Chapter 160
After thinking it over, I decided to write down everything I knew in a letter.
I put the letter inside a book and left it at the front desk, telling them that if James or Andrew came looking for me, they should give them the book.
But the next afternoon, Ernest's people came directly to the hotel looking for me.
It was those same two bodyguards, with a tough attitude: "Ernest requests your presence."
"I haven't decided yet." I stood in the doorway, showing no intention of going with them.
"That's not up to you anymore." One of the bodyguards said coldly, "Please come with us. Don't make us use force."
I watched them approach, protecting my belly, knowing I couldn't avoid this today.
"I'll go with you," I said calmly. "But I need to get something."
I turned back into the room, quickly hid a recording pen in my pocket, and sent Andrew an emoji we'd agreed upon - one I would only send if I was in danger.
This time we didn't go to the club, but to a villa in the suburbs.
The villa looked ordinary from the outside, but inside it was heavily guarded.
Ernest sat in the living room. When he saw me, he smiled: "So, what have you decided?"
"I've been thinking about it, and I still think it's too dangerous. If we get caught, we could go to prison," I said directly. "I'm scared."
Ernest's expression darkened: "Are you sure you won't reconsider? If you don't cooperate, I can't guarantee the safety of you and your child."
"What exactly do you want?"
"It's simple." Ernest stood up. "You work for us. Do well, and I can guarantee your safety and give you enough money to last a lifetime."
He spread his hands. "But if you keep being difficult and refuse me, you know the consequences."
His refined face now looked terrifying and menacing to me.
"I need a computer." My voice was hoarse.
"Of course." Ernest smiled with satisfaction. "There's a room prepared for you upstairs. Starting today, you'll live here. If you need anything, you can tell the servants."
"But your phone - we'll need to keep it for now."
They clearly wanted to hold me captive.
I glanced at the row of fierce-looking bodyguards standing nearby and the guns they were holding.
Faced with guns, I had no choice but to comply.
For the next few days, I was locked in a room on the villa's second floor, working on that game.
Half a month passed, and I had built out the basic framework of the game.
In another half a month, the game would be finished. The graphics and other elements were being done simultaneously by others.
When I finished, the other parts were done too, and the game was released.
I didn't know how it was released, but I knew the game seemed to be doing well, because they opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate that evening.
But on the third day, Ernest burst into my room with a dark expression: "What exactly did you do?"
My heart tightened, but I kept my face calm: "What are you talking about?"
"Someone's tracked us down!" He grabbed my collar. "You must have done something!"
"I didn't," I said calmly.
Ernest stared at me for a few seconds, then suddenly sneered: "Once I get out of this mess, I'll have plenty of time to settle the score with you."
He reached out to grab me. I dodged: "What are you doing?"
"Stop talking!" He roughly pulled me up. "If you still want to keep the baby in your belly, behave yourself. Let's go!"
I was pushed downstairs and shoved into a black van.
The car left the villa and headed toward the mountains.
On the road, I clutched my stomach and started moaning: "It hurts... my stomach hurts so much..."
"Don't try anything!" The bodyguard in the passenger seat turned around and barked.
"It really hurts..." I curled up in the back seat, my face pale. "If something happens to the baby, I won't want to live either... Without a hostage, do you think you'll make it out alive?"
Ernest sat next to me, staring at me for a while, then said to the driver: "Go to the nearest clinic."
The car bumped along for half an hour before finding a rural clinic.
I was carried inside. The clinic was run-down, with only one gray-haired old doctor.
Seeing our group, the old doctor froze for a moment, then stood up: "What's going on?"
"She has stomach pain, might be something wrong with the fetus." The bodyguard said gruffly. "Check her quickly."
The old doctor looked at me, then at the two fierce bodyguards beside me, and nodded: "Help her lie down on the bed inside."
I was helped into the inner room and laid on a simple hospital bed.
The old doctor came over. Just as he was about to examine me, I grabbed his hand and said quickly in a voice only we could hear: "Call the police. I've been kidnapped. Those people outside are all bad."
The doctor's hand stiffened.
He nodded and said loudly, "Her condition is very bad. It'll take quite a while to stabilize her. You go outside first - it's not convenient with people here."
The two bodyguards stepped outside, but the door stayed open, and they stood in the doorway watching.
The old doctor pretended to take my blood pressure while lowering his voice: "What happened?"
"They kidnapped me and forced me to do illegal things with them," I said quickly. "I need you to help stall for some time."
The old doctor was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly said, "Lie still. Don't move."
He turned and walked to the medicine cabinet, his back to the door, seeming to look for medicine.
But I saw him quickly take an old phone from a drawer, press it a few times rapidly, then put it back.
He walked back with a stethoscope to check the fetal heartbeat.
"The heartbeat is normal." The old doctor said loudly, then leaned close to me, his voice even lower: "I've already sent a distress message to my son. He's a police officer in town. But it's too remote here - it'll take them at least half an hour to get here. We need to find a way to stall them first."
My heart tightened. I nodded.
The old doctor prescribed some medication to prevent miscarriage, then said to the bodyguards at the door: "She needs rest. She can't travel anymore. Best would be bed rest for a day."
The bodyguard frowned: "No way. We have to leave right now."
"Then watch her miscarry." The old doctor's face turned cold. "By then, both the woman and child might die. It's up to you."
The two bodyguards exchanged glances, and one of them went out to ask Ernest.
A few minutes later, Ernest walked in, his face dark: "Is it really that serious?"
"Are you the doctor or am I?" The old doctor said irritably. "Pregnant women can't be jostled around. Plus, her body is already weak."
Ernest stared at me for a long time, then finally said through gritted teeth: "Stay here for one night. We leave first thing tomorrow morning."
He had two bodyguards stay at the clinic while he went out to arrange things with the others.
I was placed in the clinic's only patient room, with two bodyguards at the door.
Around eight in the evening, dogs suddenly started barking outside, followed by hurried footsteps and knocking.
"Doctor, open up! Someone's injured!" It was a young man's voice.
The old doctor went to open the door. Two people stood there - a young man supporting someone covered in blood.