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Episode 22

Penulis: Ataima K
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2024-12-11 19:16:54

Dare

“Hello,” I answered, my tone sharp and short. Pissed didn’t even begin to cover it, but Theo wouldn’t call twice unless it was something critical.

I heard the door slam shut and turned my head, realizing she wasn’t by my side anymore.

“I’m sorry, boss,” Theo’s voice wavered, a hint of fear slipping through.

“What’s going on?” I demanded, leaning back into the couch.

“I got information—Mark’s found some clues,” he said quickly.

My eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

Theo hesitated, then delivered the blow. “He found Sky’s DNA. A hair strand at the scene.”

My hand tightened into a fist. “Damn it.”

“I’m sorry, boss. We didn’t do a good enough job,” he stammered, guilt dripping from his words.

“This isn’t on you,” I said coldly. “She practically grew up with the girl. Her DNA being there was inevitable.” The blame rested squarely on my shoulders. I should’ve burned the place to ash when I had the chance.

“And the Pact?” I asked, voice low. “What are they saying about this?”

“Everythin
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  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   Episode 23

    SkyA week had passed since the kiss, and I’d done everything I could to avoid Dare. Every time I thought about it, my cheeks burned with embarrassment. What had I been thinking, letting myself get swept up in a moment like that with him of all people? It wasn’t just the kiss—it was the fact that I’d enjoyed it. I hated that I kept replaying it in my mind, the way his lips had felt against mine, the heat of his touch.Dare, to his credit, hadn’t brought it up. He’d been unusually quiet all week, careful not to invade my space. It was like we’d come to some unspoken agreement to pretend it never happened.This morning, though, something was different. The sound of clanging plates and the faint smell of something sweet woke me from sleep. For a moment, I lay there, confused, until I heard my name being called.I climbed out of bed, slipping on a robe over my pajamas, and made my way downstairs. The closer I got to the kitchen, the stronger the smell became—vanilla, syrup, and something

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-12
  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   Episode 24

    DareI had gained access to St. Mary’s hospital’s live feed, on my laptop. My fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard, bypassing security measures and locking in on the camera feeds. The hospital’s corridors flashed to life on my laptop screen, a grid of moving bodies and white walls. It didn’t take long to locate the Mayor’s room on the east wing. Two guards stood outside the door,, hands behind their back.I tapped into the mic. “Theo, you’re clear. Proceed.”“On it, boss,” Theo’s voice came through, prepared for this just as I was.The feed shifted as I pulled up the camera nearest the elevator. Theo entered, blending effortlessly with the hospital staff in a plain gray hoodie and jeans. His head was low, and his hands were tucked into his pockets.He stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the floor where the Mayor’s room was located. I tracked his progress on another screen, noting the security cameras’ blind spots he slipped through.“The guards outside his room,” I

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-13
  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   Episode 25

    SkyThe phone felt heavy in my hand, trembling slightly as I pressed it against my ear. The moment I heard his voice, my knees almost gave out.“Hello, dear,” my dad said softly, his voice familiar yet strained.“Dad,” I whispered, my voice cracking as tears welled up in my eyes. I could barely breathe. The guilt that had been eating away at me surged forward, suffocating me. “I missed you, Dad,” I managed to say between sobs, my heart aching as the words left my lips.“I miss you too, darling,” he said, and that broke me completely. I had held so much in, trying to stay strong, but hearing him say those words unraveled me.When I saw the news earlier—saw him being rushed to the hospital, his body breaking down from the stress of looking for me—it felt like the ground had been ripped from beneath my feet. I hated myself for what I’d done to him, for being the reason he collapsed.“I’m so sorry, Dad,” I whispered, my voice trembling. The guilt was crushing.His voice softened. “Honey,

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  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   Episode 26

