Chapter 73 73
Third Person POV
“What do you mean by Thaila has drained all assets over time?” Draven yelled at the top of his voice, making Adrian move back a little.
“You mean the woman you’ve been fucking had moved the company's money? How? When?” He asked, and again Adrian was still silent, unable to utter a word.
“Fuck!”
“What do we do now, Uncle? Hazel’s life is at stake right now. I know I’m to blame for all this, but let’s look for a solution, then you can punish me later, please.” Adrian finally spoke up.
Draven moved back and forth, thinking of the next action to take. The woman he loved was in great danger, and then she was also pregnant. The weight of the situation pressed down on him.
"If anything happens to my child, I'll fucking kill you, Adrian," he thundered, his voice filled with anger which was clearly radiating from him. Draven needed money, and he needed it fast.
He knew most of the money came from the Rune company, but he also had other underground businesses, and they were booming. And there was only one person who could get the money right now, and that was Jason.
He picked up his phone and quickly dialled Jason's number. "Hello, Jason, go to the underground basement at the pack," Draven instructed, his voice tight with urgency.
"Tell the guards I sent you. Bring all the cash you see there. I'll send you a location; meet me there." With the call ended, Draven glanced at Adrian one last time, who stood silently in the room.
Adrian knew his uncle was furious, and all he could do right now was to keep shut and help. Draven turned and walked away, with Adrian following closely behind, both of them lost in their own thoughts.
Draven rushed back to the party, his heart pounding in his chest. But when he got there, no one was there. The pack was basically empty. He knew Alpha Dorian must have found out about everything and quickly evacuated everyone.
He balled his fists as he realised the situation was far worse than he thought. He hurried to his car, sending Jason the location to meet him. Just as he was about to start the engine, his phone beeped again.
A new message, a location: "245 Dorms, Doom Street". The address was familiar. He had been there before. It was a place of old memories and a place of danger.
He knew why they took Hazel and her mother there. It was an abandoned area, far from where people lived. Getting there would be a nightmare. The roads were terrible, filled with potholes.
But he didn't care. He had to get to Hazel. He had to save her, no matter the cost. He started the car, his mind already racing, planning the fastest route, steeling himself for whatever awaited him at the end of the road.
He gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white, and drove off. Draven arrived at the location he had sent Jason to, and sure enough, Jason was already there, waiting with the money.
He remembered Amber's words, that he shouldn't bring anyone, just the money. But he knew he couldn't go alone. The money wasn't even complete, but it was better than nothing.
The ride had been long and tense. As they neared the location, they suddenly heard the sounds of gunshots, nonstop. Draven realised his tyre had been hit. There was no escape.
"Get down now! All of you!" voices yelled, but they couldn't see anyone. "If you don't get down now, these bullets will go into your skull," the voice repeated.
Draven, Jason, and Adrian carefully got out of their cars. That's when they saw the men. Adrian's face registered shock. He recognised one of the men. It was Alaric, his close friend.
"Alaric, what are you doing with these men?" Adrian asked, his voice filled with disbelief. Alaric just smiled. Adrian was heartbroken. The people he cared about, the people he trusted, were betraying him.
First Thalia and now Alaric. The weight of betrayal settled heavily on his shoulders. Draven was furious, his anger simmering as he stared at Alaric, but he held his tongue, refusing to question him.
Just when they thought they had seen everything, Elder Frey came down from a sleek black SUV. He approached Alpha Draven with a sneer, clearly relishing the upper hand, fully aware of their predicament.
"Hell Alpha Dra…" Elder Frey began, but before he could finish his statement, Draven gave him a powerful blow, sending Elder Frey sprawling to the ground. Elder Frey coughed and spat out blood, struggling to regain his composure.
Draven knew from the beginning that he wasn’t to be trusted, but he never knew he would join forces with Alpha Dorian of all people. And before Draven could fully process the turn of events, a mysterious substance filled the air, engulfing them all.
The smell was really strong and nothing like they’d perceived before; they all succumbed to its effects, and sleekly, they lost consciousness as they collapsed.
The situation had taken an unexpected turn, and Draven, along with Jason and Adrian, were now at the mercy of their captors, unsure of what the future held.
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Hazel's desperate cries echoed as she was dragged across the rough gravel, her clothes torn and her body aching. Finally, the man holding her released her, and she scrambled to adjust her torn gown, which almost exposed her upper body.
Now Hazel was far away from her mother, and they were kept in an unknown warehouse from her mother. Thalia had spoken of selling them, but this place felt different. It didn’t look like where they sell their slaves.
"Well, well, well, you can't be sold, Hazel, not in your condition," Thalia taunted, approaching Hazel and caressing her own belly. Hazel's gaze darted behind Thalia, landing on a woman with a hardened expression.
A figure who seemed to embody the ruthlessness of the criminal underworld. "Guess what, Hazel?" Thalia pressed, her voice laced with malice. Hazel remained silent, desperately trying to compose herself, yearning for Draven's arrival, praying for a miracle to rescue her from this nightmare.
"I said you should guess, you stupid fool!" Thalia screamed before hitting Hazel's legs with a stick. Hazel cried in pain as she clutched her injured legs, the reality of her situation sinking in.
"I don't know!" Hazel screamed, her voice filled with pain. "Well, we'll have to take your baby away, and that means your baby has to die for you to be sold," Thalia laughed again.
"You must be mad to think you can take my baby away from me, you imbecile!" Hazel cursed back, only to be met with a stinging slap across the face.
"Leave my daughter alone, please," Adlyne pleaded, her voice trembling. "Take me instead and spare my child."
"You're an old lady, Adlyne; men wouldn't pay more for you. Get that into your thick skull," Thalia sneered. Adlyne could only weep, praying to the moon goddess for her child's safety, desperately hoping Hazel wouldn't go through the same horrors she had.
Locked in a cell, Adlyne remembered her own youth, the years of suffering, and the men who had used her. It was a past she desperately wanted to forget, a nightmare she hoped Hazel would never experience.
She had just seen her daughter after so many years of longing, and she didn’t want to lose her again. She would give up anything just to save her daughter, even if it’s her life.
But how would she do that when she was tied up like an animal? "Hey, tie her up at that pole over there," Thalia commanded, and one of her men swiftly moved to Hazel.
He grabbed Hazel by the hair and dragged her forward. Hazel struggled, thrashing and hitting the man. Then, remembering the hairpin she used to style her hair, she quickly removed it and struck him with it, causing him to release her.
"You bastard!" another of Thalia's men yelled, hitting Hazel hard, which made her instantly pass out. She had been really exhausted and didn’t have any more strength in her.
They dragged her, unconscious, to the pole. The man Hazel had hit with the hairpin joined them, and together they bound her to the pole. "You'll surely pay for this, you devil!" Luna Adlyn screamed, her voice filled with rage.
"If you don't mind yourself, you'd be next," Thalia warned, her eyes cold.