Chapter 46 - Her heart stopped
Chapter 46 - Her heart stopped
~Author’s POV ~
Classes had ended quite early. Harriet had gone out with Lena to their usual cafe and had talked till evening.
When she settled in the Uber, she could immediately tell something was wrong from the way the driver stared at her from the rearview mirror. Her eyes moved subtly, staring at the surroundings, knowing full well this was not the way to go maple groove, it wasn't the way to Rael's mansion at all. Still, she decided to play along, pretending she couldn't tell.
“I don't know this route,” she muttered after a few minutes, yet the driver had not even turned to look at her and just continued driving. Her lips curled up in the darkness. Lunging forward, she had pulled out her pocket knife, holding the man hostage.
“Who sent you?” She asked as he tried to wiggle from her grasp. The car swerved a couple of times due to loss of control, catching them off guard as it slammed into a nearby tree. Harriet subtly lost her balance, being thrown off the man. This gave him the opportunity to pull out his handkerchief, covering her nose with it. She elbowed him, pushing the car door open and stepping out, but it was too late. She could clearly feel that the handkerchief was laced with ether. Her head turned light and her vision blurred until she eventually passed out.
Meanwhile, Rael had called her a couple of times, getting no answer. It didn't take long to mobilize his men to find her.
…
Somewhere in the city, Harriet's eyes fluttered open, taking in the light that filtered through the room. She felt something tugging at her wrists, making her wince. She had been tied to a chair in what looked like a storage room. Flashes of the scene came rushing back, making realization dawn on her. She has been kidnapped.
Wiggling her hand, she tried to free herself but gasped when the rope bit into her skin. Blood gushed out.
Just as she wondered who the mastermind was, the door burst open, revealing a burly man. Who looked to be in his middle aged.
“Look who's awake. Ain't you a touch one?” He asked, his lips curling up as he examined her. Harriet felt her skin prickle with irritation as he walked over, grabbing her chin.
Tweh!
She spit on his face, making his eyes darken. In one swift motion, his slap landed on the side of her cheek, knocking her to the ground along with the chair.
“You bitch! You should be lucky the boss wanted you alive,” he spat, yet Harriet didn't flinch.
“Looks like your boss is too much of a coward to face me,” she muttered, licking off the blood that had dribbled down the corner of her lips. Her face stung painfully, yet to her, it was nothing. She has gone through the worst scenarios.
Just as the man wanted to report, someone else walked into the room, whispering something into his ear. Harriet watched as he glanced at her one more time before leaving. He didn't help her up, he didn't say anything more, he just left.
With a click, the door closed. Her lips curled up into a knowing smile, because the truth was that she had only spit on him to get him to strike her. This has led her to the broken bottle to the side of the room.
Harriet’s fingers trembled as she stretched toward the jagged edge of the broken bottle. The rope around her wrists burned with every movement, but she gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain. Blood smeared against the glass as she finally managed to grip it.
With a sharp twist of her wrist, she began sawing at the ropes. The coarse fibers frayed slowly, each motion sending fresh waves of agony through her raw skin. But she didn’t stop.
Outside, muffled voices grew louder. Footsteps approached.
Her pulse spiked. They were returning.
With one last forceful tug, the rope snapped. Her hands flew free. She wasted no time. Searching herself, she had found that her weapons had been taken away.
“Fuck!” She cussed under her breath, pressing herself against the wall beside the door, breath steady. The knob turned, and then the door creaked open.
The burly man stepped inside, his eyes scanning the empty chair on the floor.
"What the—?"
Harriet struck. She had landed a blow on a crucial point in his neck. She didn’t wait to see if he’d get up—she was already moving, snatching the gun from his holster.
Harriet’s fingers closed around the fallen man’s gun, her movements swift and precise. Her eyes flicked to the suppressor attached to its barrel—perfect.
Before the man could groan or shout for help, she pressed the muzzle against his chest.
Pfft.
A single, silenced shot. His body went slack. No hesitation. No remorse.
It wasn't enough to kill him, not unless his subordinates did not find him in time, she thought before slipping into the hallway.
Harriet stripped the second man of his weapon, tucking it into the back of her waistband. Blood dripped from her torn wrists, but the pain was secondary—survival was everything now.
The warehouse was a maze. She moved like a ghost, sticking to the darkness, listening for footsteps.
“Is everything good?”
“Yes, young master,”
She heard voices converse from a room, making her halt in her steps. She couldn't tell if she knew these people enough for them to kidnap her. She peeked into the room, catching sight of blonde hair, and slightly pale skin. He seemed to be the boss.
She didn't have time to figure out his identity. He turned around as though he had sensed her presence. She hid, her heart drumming in her chest as adrenaline cursed through her.
If she couldn't find out his identity now, then she would do it later. With that thought in mind, she walked away.
Her eyes darted around the dimly lit warehouse, searching for an exit. A glint of light caught her attention. Near the far end of the hallway, a window was slightly ajar, a thick rope tied to a rusted pipe beneath it—likely used for smuggling goods in and out.
She tugged it once, testing its strength, then stuffed the gun in her pocket and gripped the rope with both hands.
Her palms burned as she slid down the two-story building. She was almost to the ground when a pair of arms locked around her waist, yanking her backward against a solid chest. Her heart stopped.