Chapter 0098
Judy’s POV
I heard the rogues’ voices growing faint, the heavy door creaking shut as they walked away. I stayed perfectly still, keeping my breathing shallow, my heart racing in my chest. For a few moments, the only sound was the dull thrum of blood in my ears and the distant echo of their footsteps fading.
Once the silence enveloped the space, I let out a shaky breath. I opened my eyes and, with a quick glance, checked on Irene. She was still out of it, but I could feel her stir, the slight twitch of her hand against the cold concrete. Relief flooded through me.
She was waking up.
I didn’t want her to panic, but I couldn’t hide the situation from her either. I had to be calm. For both our sakes.
I gently pulled her head onto my lap, smoothing her hair back and muttering softly to keep her grounded. It was a long process, with a lot of groaning and soft shifts as she slowly came to. I didn’t speak until I was sure she was aware enough to understand.
“Irene?” Her soft voice barely reached me, but it was enough to make my heart jump. “W…what happened?”
I swallowed hard, trying to control the worry and panic that threatened to spill out.
“I don’t want you to freak out,” I whispered softly, though I could hear the edge in my voice, and I knew I wasn’t convincing. “But we’re… we’re in trouble.”
Her eyes, still bleary from the effects of the wolfsbane, looked up at me. The panic quickly spread across her face, and I couldn’t stop her from glancing down at her wrists. The silver shackles around them burned, the same cruel reminder of our captivity.
“W-what…” She stammered, her voice thin with fear. “What’s going on?”
I swallowed again, trying to think of something to say that would calm her down. “It’s okay, Irene. We’re going to figure this out.” Even though I had no real idea how.
Her eyes darted around the small, dark cage, and I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. My heart ached for her.
“I… I don’t understand.” Her voice was barely a whisper, shaking with fear. “Why are we here? Why are we in a cage?”
“I don’t have all the answers,” I admitted, curling my knees to my chest, “but I think we were kidnapped. And…” I hesitated, not wanting to say the worst, but I had to be honest. “I think they’re going to kill us. Tomorrow.”
She went rigid at the words, the full weight of our situation crashing down on her. Her trembling hands pressed against her face, trying to hold back tears, and I could see the panic creeping into her eyes.
“But… but why us?” She whispered, the fear so raw in her voice that it made my insides twist with guilt. “Why would anyone do this?”
“I don’t know,” I muttered, feeling utterly helpless. “But we can’t just sit here and do nothing. We have to keep our wits about us. If we want to survive, we have to be smart. I won’t let them win.”
Third Person POV
Meanwhile, far from the dark cellar where Judy and Irene were imprisoned, Ethan had no idea that his carefully laid plan was on the verge of unraveling in a way he never expected.
Ethan’s idea was simple: he wanted to use Judy’s capture as leverage. He believed that once he “rescued” her from whatever danger she was in, she’d be so grateful that she’d agree to be with him—willingly. His mind was clouded by selfish ambition, convinced that this act would make her fall into his arms.
But Ethan had no idea what his subordinate had truly planned. His subordinate had never liked Judy. The intelligent, perfect student had always outshone him. She had embarrassed him in front of the pack, and her superiority in both grades and combat had rubbed him the wrong way. He wasn’t content with just watching Judy fall from grace; he wanted her gone completely.
That’s why he’d secretly worked with the rogues. The capture was meant to be a game, but the rogue’s true intentions were darker. They had decided that Judy would be killed, and the plan was to make it look like an accident, something that couldn’t be traced back to them. They would record her death and present it as evidence to those who wanted her gone.
And Carol… Carol would love it. She was just as much a part of the plot to see Judy’s downfall.
Ethan, however, remained blissfully ignorant. He still believed he was saving her from some grand danger, not knowing that he was about to walk straight into a nightmare of his own making. By the time he showed up to rescue her, it would be too late. Judy would be dead, and the rogues would be blamed.
Meanwhile, back at the villa, Gavin had just returned to find an unexpected absence.
His fury was immediate.
“Where’s my daughter?” Gavin’s voice thundered through the halls, his anger seeping into every syllable as he glared at his men.
The guards and Leroy exchanged uneasy glances, the tension palpable in the air.
“We assumed she took an Uber home or something,” Leroy answered cautiously, though the fear was evident in his tone.
“She asked the guards to stay out of the restaurant while she and Miss Judy ate,” one of the guards muttered nervously. “They never came out.”
“What?” Gavin’s growl was low, like the rumble of a storm ready to break. “What do you mean, they never came out?”
“We went in after a while to see where they were, and the hostess said they left through the back door. We thought they took an Uber home,” one of the guards explained shakily, clearly regretting the decision to speak.
Gavin’s rage was like wildfire. He stormed across the room, his voice a deafening roar that made the air vibrate.
“WHERE THE FUCK IS MY DAUGHTER?!”
