It was the dead of night. The bone-chilling wind echoed in their ears, as Stella held onto Keegan and ran for their lives. They knew that the abusive man was a mentally unhinged lunatic. Their lives would be at stake once he realized that they were gone.The desolate surroundings offered no comfort. There was not even a glimmer of light in sight. However, Stella did not care. She continued running with Keegan in one direction, hoping to put as much distance between them and their captors.After running for what felt like an eternity, Keegan's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground."Keegan!" Stella's heart tightened, as she called out his name."Don't shout," Keegan quickly responded, but his voice was weak. "They'll hear us."Stella swallowed her words and crouched down to help Keegan up. Just as she was about to speak, she felt a warm dampness in her hand.Stella froze. While trembling, she slowly opened her hand. The moonlight was faint, making it impossible to see what
Stella wiped away her tears. She endured the heartache and ran in the direction Keegan had indicated.Keegan turned to check on the approaching headlights and went in the opposite direction. He attempted to throw them off by clenching his fingers tightly and creating a trail of blood.Stella was crying, as she ran. She tried not to think about Keegan's injuries, as she feared that she would not be able to resist turning back. All she could do was push forward and run even faster.Time seemed to stretch on forever, but she eventually came across the bridge that Keegan had mentioned. Underneath the bridge was a turbulent river shrouded in mist, and the air was cold.Stella was overjoyed, and tears streamed down her face. Just as she was about to rush across the bridge, she heard the growl of an engine approaching from behind.Panic surged through her, and she quickly sought cover.Then, the car came to a stop not far from the bridge. Stella heard the door open, and footsteps follow
Keegan's wounds tore open, leaving him pale and in silent agony. He scoffed, "Did you bother to find out about us before making your move? She's my ex-wife. Do you really think a woman would show up for an ex-husband who treated her poorly?"This seemed to strike a nerve with the kidnapper. He growled, "You divorced her just to fool around with my wife, didn't you? And then, you conspired with her to divorce me!"Keegan was puzzled by his accusation. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't know your wife.""Cut the act!" the abusive man raged. "As soon as she saw you, she wanted a divorce! You even helped her with the lawsuit. How could you!"The slap was brutal. Keegan's ears were ringing, but the man's words made Keegan realize that what Stella had said might be true—the kidnappers had mistaken him for Marshall.The abusive man grabbed Keegan's neck and continued, "My wife left me, my son is gone, and my parents were forced to quit their jobs by the company. My family
Stella did not have a good memory. She only had a few numbers memorized in her mind. Aside from close family members, Keegan, and Felicity, the only number she remembered was Vermont's. So, she gave the man his number.The man had restrained Keegan with one hand while he called the number with his other hand.Vermont was driving toward the location that the police had mentioned at that time. He picked up the phone when he saw that an unknown caller was calling him.Stella was afraid that he might inadvertently reveal his identity, so she immediately spoke up as soon as Vermont answered. "Mr. Moore, it's me."Vermont was taken aback and slammed on the brakes. He quickly turned on the phone's recording function and spoke in a low voice, "Where are you? We've been searching everywhere for you!"Stella breathed a sigh of relief. She was worried that Vermont would not play along. She had overheard the kidnappers talking, and it seemed like the police were already involved. Clearly, new
Before Stella could process the situation, the kidnapper angrily hurled the phone into the river. "You lying bitch! How dare you trick me?!"Stella panicked. "I didn't lie to you! I wouldn't dare to deceive you when you're holding him hostage!"Vermont was still on his way. The approaching vehicle was clearly not him.'We're in the middle of nowhere. Who would venture here in the dead of night? Could it be that the police had tracked our location?'As the vehicle drew nearer, the kidnapper grew increasingly agitated. He held onto Keegan tightly, and his hands were trembling. It was evident he was terrified that the approaching car might belong to law enforcement.Keegan had lost a lot of blood at that point. He was ghastly pale and barely able to stand on his own.Stella's heart ached for him. She feared that the kidnapper might impulsively push Keegan off the bridge. "I swear I didn't lie to you! Please release him. He's too injured to escape. Use me as your hostage. Please..."
Landon froze. He instinctively refused to accept the fact his ex-wife was only trying to help him. "That's impossible!"Tears welled up in the woman's eyes. "Why didn't you just ask me when you saw us together? Why would you rather believe those so-called friends of yours than your own wife?! I didn't divorce you because I was in love with someone else. I divorced you because you changed!"A hint of confusion flashed across Landon's face. It took a while before he mumbled, "Could it really be my fault?"Marshall gave the woman a subtle nod. She took a deep breath and softened her tone. "Let's leave the past behind. Stop hurting innocent people. Let them go, and I'll go home with you."Landon was taken aback. "Are you really willing to come home with me?" he asked in a low voice.The woman concealed her fear and nodded. "Of course."Landon stared at his ex-wife for a few seconds, as though he was evaluating the truth behind her words. Suspense was hanging in the air. After a momen
Keegan was also swept about six feet away by the current.With determined effort, Stella swam over and grabbed ahold of his collar.It was impossible for them to communicate in the water. Moreover, it was extremely difficult for Stella to support the weight of an adult male like Keegan alone. She strived to keep both their faces above water as they followed the current, trying to find a way to save themselves.Fortunately, luck seemed to be on her side. It was not long before she came across a branch floating in the river. With Keegan in her arms, Stella struggled toward the floating piece of wood. In the end, they managed to grab ahold of it and catch their breath."Keegan..." Stella's voice quivered. She held back her tears and called out urgently, "Keegan, don't close your eyes! Stay awake! I can't do this alone. Hold onto the branch, and I'll support you. We'll climb up together."Keegan coughed out some water. His body was weakened by his injuries and the cold. Nevertheless,
Keegan closed his mouth and remained silent. Both he and Stella were conserving what little strength they had left in the freezing night. Stella was drained of energy. Her lips were turning into a bluish hue from the cold. Her mind was starting to blur, but she clung to the branch with sheer determination.All of a sudden, a noise echoed from the shore. Stella snapped back to reality and said, "Keegan, they're here! They're here!"She turned her head, but the person behind her had vanished without her noticing.The bitter cold seemed to intensify. Stella's face grew even paler, as she shouted Keegan's name into the empty stretch of water. Yet, all that met her cries was the relentless sound of the flowing river.Stella released her grip on the branch, intending to swim away. However, she discovered that she was tethered to the branch. Before letting go, Keegan had mustered the last ounces of his strength to secure her in place with a belt. Even if she was weak, the belt would provi