    DareI pushed open the door to the room, after a full day’s word. I loosened my tie, ready to collapse into the silence I craved, but then I saw her. Sky. She was standing by the balcony, her frame sketched by the faint glow of moonlight. Her arms were crossed tightly, her hair swinging around in the breeze, and for a second, she looked so delicate it made me stop mid-step.I stood there, watching her for a moment, trying to figure out what she was doing. She didn’t notice me at first, too deep in her thoughts.I moved closer, slowly, until I stood at the glass doors. I thought about walking away, giving her space, but then she turned to me. Her eyes met mine, and I could see it—the exhaustion, the sadness, the fight she’d been trying so hard to hide.“I used to think I’d have a beautiful life,” she said, her voice so soft I almost missed it.I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. She wasn’t looking for a response anyway. She was pulling herself back into a memory, one I wasn’t sure I wan

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  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   Episode 27

    Sky“Mhm,” he says, his lips brushing against mine. I let out a soft moan as he deepens the kiss, his tongue exploring my mouth.I can feel my body responding to him, my nipples hardening beneath my shirt. Dare’s hands are on my waist, pulling me closer to him. I can feel his erection pressing against me, and I can’t help but grind against him.“Fuck, Sky,” he growls, breaking the kiss. “I need you. Now.”Before I can even respond, Dare has picked me up and dropped me on the bed. He climbs on top of me, his lips finding mine again. I can feel his hands on my shirt, pulling it up over my head. I lift my arms to help him, and he tosses it aside.His eyes rake over my body, taking in every inch of me. I can feel my cheeks flushing under his gaze. He reaches out and traces a finger over the swell of my breast, and I shiver at the contact.“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, leaning down to take my nipple in his mouth. I let out a soft moan as he sucks and nips at my breast, his hands roami

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  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   Episode 28

    Sky The bed felt cold. I reached for him before my eyes even opened, fingers brushing against empty sheets. My heart stuttered—just a little—because I thought maybe, maybe he was just out of reach. But when I opened my eyes, he wasn’t there. Dare wasn’t there. The ache hit fast. Sharp. Last night… God, last night. I closed my eyes again, but it didn’t stop the flood of memories. His hands on me, his mouth—soft and rough in all the right ways—like he couldn’t get enough. Like I was something precious. And I gave him everything. I didn’t even hesitate. I never thought I’d give myself to him—not like that—but I did. And I wasn’t sorry. Not for a second. A breath trembled out of me as I sat up, the sheets sliding down my bare skin. My body still hummed with the rasp of his touch, the warmth of him pressed against me. It felt so real. Like maybe—finally—he was mine. I told myself not to panic. Maybe he was in the shower. Maybe he was making coffee. Maybe. I pulled on his shirt from t

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-17
  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   Episode 29

    DareI snuck out of the house at 6 a.m., moving quietly so I don’t wake her. Inside, she’s sleeping peacefully, her breathing slow and steady. She looks so serene when she’s asleep, like all the worries she carries during the day melt away in her dreams. I could stand there all morning, watching her, memorizing the way the early light touches her skin, the way her hair falls across the pillow. But I don’t want to waste this opportunity.Today, I want to do something special for her. Something meaningful. The thought makes my chest tighten a little. I’ve never done anything like this for anyone before. It feels foreign, yet natural when it comes to her. If I did nothing, if I didn’t make an effort, I’d hate myself for it later.As I step outside, the sound of tires crunching on the gravel draws my attention. Theo’s car pulls in through the gate, right on time, as I knew he would be. He’s dependable like that. He steps out of the car in his usual black suit, every detail of his appearan

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  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   Episode 30

    SkyI stood frozen, staring at him as he stood in the doorway, holding a bouquet of flowers and a box in his hands. I felt more confused than ever because it was not a look I have seen on him before. Just then I thought maybe he hasn’t left me but how long will it take until he decides that I was no longer useful. The thought alone haunted me.“I thought you left me,” I said, my voice trembling as I held the table for strength after breaking down into a sobbing mess.“Where would I go?” Dare replied, his tone soft yet steady. “This is my home.”He stepped closer, reading my face with his eyes, and gently wiped the tears that had been streaming down my face. The warmth of his touch only made my chest ache more.“Did you really think I’d leave you like that?” he asked, his gaze locking onto mine.“Yes,” I admitted with a slight nod, my voice barely above a whisper. “I thought you didn’t care… that what happened yesterday meant nothing to you.”To my surprise, he laughed—a sound I’d nev

