Chapter 39 Kidnapped

Chapter 39 Kidnapped
KIARA'S POV

I stand there with tears filling my eyes, silently staring at the bowl placed in front of me. Those noodles… the ones I made for him with my own hands. My fingers tremble as memories flood back, memories I can’t stop no matter how hard I try.

They are the same noodles I cooked for him the very first time. I still remember how he smiled softly that day, how his eyes held warmth as he ate from my hands. That was the moment he confessed his love without hesitation, without fear, as if the world around us didn’t matter.

Today, nothing has changed in the taste. The aroma is the same, the recipe untouched yet everything feels painfully different. The man standing in front of me feels like a stranger, and my heart grows unbearably heavy with every passing second.

I believed this small gesture, these fragile memories, might heal us. I hoped his anger would soften, even slightly. But nothing changes. His coldness only tightens around my chest, making it harder to breathe.

I remain standing there for a few moments, as if my legs have lost all strength. Slowly, I gather myself.

Today, I need to buy some things for Ria. I want to be strong for her. I place the bowl aside, wipe my tears, and take Ria with me to go shopping.

Outside, the air is cold. As I walk along the road, I hold Ria’s tiny hand tightly in my fingers. Her little palm grips me firmly as she walks beside me.

With her other hand, she happily enjoys her ice cream. Some of it smears onto her cheeks, and she suddenly bursts into laughter. Her innocent laugh acts like a soft balm on the wounds of my heart.

I try to smile faintly as I look at her. Maybe life hasn’t completely defeated me yet… I am still lost in that thought when suddenly a van speeds in and stops abruptly nearby.

The sharp screech of the tyres startles me. Before I can understand what is happening, the door of the van swings open.

Two men step out, their faces covered with masks. My heart starts pounding violently. I grip Ria’s hand even tighter.

“Who are you?” I ask in panic, my voice trembling.

The next moment, one of them grabs my arm harshly. I begin to scream, crying out for help. Ria starts crying in fear.

I pull her towards me desperately, but everything happens so fast that I barely get a chance to react. The second man forcefully pushes me toward the vehicle.

I scream with all my strength, but my voice disappears into the air. Suddenly, one of them presses a cloth over my face.

There is a strange, sharp smell coming from it. I try to hold my breath, but my eyes begin to feel heavy. The world starts spinning around me.

And then… everything fades into darkness.

My eyes slowly open. My head feels heavy, as if someone has placed a crushing weight on my mind.

My vision is blurry, but as my senses begin to return, I realize that I am in a strange, unfamiliar place. Dust and dirt cover everything around me. The air is thick with dampness and the stench of old, decaying things.

I try to look around. It is a huge hall so vast that even the sound of my breathing echoes back to me.

The walls stand bare and lifeless, and old, broken fans hang silently from the ceiling. There is no one there… absolutely no one. That silence terrifies me even more.

Then I become aware of my body. Panic rises as I try to move, but I can’t. That’s when I understand, I am tightly tied to a chair.

My hands are bound firmly with rope, my legs secured just as tightly. The rope digs into my wrists, painfully reminding me of my helplessness with every second that passes.

And then… my breath catches in my throat.

My gaze shifts to the space right beside me.

There is little Ria.

Her tiny hands are tied with rope too, her feet bound the same way. A cloth is tied over her mouth as well. Her innocent eyes are filled with tears brimming, trembling. She is looking straight at me… as if asking me a question without words, “Momma, why are we here?”

My heart shatters.

I want to scream. I want to call her name. I want to tell her that everything will be okay. But I can’t say anything, because my mouth is covered too. Only a muffled, broken sound dies in my throat.

I try to move my neck, to give her courage through a gesture, to reassure her somehow. But my neck aches and refuses to move properly.

My eyes stay locked with hers. Her eyelashes tremble, and then… a single tear slowly slips from her eye and rolls down her cheek.

That tear cuts through me from the inside.

My heart screams in agony. The pain is so intense, as if someone is crushing my chest with both hands. I am not crying for myself… my pain comes from the thought that because of me, my daughter is trapped in this hell.

Tears begin to flow endlessly from my eyes. All I want just this one thing is to somehow pull Ria into my arms and make her feel safe.

Suddenly, breaking the heavy silence, I hear the sound of someone’s footsteps. Slow… heavy… as if each step is being placed deliberately, with purpose.

My heart starts pounding violently. Panicked, I turn my eyes in the direction the sound is coming from.

From one corner of the dust-filled hall, a man steps forward. His face is covered with a mask, completely hidden.

The moment I look at him, I feel it this is no ordinary man. His body language, his confidence… he is clearly the boss behind all of this.

I stare at him with tear-filled, stunned eyes.
Only one question keeps spinning in my mind, “Who is this man who has been following us with such careful planning?”

He slowly walks closer and stops right in front of me. And then suddenly he starts laughing loudly.

His laughter echoes off the walls of the hall cruel and piercing straight through my heart.

My body begins to tremble. Ria looks at me, her eyes filling with even more fear. I want to say something, I want to do something but with my hands tied and my mouth gagged, I am completely helpless.

Then the man speaks his voice deep, arrogant, and terrifying, “Finally… you both are in my control now. Now the entire game is in my hands.”

His words hit my chest like stones. My heart sinks. It feels as if the ground beneath my feet is slipping away.

And then… he raises his hand toward his mask. My breath stops.

Slowly… he removes the mask. And the moment his face is revealed in front of me, I freeze completely.

My eyes widen, My mind goes numb, My heart forgets how to beat, I keep staring at him in shock. I can’t believe what I am seeing.

TO BE COUNTINUE...!!!

Who Is He ?