Kidnapped

Lilly's POV

One of the best moments of a journalist's life is their big break, when our names finally get known by the whole world. Every young journalist is always seeking to write a breaking story that will blow up and catch everyone's attention. When that happens, your career is cemented. All that's left is to live up to the name. 

I had written a number of stories on the rich but they had never trended or caught a lot of attention. That's why I was the happiest woman in the world when my story on Jake Rylland blew up.

The day had started normally, me being late at work and starting off with my new article immediately. It was an hour later, when my editor came screaming to my office and told me that everyone was talking about my article. The physical copy of the paper had been brought, and the e-copy was doing exceptionally well because everyone was talking about my story on Jake Rylland.

I opened a browser and all the newest articles popping up were about my article. Leah even said she'd been receiving calls from people who wanted me to work for them.

Before that day, I was just a poor girl with a very unfortunate and cursed name given to me by a mother who never wanted a child but was forced to go through with the pregnancy. As soon as she had me, she disappeared to go live her life the way she wanted, single, rich and child-free. No one had seen her since then.

I could have changed the name as I grew up but it was the only thing that I reminded me that I had a mother. It remained my legal name but I went by Lilly.

Getting out of my car, I smoothed by new beautiful shiny green dress, took a deep breath and walked to Leah's house where party music was coming from. Leah had bought me the dress and thrown a party to celebrate my success. 

The party was already in full swing when I arrived. All my friends cheered when I made an entrance, making me feel shy and mushy at the same time. Tears welled in my eyes as the most important people in my life enveloped me in a group hug. 

My crazy father was out somewhere vacationing with his sixth wife. I had grown up mostly alone and only found family when I started working at The Daily Paper. 

After a lot of congratulations, I settled and downed my first drink as I danced. First with Leah, and then Declan who couldn't keep his hands off me. We cut a cake, had a feast and continued to dance. Three hours later, the party was over and I was still sober. 

“You can stay over and leave tomorrow,” Leah told me. 

I shook my head, glancing at the bodies sprawled over on her couch. I would be much better at my home. 

Leah escorted me to my car. “Call me when you get home.”

Getting into my car, I drove off. The city suburbs were still and quiet save from the occasional car passing by. 

Soon, my apartment building came into view and I warmed up in anticipation of a good night's sleep after the best day of my life.

After parking my car, I started to walk towards the stairs before something hit me on the head and the world morphed into complete darkness. 

When I came to, I was in an empty room with white walls. The only thing in it was the wooden chair I was tied to.  When I tried to shake myself free from the restraints, they got tighter. 

A minute later, someone walked into the room and stood in front of me. I blinked to make sure I was seeing correctly. It was Jake Rylland. 

He smiled before ripping off the duct tape that had sealed my mouth shut. 

“What do you want from me?”

“I should be asking you that question? What do you want from me, Hellman? Money, love, sex. Just say the word and you'll get it.”

“I don't want anything from a disgusting man like you,” I said. “All I wanted was to expose your hidden facade to the world. Because you seem to live a calm hidden life, the world has always wanted to know more about you. I gave them what I wanted, that's all.”

“Calling me disgusting in my own house. You're a brave one. But then again, you have been following me around. I don't like that at all.”

“So what? Did you kidnap me so you could threaten me? Didn't think you were this pathetic?”

He chuckled, and took a few steps to where I was. Reaching out, he grabbed my chin forcefully and made me look up. “I can do more than threaten you if you don't do as I say. You're going to refute that whole story you write and say it was a little girl's fantasy with no truth at all. TV stations will be lining up to interview you about me but you will tell them that you've never met me. You just made up everything.”

“Will you let me go if i promise to do that?” I asked.

He nodded then removed his hand from my chin.

“Okay, I will try to write an article saying that maybe I threw in some exegerations to make it sensational. I can't refute the whole story because that would ruin my career. My job is all I have.”

He thought for a moment. “That will do. Rushy.”

The door opened and a burly man walked in. He wore a vest, exposing all the muscles lining up his arms and chest. 

I watched as he moved closer and placed a handkerchief over my nose and mouth. I had no choice but to inhale whatever it had been laced with.

The next time I came to, it was night time and I was inside my car.