ALESSIA
“I’m not Cali! Alessia Rob-”
I didn’t finish what I was going to say because the man in front of me interrupted.
“Damn it! Don’t try to deceive me, Cali! I know you’re the queen of lies! You’re better at lying than Satan himself!” the man’s eyes flashed angrily. He pressed his palm against my jaw.
“But I’m telling the truth! I’m not Cali! You’re mistaken. Please, let me go,” I pleaded. I was starting to hurt from what he was doing.
Throughout my life, I had never been physically harmed by my parents. Even Claude, who was furious with me before, never hurt me physically. But this man, his hand was so light to hurt a woman.
“You really want to escape, huh?” The man brought his face closer to mine.
I was almost blinded by how close his face was. What good was this kind of man if he hurt women? It wasn’t worth it. He may be handsome, but he is a sadist.
“Well then, bring out Luther! Bring out your shameless boyfriend! He’s the one who owes me! You’re just involved because you’re covering for him. You and your boyfriend destroyed my trust! So you’ll pay now! You’ll go first if I don’t see your boyfriend!”
He released me roughly. Then, he took something from inside his coat and aimed it at me.
I trembled as the barrel of the gun touched my forehead. I was so scared that I couldn’t make any noise. I might had swallowed my tongue.
“I only need Luther. If you tell me where he is, I’ll let you go. So if you don’t want to get hurt, tell me where he is.” His voice became calmer. But he still didn’t lower the gun pointed at me.
“Please, listen to me. I’m not Cali,” I said boldly.
I couldn’t bring myself to lie just to get this man to let me go. Claude didn’t even make me confess to his suspicions about me. So I wouldn’t confess to this man either. If he got annoyed with me, so be it. If he got irritated and mistakenly shot me, then that would be the end of me. But perhaps, that is better than lying. If my lie were to be revealed, I would still be killed. It is better to die telling the truth than to die because of a lie.
“You really don’t want to confess, huh? Well, get ready. I’ll punish you for sure!”
The man returned the gun to his coat. Then, he took out his cellphone and made a call.
While the man was talking, I scanned my surroundings, thinking of a way to escape from him. Once my ropes are removed, I will try to flee. I might even go through the window or the restroom. I didn’t care if I got hurt. It seemed scarier to die at the hands of this man.
But I was startled when the door suddenly opened. Four men entered, all dressed in business suits and sunglasses. As they approached me, I screamed. One of them took out a handkerchief and stuffed it into my mouth. I couldn’t scream anymore, only muffled cries escaped. My hands were untied from the bed, as were my feet. Then, one of the men lifted me up and stood me on the floor.
“Boss, what should we do with her?”
“Take her to the mansion. Chain that woman up,” the man ordered before leaving the room.
Two men held my arms and guided me out of the room, one in front and one behind. I could walk properly now since my feet were untied, but my hands remained bound. What they removed earlier is my tie to the bed.
I noticed that there was no one in the hallway. When we reached the lobby, I saw only a man and a woman at the information desk. They glanced at me, but I saw no surprise on their faces. It was as if seeing a woman with a gag in her mouth and tied hands was a normal occurrence.
Shit! Since when did seeing a woman with a gag in her mouth and tied hands become normal? If only I didn’t have the gag, I might have screamed for help. But maybe even if I did, these two wouldn’t help me. So I just had to follow the men who took me. Whatever happens, happens.
The men put me into a van, sandwiching me between two men inside the vehicle. When the vehicle started moving, the man next to me blindfolded me.
My fear and worry increased. But I couldn’t do anything because not only could I not see, but I was also tied up and guarded.
Is this the end for me? Who would rescue me? Was Claude looking for me?
But my thoughts were countered by my conscience. How could Claude find me if he is mad at me?
I wanted to cry in my situation, especially when I thought of my son. What would happen to Adrian if I disappeared completely? Could Adrian cope with life without me by his side? He is still too young to understand our marital issues. I am scared of what might happen to my son if I couldn’t escape.
I didn’t even get to say goodbye properly before this happened to me. If I couldn’t be found by my son, would he still remember me?
I couldn’t stop my tears from falling. I cried quietly, not wanting to go into hysteria. If I did, the men with me might get angrier. They might kill me on the spot. I might not even make it to the mansion of the man who kidnapped me. I might be killed right here in the car. I forced myself to calm down to prevent my situation from worsening.
I didn’t know how long we had been traveling. But I was almost sleepy from the long journey. When the car stopped, I felt my companions getting out. A hand pulled me and helped me walk properly. When my blindfold was removed, I was dazzled by the light. I looked around. I was in a room again. But this time, there was no furniture in the room. It had a window that was high up.