Chapter 53 A shocking revelation
Chapter 054
RAVENNA
The ride through the woods took a sharp turn, and we soon hit a proper road.
They drove for what felt like an hour before diverting onto a lonely stretch of pavement that looked like it had not been maintained in years.
Finally, we stopped in front of what looked like a hut. A shabby, run-down structure that seemed ready to collapse at any moment.
The masked men opened the van doors and reached for me.
By now, the drug had started wearing off. I could feel my limbs again. I could move my fingers and toes.
And I was absolutely furious.
"Get your hands off me!" I yelled as they tried to drag me out.
"Just cooperate," one of them growled. "This will be easier for everyone."
"I said get off me! I will injure you if you keep touching me!"
But they did not listen. They grabbed my arms and pulled me forcefully from the van.
I fought them every step, kicking and thrashing and making them work for it.
They dragged me towards the hut, and when we got inside, I realised immediately that appearances were deceiving.
The exterior was shabby. But the interior was luxurious. Actually luxurious.
Lights illuminated every corner. Chandeliers hung from the ceilings, crystal catching the light. Various pieces of art covered the majority of the walls. Paintings. Sculptures. Things that probably cost more than I would earn in a lifetime.
I was led past hallways filled with more art.
At least two bodyguards stood at both entrances to each hallway, all of them watching me with cold, professional expressions.
"Where am I?" I demanded. "Where have you brought me?"
"Just be calm," one of the masked men replied. "Everything will be explained."
"Be calm? You drugged me! Not only that but you kidnapped me! And you want me to be calm?"
They ignored me and kept dragging me forward until we reached a dining room.
A massive table dominated the space, set with fine china and crystal glasses.
Before I could react, before I could even process what was happening, one of them grabbed me from behind.
I felt another sharp pain in my neck. Another injection.
"No! Stop it!" I struggled, trying to break free. But they held me down, keeping me still until whatever they had injected finished entering my system.
This time, the effect was different. Instead of paralysing me, I felt the grogginess from the earlier drug start to fade away. My head cleared, limbs felt stronger and responsive.
They had given me something to counteract the first drug.
I pretended to still be weak. I let my body sag slightly and made them think I was still under its effects.
They released me.
The moment their hands left my arms, I moved. I grabbed a knife from the cup of cutlery on the table and slashed at the nearest guard. The blade caught him across the arm, drawing blood. He stumbled back with a cry of pain.
I spun and attacked the next one, driving the knife towards his shoulder. He tried to block, but I was faster. The blade sank into flesh, and he went down hard.
The other guards stepped away, their hands raised cautiously.
They had just watched me seriously injure two heavily built bodyguards in a matter of seconds.
"Where the hell am I?" I demanded, pointing the knife at them. "Who sent you to abduct me? What do you want from me?"
"I was the one who sent them."
The voice came from behind me.
I spun around, the knife still gripped tightly in my hand.
A young man stood in the doorway. He was striking and dressed in a crisp white shirt and black trousers. An expensive wristwatch glinted on his wrist. He held a glass of what looked like whisky in his hand.
But what caught my attention most was his face. The resemblance was unsettling. He looked like me. The same bone structure, same shape to his eyes and the same shade of red in his hair.
He looked rather amused at the scene in front of him. A proud expression on his face, like watching me attack his guards was entertaining rather than concerning.
"I am not surprised you are like this," he commented casually. "Of course you are my little tigress. But you need to calm down. No one here means you harm."
I cocked my head, my grip on the knife tightening. "Is that true? Because from my perspective, an underground biking race filled with students was attacked by rogues. Then I was abducted, drugged and dragged here against my will. So excuse me if I find your claim of meaning no harm to be complete rubbish."
The man took his seat gracefully at the head of the table. "Please, sit down. We have much to discuss."
"I will not sit."
"Then stand. But we are going to talk either way."
"If I had simply sent for me," He pointed out nonchalantly, "You would not have come." He completed taking a sip from his glass, his eyes watching me from the rims.
"So you decided abduction was the better option?"
"Exactly." He sipped his whisky. "I knew you would not come willingly. So I did what I had to do."
I folded my arms across my chest, the knife still in my hand. "Who are you? And what do you want from me?"
"All in good time. First, let us eat. You must be hungry."
He motioned with two fingers, and immediately maids filed out from a side door. They carried trays laden with food. Dishes I could not even name. Everything looked expensive and carefully prepared.
They set the various dishes on the table, then retreated silently.
The man picked up his cutlery and began eating. Actually eating, like this was a normal dinner and not a kidnapping situation.
I stood there, taking in the environment. The wealth. The art. The guards. The staff. This man was really rich, obscenely rich.
"Are you going to stand there staring at me all day?" he asked between bites. "Or are you going to join me?"
"Give me my phone."
He reached into his pocket and pulled it out, holding it up. "I will hand it to you if you sit."
"Did your men hurt my friends?"
"They are all fine. I gave specific instructions that no students were to be seriously harmed. The attack was merely a distraction to create chaos so my men could extract you without witnesses."
"How considerate of you."
"Sit down, Raven. Or I will have my guards force you into the chair."
I did not want those guards touching me again. So I sat. But I refused to eat. Just watched him as he finished his meal, trying to figure out what his game was.
Finally, he leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed like he had all the time in the world.
"Now," I breathed, my patience at its limit. "Are you ready to answer my question?"
He said nothing. Just stared at me with those familiar eyes.
I spelled it out slowly, my voice rising. "Who the fuck are you? And what business do you want from me?"
The man was silent for a long moment. His expression shifted from amused to something more serious. More intense.
Then he spoke, and his words made my entire world tilt.
"I am your father," he responded quietly. "And I want my daughter back."
Silence rang out through the dining room. Complete and utter silence.