Chapter 187 A Familiar Kidnapping
Chapter 187 A Familiar Kidnapping
When Cecilia opened her eyes, she slowly turned her head—and locked gazes with Felix.
He sat at the edge of the bed, his shirtsleeves rolled up, holding that stack of old photographs in his hands.
Cecilia's gaze fell on the top photo—the one of the factory's exterior wall. She spoke slowly. "You already knew."
Felix knew there was no hiding it from her. "I uncovered part of it."
"Which part?" Cecilia pushed herself up against the bed, the wound on her palm pulling tight, but she didn't even flinch. "The factory? Eloane? Or the explosion that nearly killed me?"
Roman tactfully retreated to the door and closed it behind him, leaving the two of them alone.
Felix handed over the file. "I knew the factory was connected to Eloane's trauma, and I knew you were there that night. The rest of it—I only just pieced it together."
Cecilia opened the file.
Inside were floor plans of the old factory, accident photos, spray-painted wall codes, fragments of the original fire department report, and a surveillance screenshot.
In the screenshot, a young woman in a white dress stood outside the factory. Her face was blurry, but the silhouette was enough for Cecilia to recognize.
It was Scarlett.
The fog in her memory began to lift.
"It was her." Cecilia looked up, her tone flat. "The person who kidnapped me back then—it was her."
Felix's throat bobbed. "Cecilia—"
"When you came to save me, what did you see?" She locked eyes with him. "Don't hide anything from me anymore."
The room went silent for two seconds. Felix sighed. "By the time I got there, the factory was already on fire. Eloane was outside, screaming hysterically. You were unconscious inside with a head wound. Scarlett wasn't at the scene. Most of the evidence had been destroyed in the blast."
"When you woke up, you'd lost your memory. Eloane wasn't in good shape either. At the time, I thought protecting you both came first. The old case had to wait."
Cecilia's lips twisted. "And you've been waiting all these years."
"That was my mistake," he said.
Cecilia slapped the photos back onto the table. "Your mistake was not telling me. That was my past. I had a right to know."
"You're right." Felix looked at her without defending himself.
She was about to say more when Felix's phone buzzed.
On the other end, Roman's voice was urgent. "Boss, your grandfather's awake. The legal team's all assembled, and some of the old board members are at the hospital blocking the hallway. They're demanding you come immediately."
Felix stood, looking at Cecilia. "I'll take you back to the estate first, then—"
"I don't need you hovering over me." Her tone was crisp. "Leave Roman."
Roman stepped inside. "I'm here."
Felix stared at her for a few seconds, then walked over and pressed his palm against her shoulder. "Two hours. I'll be back as soon as I'm done."
Cecilia ignored him, pulling the stack of files toward herself instead.
Felix looked down at her, then finally turned and left.
The moment the door closed, the room fell quiet.
Roman rubbed his nose. "Ms. Cecilia, would you like something to eat? The doctor said you'll feel weaker after the medication."
"Roman." Cecilia looked up. "How much do you know about what happened at the factory?"
"I only know the boss went crazy that night and rushed over there to pull you out of the fire. After that, Miss Eloane would lose it whenever she saw blood. The boss investigated it many times, but he could never find the key evidence."
Cecilia lowered her eyes, her fingers brushing the surveillance screenshot. A flash of memory surfaced in her mind.
A rusted iron door. Damp concrete floors. And the sound of a girl crying.
Not her. Eloane.
She stood up, her breathing quickening.
Roman startled. "Ms. Cecilia?"
Cecilia pressed her hand to her temple. "They didn't just kidnap me back then. Eloane was there too."
Roman was about to respond when a heavy thud came from outside the apartment.
The next second, the lights cut out. The entire floor plunged into darkness.
Roman's expression changed instantly. Instinctively, he reached for the gun at his waist. "Ms. Cecilia, stay close to me."
Cecilia had just grabbed her phone when something reeking of chemicals pressed against her face from behind. At the same time, the sound of a scuffle erupted outside the door.
Roman cursed under his breath. "Damn it—"
Cecilia drove her elbow back hard, slamming into someone's ribs. But there was clearly more than one attacker. Before she could pull away, someone clamped down on both her arms.
She heard Roman overturn the table, followed by a man's frantic shout—
"Boss, we've got a problem!"
When Cecilia woke again, she found herself in an abandoned factory.
She was tied to a chair, her wrists bound so tightly they ached.
Years ago, on another night, she'd been tied up in this very place. Back then, she'd been younger, fresh from the Florida factory. She'd received a fake message saying Eloane was in trouble and rushed over.
The moment she pushed open the door, she was met with a cloth soaked in ether and a coil of rope.
The click of heels pulled her back to the present. Scarlett emerged from the shadows, wearing a long black coat, her face pale and drawn.
When she saw Cecilia, she smiled. "You're awake."
Cecilia lifted her head, her voice calm. "You really don't learn, do you?"
"You remember this place, don't you?" Scarlett stepped closer. "I picked it specially. It's always bothered me that you didn't die here the first time."
Cecilia looked at her without a word.
From the other side, Drake emerged, still nursing his half-healed jaw, his smile dark and twisted. "The NYPD moves fast these days. I had to speed things up a bit."
Cecilia's gaze swept the space—corners, oil drums, wiring, a rusted generator box. Even the beams behind the pillars had been rigged with fresh explosives.
Once she'd taken it all in, she grew even calmer.
Scarlett's smile deepened at her reaction. "You see it, don't you? This time, I've prepared thoroughly."
Cecilia's lips curved faintly. "You're terrified of losing. It's driving you insane."
"Me? Terrified?" Scarlett leaned in, gripping Cecilia's chin. "You took everything from me—Felix, my reputation, my position. Even Grandfather looks at me differently now. And you're asking if I'm scared?"
Cecilia met her eyes. "You destroyed it yourself."
Scarlett's gaze sharpened. She raised her hand and slapped Cecilia hard across the face. "Shut up."
Half of Cecilia's face swelled almost instantly. She turned her head, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. But the images in her mind were growing clearer.
That night, Eloane had been locked in the small storage room next door. She'd been forced to watch everything—watch as Scarlett's men pressed a knife against her arm, laughing as they terrorized her. Watch as gasoline drums were stacked in the warehouse.
And Cecilia herself had slammed into the metal shelving, her vision blurring, her ears filled with Scarlett's voice—
"Once the fire starts, she'll disappear for good."
Cecilia closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she remembered everything.
She looked at Scarlett and smiled.
"You lured me here back then because you were afraid I'd trace where that batch of drugs from the Florida factory went. You kidnapped Eloane because she saw your people coming and going from the factory—you were afraid she'd talk. In the end, you wanted to blow us both up."
Scarlett's expression froze.
Drake glanced at her. "Looks like she's remembered everything."
Scarlett laughed the next second—a trembling, unhinged sound. "So what if you remember? You're still going to die here today."
Cecilia looked at her. "You grew up with Felix. The Knightley family gave you respect. And you chose to turn yourself into trash."
"Don't you dare mention him!" Scarlett lost control, grabbing Cecilia's hair and yanking her head back. "If it weren't for you, he would've married me! He should've been on my side!"
Cecilia winced at the pain but didn't break eye contact. "He never wanted you. That has nothing to do with me. You're just filthy."
Scarlett's face twisted with rage. She raised her hand to strike again.