Chapter 67 He Broke His Promise Again
Zoe struggled desperately to get up, to escape, but it was too late.The man ripped off his tie and used it to bind her tightly to the bed, leaving her completely immobilized.
Horrific images flooded her mind, making her scalp crawl as she screamed hysterically, "Let me go, you psycho! If you dare hurt me, Nicholas won't let you get away with this!"
He tore open two buttons of his shirt, revealing his muscular chest.
But in this moment, that body brought Zoe nothing but endless terror.
He looked down at her with those emotionless eyes, studying her like she was merely a toy.
His hands began tearing at her clothes, the sound of ripping fabric piercing the air.
"No... let me go, please, let me go."
Despair engulfed her like an icy tide.
Dullon grinned wickedly, removing his pants, about to assault her.
Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing a cold, aristocratic face.
At the Estate
On the small hill by the riverbank, stars twinkled overhead. The estate cart came to a gentle stop.
The scene before Emma was surprisingly delightful—the entire hillside had been carefully decorated, beautiful as a fairy tale setting.
Countless twinkling colorful string lights wound around trees and shrubs like fallen stars.
In the center of the clearing stood a lovely white camping tent.
Fresh flower bouquets in various colors surrounded it, filling the air with a delicate fragrance.
Nearby, a small portable bathroom facility had been thoughtfully installed.
A square table draped in white cloth sat in the center of the clearing, adorned with flickering candles, elegant wine glasses, and a bottle of red wine.
Looking up, she saw the deep night sky, a crescent moon hanging at the horizon, surrounded by countless stars.
Such a beautifully romantic starlight dinner—it was absolutely gorgeous!
What was Nicholas planning with this setup? Was he going to propose to Zoe?
Little did she know, this was all Charlie's idea.
Just then, Charlie's phone rang. He answered, spoke briefly, then hung up.
"Mrs. Harrison, Mr. Harrison's car will arrive at the estate shortly," he told Emma.
"Please wait here for a moment while I have the kitchen send dinner over."
With that, Charlie hurried away.
Emma walked over to a comfortable lounge chair and sat down.
She gazed up at the star-filled sky, soothing music flowing around her, all the day's fatigue melting away as an unexpected sense of peace and contentment washed over her.
Meanwhile, the golden Rolls-Royce glided smoothly along the road back to the estate.
In the back seat, Nicholas's slender fingers toyed with an exquisite pink velvet jewelry box.
He gently opened the lid.
Inside lay a custom-made necklace designed specifically for Emma.
The platinum chain was delicate and elegant, with a pendant of three irregularly shaped stars of different sizes nestled closely together.
The stars were set with tiny pink diamonds that sparkled with gentle light in the car's dim interior—simple yet sophisticated, absolutely beautiful.
Nicholas's gaze rested on the necklace, his expression softening.
He remembered once when Emma had been casually flipping through a fashion magazine, her eyes lingering on a lily pendant necklace set with red carnelian, seemingly lost in thought.
He'd made a mental note immediately and contacted the brand to order it.
However, when that necklace arrived, before he could give it to her, Zoe had accidentally seen it and threw a tantrum until she got it as her birthday present.
Though Nicholas hadn't said anything, it had always bothered him.
He'd found a new designer and personally participated in creating this unique pink diamond star necklace.
The necklace had only just been delivered to him today.
He wanted to surprise her.
Just then, his private phone suddenly rang urgently.
Nicholas frowned and answered. Immediately, Zoe's tearful, terrified voice came through.
"Nicholas! Save me! I've been kidnapped!"
"Nicholas, I'm at Dock 1! I'm so scared... Ah!"
After a sharp cry, the phone seemed to be snatched away.
Next, a strange man's voice came on, harsh and threatening.
"Mr. Harrison? If you don't want your woman to get hurt, get your ass to Dock 1 right now!"
"Otherwise, start picking out a nice cemetery plot for her!"
Nicholas's grip on the phone tightened slightly, his handsome face instantly covered with frost.
He remained silent for two seconds—two seconds during which the air in the car seemed to freeze.
Then, he addressed the driver in an emotionless, ice-cold tone, commanding simply.
"Dock 1."
