It was Ryder’s voice. When he spoke, there was no response, making it seem as though he was talking to himself. But in reality, he was busy drugging someone. This vile and despicable act was something Ryder had never given up on.
Without a doubt, the person in the room had to be Emma.
Kayden hesitated instinctively. He didn’t want to interfere. After all, Emma had always shown an interest in Ryder, and even Kayden’s mother held Ryder in high regard, urging Emma to curry favor with him. But Ryder’s words moments ago had made things crystal clear-he didn’t want Emma as a girlfriend; he wanted her as his slave. This guy was a complete pervert. Who knew what he would do to Emma?
Kayden thought of her father, Mr. Baker. Memories of the man flashed in his mind-the kind and gentle Mr. Baker who used to sneak him candies when he was a child. Kayden couldn’t just let this slide. Emma was Mr. Baker’s daughter, after all. No matter what wrongs she and her mother had done, he couldn’t stoop to their level. Besides, what kind of man would he be if he held a grudge against a woman?
And above all, she was Mr. Baker’s daughter! If something happened to her-if she truly became someone’s slave-how would Mr. Baker endure it?
As Kayden wrestled with his inner conflict, Ryder’s voice rang out again from the room:
“Don’t worry, soon you’ll be in heaven. I guarantee you’ll be completely mine, body and soul. Hahaha, enjoy this, my darling!”
That was the final straw. For the sake of John Baker, Kayden steeled himself and stormed into the room, pushing the door open with a loud creak.
The door flung open under Kayden’s force, the internal locking mechanism shattered by his strength. Inside, Ryder was on a large bed, and on that bed was a woman tied tightly with red ropes. That woman was none other than Emma, Mr. Baker’s daughter.
Ryder froze in shock. He turned his head abruptly, his expression one of disbelief. Standing in the doorway was Kayden, the last person Ryder expected to see. He had deliberately chosen this remote hotel to avoid being seen by anyone. Yet somehow, this guy had tracked him down like a shadow he couldn’t shake off.
“You again? Are you stalking me, you son of a-?” Ryder roared in anger.
Kayden didn’t respond. He calmly closed the door behind him, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips.
Ryder’s expression darkened as he glared at Kayden. With a sinister chuckle, he said, “You really don’t give up, do you? Fine, since you’re here, I don’t mind putting on a live show for you.”
“So, you like Emma, huh? You like following her around? Then watch closely. Watch as I break her. Watch as she submits to me.” Ryder’s face twisted into something grotesque, his tone filled with malice.
Kayden smirked coldly. “I’d love to know where you get your confidence.”
“Confidence?” Ryder sneered, pulling out a handgun and pointing it at Kayden. “You mean this?”
That was Ryder’s confidence-a gun. As a member of the Steele family, carrying a weapon was no big deal for him. Of course, he dared to act so recklessly; he had the firepower to back it up.
“So, that’s why you’re so bold,” Kayden said, his gaze shifting to the gun. “You brought a gun.”
“Exactly, kid. Since you’re here, stay and watch. Watch your precious woman become mine. Maybe having you as an audience will make it even more thrilling for me. Hahaha!” Ryder laughed maniacally, his confidence growing with the weapon in his hand.
For Ryder, the gun was everything-his source of power, his sense of security. He had started carrying it after receiving a disturbing phone call one night, a call that had sent chills down his spine. To make matters worse, the assassins he had sent out had disappeared without a trace. Paranoid and cautious, Ryder had decided to arm himself.
Kayden eyed the gun with disdain and chuckled. “You think you can scare me with that?”
“What? You don’t think I’ll shoot?” Ryder snarled, his finger tightening on the trigger.
Kayden shook his head slowly. “It’s not that you won’t shoot. It’s that you won’t even get the chance.”
Before Ryder could react, something flew out of Kayden’s hand with a sharp whoosh. The object struck Ryder’s hand with precision, and he let out a bloodcurdling scream. The gun fell to the floor as Ryder collapsed off the bed, clutching his injured hand in agony.
Terrified, Ryder looked up at Kayden, his voice trembling. “W-who are you?”
This defied everything Ryder thought he knew. To him, Kayden was just a drifter, an unemployed nobody pining for Emma. How on earth could he possess such skill?
“I’m someone you can’t afford to mess with,” Kayden said coldly, stepping toward Ryder.
Ryder scrambled backward, stammering incoherently, “Y-you…”
Kayden ignored him. Instead, he walked to the bed where Emma lay. He untied the ropes binding her wrists and ankles, then leaned over her, his hand pressing gently on her upper lip and then her temple.
Gradually, Emma’s eyes fluttered open. When she saw Kayden, her face turned pale. She glanced around, taking in her revealing outfit and the red ropes scattered on the bed. Her eyes widened in horror.
“Ahhh!” she screamed, her voice piercing the air. Without thinking, she raised her hand to slap Kayden.
Before her hand could land, Kayden caught it in midair. Not everyone had the right to strike Kayden, and Emma certainly didn’t.
“Pervert! Pervert! Pervert!” Emma shouted, her voice trembling with rage. “What did you do to me? How dare you do this to me?”
Before Kayden could respond, the door burst open, and two figures rushed in.
The scene that greeted them made their eyes nearly pop out of their heads. Kayden was leaning over Emma, whose outfit was scandalously revealing. The bed was littered with red ropes and a black belt.
The two people standing in the doorway were none other than Emma’s parents-John Baker and May.