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-19

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  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   112

    Morning sunlight filtered softly through the curtains of Darla’s room, painting delicate patterns across the hardwood floor. The warmth was gentle, almost coaxing, but she remained curled beneath the covers, knees drawn to her chest, eyes fixed on the phone in her hands. It was an older model, chipped at the edges and slow to respond, but it held pieces of her past she couldn’t bring herself to erase.A hesitant knock at the door broke the silence, and Darla tensed instinctively, fingers tightening around the phone. But the voice that followed was warm, familiar, and a little rough with age.“Darla?” Marcel called softly. “Breakfast is ready downstairs. I made some coffee too—figured you could use it.”She exhaled slowly, the tension bleeding from her shoulders. Marcel’s presence was still new, a puzzle piece she hadn’t expected but found herself clinging to. He was a stranger in some ways—his eyes older, face lined with years of grief and weariness—but the kindness in his gaze was th

  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   111

    Ethan’s knuckles rapped against the door for the third time, the hollow sound echoing through the deserted hotel hallway. He leaned in, jaw clenched tight, heart hammering painfully against his ribcage. Silence stretched on the other side—deafening, absolute. Not even a whisper of movement.He swore under his breath, frustration spiking hot and sharp through his veins. Darla had to be inside. She wasn’t the type to ignore people, no matter how furious or hurt she might have been. Not unless…His breath hitched at the thought, fingers flexing against the smooth wood of the door. No. She couldn’t have left—not without a word, not when there was so much unresolved between them.But the silence lingered, unbroken and oppressive, taunting him with every heartbeat.“Darla!” he called, voice low but urgent, fingers tightening around the door handle. “Open up. We need to talk.”Nothing.An icy tendril of dread curled in his gut, twisting tighter with each passing second. His eyes narrowed, pu

  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   110

    The suitcase lay open on the bed, half-filled with clothes hastily folded and shoes shoved into corners. Darla’s hands trembled as she reached for another dress, the soft fabric slipping between her fingers as she struggled to breathe evenly. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs, her pulse a dull roar in her ears.She bit down on her lip, hard enough to sting, and forced herself to focus—one item at a time, one movement at a time. Pack, zip, leave. Simple. Necessary. Anything to escape the suffocating walls of the hotel room and the possibility of running into him again.Ethan.The name alone sent a fresh wave of panic crashing through her, her fingers faltering around the edge of a blouse. His eyes, dark and unreadable, flashed unbidden in her mind—the way they’d looked at her in the lobby, a mixture of shock and something else she couldn’t name. Something raw and aching that left her chest tight and her breath shallow.She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the memory aw

  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   109

    Esther’s eyes flicked to the clock on her office wall for the fifth time in as many minutes. Each tick seemed to echo louder than the last, pounding in her ears like a cruel reminder. It was past seven in the evening, the sky outside her floor-to-ceiling windows a dull gray, streaked with the last traces of daylight. Her phone lay face-up on her desk, dark and silent despite the dozen missed calls she had made.She drew in a shaky breath, forcing herself to focus on the financial reports open on her monitor, but the numbers blurred together, meaningless. The cursor blinked accusingly, a taunt to her futile attempts at distraction. Her manicured fingers drummed nervously against the mahogany desk, a tremor betraying her otherwise composed exterior.Two hours.For two hours, she had been calling Roy.And for two hours, he had not picked up. Not once.Her chest tightened painfully, a dull ache settling beneath her ribs. The same ache that had been festering since that night—since Darla h