He hung up and immediately dialed Tyler's number without hesitation.
When the call connected, he said only:
"Zoe's been kidnapped. Dock 1. Deploy the team, get there now."
...
About thirty minutes later, dinner arrived.
Each dish was covered with an elegant steel dome, keeping everything warm and mysterious.
The chef arranged the plates and bowed slightly.
"Please enjoy your meal, Mrs. Harrison. Bon appétit."
With that, he quietly withdrew.
Emma was truly hungry, her stomach achingly empty. But looking at the full table of food and the empty seat across from her, she couldn't bring herself to start eating alone.
She settled into the lounge chair, slowly waiting. The waiting was unbearable—just like those two years when she'd crouched at the village entrance, desperately watching for him, but he never came.
The night breeze carried a chill, gently brushing across her face and arms.
As she waited, her eyelids grew heavier until she actually dozed off against the chair back.
She didn't know how much time had passed when a sharp cramping pain in her lower abdomen jolted her awake.
The sky had grown darker, the moon hiding behind clouds. Only the fine chirping of unknown insects and faint background music remained.
She pressed her abdomen in discomfort, feeling warm liquid beginning to flow.
Her expression changed as she struggled to get up, stumbling toward the bathroom facility.
When she emerged, supporting herself against the wall with unsteady steps, the clearing still held only her.
Where was Nicholas?
"Nicholas?" she called out tentatively.
Only empty silence and wind answered her.
The pain intensified, and she couldn't help but curl up in the chair, cold sweat dampening her hair.
Suddenly, even the soft background music stopped.
When the music stopped, it usually meant the estate's quiet hours had begun—time for sleep.
It had to be at least eleven o'clock.
The surroundings became frighteningly quiet, with only insect sounds amplified infinitely in the darkness, making her anxious.
She had no phone, and this vast estate felt like an isolated island with no one to turn to for help.
Her anxiety mounted.
The bleeding below had worsened, and there were no emergency supplies here.
She could only pace back and forth to the bathroom with a pale face, handling the situation repeatedly.
Finally, the pain became unbearable. She huddled on the cold chair, her vision growing dark.
Tears welled up in her eyes as helplessness and fear gripped her tightly.
Meanwhile, on an island near Emerald City, Nicholas had single-handedly stormed the kidnappers' base. Seven or eight tall men in black surrounded him.
Zoe hung suspended six feet high, her mouth taped shut, hands bound. Her pale arms and legs were covered in blood—clearly she'd been beaten.
The moment she saw Nicholas, she began struggling frantically.
Nicholas's eyes took on a fierce, deadly glint. He loosened his tie, then charged at the group.
About five minutes later, the gang lay defeated on the ground, writhing. Suddenly, the door burst open as another group rushed in.
The night grew deeper, the autumn wind colder.
Emma couldn't just wait helplessly. She gripped the chair and stood, slowly making her way step by step to the path below the clearing.
The ground had a barely noticeable slope that she didn't notice, and her body suddenly pitched forward.
"Ah!"
She tumbled several times down the slope, searing pain shooting through her left arm as she hit the ground.
Warm liquid quickly seeped out, staining her left sleeve red—her previous wound had reopened.
Fortunately, not far away, beside a dim streetlamp stood a security camera, its lens pointed in her direction.
Like grasping a final lifeline, she used all her strength to crawl up and cry for help to that cold lens.
"Nicholas!" Her voice carried both fury and desperation. "You bastard!"
"Nicholas! Where are you? There's still someone here—did you forget?"
Her eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion, and she shivered in the cold wind, pain wracking her entire body.
She never should have trusted that bastard. What dinner?
Suddenly, she looked down, groping around on the ground until she found two sharp stones. Using every ounce of strength, she hurled them at the camera.
In the main house, the estate manager rushed to report to Charlie: "Charlie, one of the cameras by the riverbank just went out."
Charlie was relaxing with his phone and coffee, chuckling at the news: "Must be intentional—probably the boss, doesn't want anyone spying on him and Mrs. Harrison..."
"No," the manager interrupted urgently, "Mr. Harrison's car never returned. The gate security shows he never entered the estate grounds."
Charlie felt like something had struck him hard in the head—a ringing sound filled his ears.