly felt a strong grip from behind me, pulling me backward from the spot where I was seated.

I sharply opened my eyes, and, looking around, I found Caspian on the ground, panting heavily. I wasn’t crushed; I had been saved.

“Are you insane? Why didn’t you move?” he shouted at me, but his eyes said something different. He was scared, too—way more than I was.

He inched closer and loosened the ropes that held me bound. But once the huge vehicle had passed, the vicious sight of the men who had done this to me surfaced again.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Caspian Nightingale. I knew you’d come just in time!” one of them said as they stood right in the middle of the highway again.

Caspian turned to them, anger surging through his veins, before he averted his gaze to me. “No matter what, don’t act weak. And stay still. Is that clear?” he warned.

I nodded my head. He stood to his feet and began to trudge toward them.

“I see your actions as petty. State what you want from me and let her go!” he demanded, sliding his hands into his pockets.

“What we want is you dead, Caspian. You weren’t expected to return to the country, and you know it! We had a deal!”

“A deal? I’ve had this same deal with so many others. So, who are you?” Caspian asked, his words making me more confused.

If I wasn’t mistaken, the Nightingale family was known to be billionaires. They shouldn’t be into any rough businesses, right? So why was Caspian making it seem as though they had some secret connections with a gang?

The man before him snickered venomously. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I just want you dead, and I’m done talking!”

At that moment, they lunged at Caspian. It was a three-against-one fight. They made sure they dealt with him so badly I feared for his life. I couldn’t move either—he had commanded me not to.

I watched. That was all I could do. But one thing was certain: if they came close to me, I wouldn’t hesitate to put them in their place.

Soon, Caspian began to win. He made sure he dealt with the three of them, and when two of the men were down, he turned to the third man—the one who had tied me up.

“You know you shouldn’t have laid your fingers on her,” Caspian snarled, licking his lower lips menacingly as he trudged slowly toward the third man, who now seemed scared.

His boldness had faded, replaced by uncertainty and fear.

I definitely loved that look on his face and wished to kill him myself.

“I do whatever I want, Caspian! You have no right to tell me what to do!” He still acted tough, but we all knew he wasn’t.

Just as he emitted those words, Caspian chuckled devilishly, “So much for a mere husky.” With that, he rushed toward him, and before the man could get away, Caspian had him pinned to the ground.

He punched him as hard as he could, anger filling each blow he sent to the man’s face. The man began to give up, he began to lose his life, when just then, I noticed the swift movement of one of his gang members.

“Caspian, watch out!” I screamed with so much energy, my heart racing.

Before Caspian could realize what was happening, the man had already gotten so close to him and stabbed him in his right side—swift, accurate, and fast.

Immediately, Caspian fell from his leader’s body. They helped their leader to his feet and ran away from sight.

Instinctively, I bolted toward Caspian, who was now on the ground, panting in pain as he held his right side.

“Call him…” he fought to speak, his eyes filled with tears, showing his weak side.

I felt a thrilling sense of fear and shock course through my veins as I lifted him from the ground and placed him on my body, raising his head.

My hand reached for his side, and I couldn’t help but bulge my eyes in agony as I stared at the bloodstain on my hand.

“Call… Call him… call Nathan,” he choked on his words, reaching for his phone before taking it out.

I swiftly did as he told me. After two rings, Nathan picked up the call. “Nathan, hurry! Hurry, he’s dying, please!” I cried as if my life depended on it.

I wasn’t sure why, but I felt a growing sense of sadness creeping in on me. I couldn’t lose him. I couldn’t.

“Stay calm, where are you?” Nathan asked, urgency in his tone.

“I don’t know, I… just need you to hurry. Please!”

“Leave your location on, I’ll be there in a second!”