Chapter 178 Kidnapping
After finishing their shopping, Juliana and Matilda drove back toward the rehabilitation center.
Inside the car, Juliana made a strange remark."You know, before medieval times, if a man wanted to claim a woman, he could just kill her current man and take her."
Matilda paused. "I've heard that."
They passed over a river. Juliana continued. "I actually thought about just... abandoning you out here somewhere." "Then I could cook for Wentworth every day. I can't explain why, but I really do like him."
Matilda kept her tone light. "You could try. But I don't think Wentworth would accept what you did."
"He'd probably hate me forever. That's not what I want."
Matilda's phone rang mid-conversation. Nason asked, "Where are you?" His first words came out sharp with urgency.
"Where else would I be besides the rehab center?"
"I'm at the airport. I'm coming to see you guys."
Before Matilda could respond, an SUV roared past them, then swerved violently, cutting directly into their lane.
Juliana reacted too slowly. She slammed the brakes, but they still crashed into the vehicle's rear bumper. Matilda's phone flew from her hand. Her head cracked against the window, raising an instant lump.
Juliana wasn't much better off. Furious, she started to get out to confront the other driver—then froze. Several men emerged from the SUV ahead.
Two gun barrels pressed against their heads.
They were dragged from the car. Matilda's phone lay abandoned on the floor. Nason's frantic voice was still coming through the speaker: "What's happening? Hello? Hello?!"
On Nason's plane, a flight attendant approached, reminding him they were about to take off. All devices needed to be powered down.
— Wentworth sat on the balcony, waiting.
Darkness fell. Neither woman had returned.
Zoey wandered out, munching crackers. "Matilda and Juliana have been thick as thieves lately. You don't think they eloped together or something?"
Wentworth gave her an amused look but said nothing.
At nine p.m., Amelia called. "Is Juliana still with you? Why hasn't she come back yet?"
Wentworth's instincts kicked in. Something was wrong.
"Mom, do you have any resources you can mobilize here? Get people searching. If they're not back in twenty-four hours, we call the police."
Hearing the gravity in his voice, Amelia immediately began deploying every contact she had.
Zoey realized the severity too and called Charles. But Charles had limited resources here—the search effort would have to go through Amelia.
Morning came.
The people Amelia had sent out returned with disturbing news. They suspected Matilda and Juliana had been taken by a group of mercenaries who'd entered the country illegally.
With evidence in hand, local authorities took the case.Police identified the mercenaries' leader as Konbu—former special forces operative.He was an Afghanistan War veteran who'd gone private after leaving the military. He worked for someone with the codename "Big Daddy," trafficking in drugs and human beings.He'd slipped into the country a week ago with his team.
All of his men were retired mercenaries with extensive combat experience. The police considered extracting the hostages from this group extremely dangerous.
While authorities strategized their tracking operation, Wentworth received a call from an unknown number. He answered.
Matilda's sobbing voice came through. "Wentworth..."
Every nerve in his body went taut. "Where are you?"
"I don't know!"
The phone changed hands. A different voice spoke. "Black Bear. Long time no see."
Wentworth's face went cold as stone. "Konbu."
"That's right. We're old friends, you and I." Konbu's laugh grated through the speaker.
Wentworth's voice stayed level. "Let them go. Whatever this is about, it's between us."
"You want to save them? Then you'll do exactly what I say. Follow my instructions precisely. If you contact the police, you'll be collecting their bodies. Understand?"
A scream tore through the line—Juliana's voice, raw with pain.
"I'll do whatever you want," Wentworth said immediately.
"Good. I knew Black Bear was a man with balls. Now get in a car and start driving. I'll tell you where to go..."
— Wentworth headed for the exit. Amelia caught him. "Wentworth, where are you going?"
His phone was still connected. He glanced at his mother. "Just taking a drive. Stay here. Don't go anywhere."
"But—"
"Don't worry about me."
He took two steps, then turned back.
Amelia stood there in her usual elegant composure—perfectly dressed, perfectly controlled. She'd always wanted authority over her sons, always tried to manage everything. She'd been widowed for years—a pitiable woman, and sometimes a frustrating one.
"Mom," Wentworth said quietly.
Amelia's heart lurched. She had a terrible premonition that if he walked out that door, he wouldn't come back.
"Wentworth..." Her throat went dry. Words wouldn't come.
His whole life, she'd never been able to stop him from doing anything. Nothing he chose was ever in her control.
"Mom, take care of yourself."
He crossed to her and pulled her into an embrace.
Amelia stood frozen in shock.
Without another word, Wentworth left and found a car. He placed his phone on the dashboard mount and hit speaker.
"I've got a vehicle. Where do I go?"
"Head east. Two miles."
Wentworth reached for the ignition.
Someone rapped on his window.
Nason stood there with his luggage. "Thought that was you. You recovered fast—already running around, driving places?"
Wentworth knew he was here to see Matilda. "Go wait inside the center. I have an emergency."
He hit the gas.
"Hey—" Nason had been holding his phone. When the car lurched forward, his hand got caught briefly in the window gap. His phone tumbled into the vehicle.
Nason stood there stunned as Wentworth's car disappeared.
He'd felt something was wrong from the moment his plane took off, an anxious, restless dread he couldn't shake. He'd tried calling Matilda from the plane's phone service—no answer.
He'd suspected a car accident.
He'd called Charles's company. The assistant said Charles had also boarded a flight to the UK.
Something was very wrong.
So the moment his plane landed, Nason had rushed here. The first person he encountered was Zoey.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Did you know something happened to Matilda?"
"Where is she?" Nason demanded.
Zoey had been frantic for days. Amelia, worried she might also be targeted, had kept someone watching her constantly.
"Matilda was kidnapped by criminals!"
"What?" Nason's voice cracked with urgency. "Did you call the police?"
"Yes. She was taken by some kind of international criminals. I don't know the details—only Amelia knows. But she won't tell me much.""She just wants me to stay here and wait."
Nason's mind raced.
He turned to Zoey abruptly. "Let me borrow your phone."
Zoey held a phone with a pink case. As she handed it over, Nason shoved his luggage at her. "I'm borrowing this for a few days. The suitcase is collateral."
Then he sprinted away.
"Hey!" Zoey called after him, bewildered.
She looked down at Nason's enormous suitcase.
Nothing about this situation made sense anymore.
Matilda, please come back safe.