  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   108

    Author’s POVThe low buzz of conversation filled the VIP section of the Rooftop Bar, but Roy barely registered it. His fingers curled around the neck of his beer bottle, the cool glass slick against his palm. It was already past three in the afternoon, and he was on his third bottle—maybe fourth. He wasn’t even sure anymore.He had come here thinking a few drinks with the boys might clear his head. It didn’t.King’s voice cut through the haze, smooth and casual. “What’s on your mind, buddy?” he asked, leaning back in his chair. The bottle in his hand clinked softly against the table, but Roy’s eyes remained distant, fixed somewhere beyond the dim blue lights flickering above.The atmosphere was suffocating. The heavy curtains blocked out any sunlight, making it impossible to tell if it was day or night. But the gloom felt fitting—an external mirror of the storm churning inside him.Darla.Her name surfaced in his mind unbidden, bringing with it a flood of memories he’d tried and faile

  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   107

    Ethan’s knuckles had turned red the moment he stepped out of the car, his fingers clenched so tightly that the veins beneath his skin protruded like strained cables. He flexed his hand absently, a futile attempt to shake off the tension that seemed embedded too deep to dislodge. The car ride had been mortifying, the low hum of conversation between John and Carlo barely registering. Their voices melded into the background—mere noise compared to the chaos raging inside his head.Darla.She had been right there. Right in front of him. And yet, the instant their eyes met, she had turned and fled. As if he were something to be avoided. As if he were nothing.How many times was she going to keep running from him?A sharp exhale left him, his jaw tightening with barely restrained frustration. He could never forget that face—those eyes, the way her lips parted in that fleeting second before she bolted like a coward. His chest burned with something raw and unnameable.Anger?Frustration?Pain?

  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   106

    The shrill ringing of the alarm clock waked Darla up. She groaned, her hand fumbling blindly across the nightstand until her fingers closed around her phone. Squinting against the harsh light of the screen, her eyes widened at the numbers glaring back at her.9:12 AM.Panic jolted her up, sending a violent pulse of pain through her skull.Shit. Shit. Shit.Her meeting was at 10 AM. She was supposed to wake up early, go over her notes one last time—not drown herself in alcohol and pass out fully dressed. The nausea hit first, causing the room to spin dangerously. Gritting her teeth, Darla pressed her fingers to her temples as if that could somehow hold her brain together.This is what you get, Darla.The floor tilted beneath her feet as she stumbled into the bathroom. She barely registered the icy chill of the shower before a sharp gasp tore from her throat. The shock of cold water slammed into her, dulling the pounding in her head just enough to think.You don’t have time for this.S

  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   105

    Revenge is a slow burn—a fire that starts deep in your gut and spreads until it consumes everything in its path.People warn against it, say it will rot you from the inside out.But they never talk about the rush.The satisfaction.The raw power of watching the people who wronged you crumble under the weight of their own sins.Darla never knew how intoxicating it could be—until tonight.She had seen the way their expressions twisted—first shock, then anger, then finally settling into pure hatred.At least, hers did.Esther.God, she hated Darla.It was written all over her perfectly painted face, hidden beneath layers of artificial charm. The way she clutched Roy’s arm, fingers digging into his sleeve as if Darla were a ghost who had returned to haunt her.And maybe she had.Maybe she wanted to be.She couldn’t stand Esther.Not just because she had married Darla’s fiancé, but because she had stolen the life Darla was supposed to have. The love. The family she had envisioned.Esther h

  • Kidnapping the Mayor’s Daughter   104

    Roy Claus was still pisded about his anniversary being ruined, his entire world was unraveling in the span of a single night.After four years of silence, four years of pretending she never existed, of pushing her memory into the darkest corners of his mind—she came back.And she wrecked everything.The sound of shattering glass still echoed in his head.His perfect night—ruined. He could step out and face the guests, he felt so ashamed.A soft touch landed on his arm.“Roy…”Esther called him.Her voice was gentle, careful—too careful. As if she were willing the room to forget what had just happened, to pretend that Darla hadn’t just torn open a wound that was never meant to heal.Roy turned to her sharply, his hand grabbing her wrist before he even realized what he was doing.She flinched.“What the hell did she mean?” he raked, demanding answers he wasn’t sure he wanted.But he needed them.He couldn't forget the scene where Darla whispered into her ears, it made him feel like he wa

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