Chapter 338 Third Wheel

Chapter 338 Third Wheel
Derek opened his eyes slowly. For a few seconds, he didn't know where he was.

The room was dark and cold, and the faint smell of dust filled his nose. His head throbbed badly, and when he tried to move, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder.

He stopped and just then everything came rushing back. How he and Rebecca were discussing Mr Benjamin and his they'd been attacked suddenly.

His heart suddenly began pounding.

"Rebecca..."

He tried to sit up, but the pain forced him back against the wall.

His eyes adjusted slowly to the darkness. He was sitting on the floor of what looked like an abandoned house. The walls were dirty and cracked, the windows were covered with old curtains, and there was almost no furniture inside.

His hands were tied behind his back. Derek pulled against the ropes, but they barely moved.

He clenched his teeth. "Rebecca..."

He didn't know whether she was nearby or whether she was safe and that uncertainty was slowly driving him crazy.

He remembered being hit on his head while trying to fight off the attackers and how he'd fell abd after that, everything had become blurry.

His breathing became uneven as he lowered his head.

"Please..."

His voice was barely audible. "Please let her be okay."

He had never been a deeply religious man, but at that moment, he found himself praying, not for himself but for Rebecca and their baby.

"God, please protect her."

His eyes burned as he swallowed. "Whatever happens to me, just let her be safe."

A sound suddenly came from outside. Derek lifted his head. The door opened, and one of the men walked inside.

Derek immediately straightened. "Where is my wife?"

The man ignored him and Derek's eyes hardened.

"I'm asking you a question. Where is Rebecca?"

The man walked past him and placed something on a nearby table.

Derek stared at him. "Is she here?"

The man remained silent.

"Did you hurt her?"

There was still no answer. Derek's fear quickly turned into anger.

"Answer me!"

The man finally looked at him. "You ask too many questions."

"Because you've kidnapped my wife!"

The man gave a small, humorless smile. "Your wife?"

Derek's brows pulled together. "Yes. Rebecca is my wife."

The man's smile widened. "Not for long."

Something about those words made Derek's stomach tighten. "What does that mean?"

The man simply turned away. Derek pulled against the ropes again.

"Wait!"

The man stopped at the door. "Please, just tell me. Where is Rebecca?"

The man looked over his shoulder. "You'll find out soon enough," he said then walked out.

The door slammed shut. Derek stared at it, his breathing becoming heavier with each second.

There was something very wrong. He tried to think. Why would anyone kidnap Rebecca?

Money? Revenge? His business? Was it Michael? He couldn't have acted so fast or had he kept people to lay in wait for them?

That was his only explanation and if did make sense but then something didn't feel right.

He had believed the attack was connected to Michael. He had believed the danger was coming from one direction.

But now, sitting alone in that abandoned house, he began to wonder if he had been wrong.

The door opened again and this time, two men entered.

Derek immediately looked at them.

"Please."

His voice was calmer now.

"I don't want trouble. I just want to know if Rebecca is safe."

One of them laughed.

"You really care about her."

"She's my wife."

The man walked closer and tsked. "You're nothing but a third wheel."

Derek stared at him in confusion. "What?"

The man's expression remained cold. "Rebecca doesn't belong with you."

Derek's heart began pounding. "Who told you that?"

The man ignored the question and simply said, "Once she marries Adrian, you'll be dead."

Derek went completely still. "Adrian?"

The name escaped his lips like a whisper. So it was him?

The two men exchanged a quick glance. It was enough.

Derek's entire body went cold.

It was Adrian.

Suddenly, everything began falling into place. The strange behavior and his reappearance in their life. The way Adrian had always looked at Rebecca even though he'd said he'd accepted that Rebecca couldn't be his.

The way he had seemed almost too interested in her.

Derek closed his eyes.

He remembered the day Adrian had appeared and all he'd said. So they had all been lies. The story he had told.

The way Derek had believed him. What about the meeting with Celia? Was it staged?

His stomach twisted as various possibilities ran through his mind.

"No..."

He shook his head slowly. "Adrian..."

He had trusted him. He had actually trusted him especially seeing that he took a bullet for Rebecca.

Derek's breathing became heavier.

At the time, Derek had believed Adrian was simply protecting her from Celia. But what if that had been exactly what Adrian wanted? To gain their trust and then use it? What if the entire thing had been planned?

Derek opened his eyes.

The realization hit him with such force that he almost felt sick.

Adrian hadn't simply kidnapped Rebecca, he had planned everything. He had created the situation and had made Derek believe there was an outside threat.

Derek lowered his head. "I should have known."

His voice cracked. "I should have known something was wrong."

The men said nothing. Derek swallowed hard. He thought about Rebecca. She must be terrified. She must be wondering where he was. Whether he was alive and whether anyone was coming for her.

His eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, Rebecca."

He closed his eyes. "I should have protected you."

For several seconds, he said nothing. But in the quiet of his mind, another thought entered his mind.

Benjamin.

Derek's eyes opened slowly. Everything had started becoming connected to him too. After what happened during the visit, Derek had become almost certain that Benjamin was Michael.

But where did Adrian fit into all of this? Was Adrian working with Benjamin? Or had Adrian been acting alone?

Derek's mind raced.

If Benjamin was Michael and Adrian had kidnapped Rebecca, then there had to be a connection.

Unless there were two separate threats surrounding them.

But that seemed too much of a coincidence.

"Are you working with Benjamin?" Derek suddenly asked.

The two men looked at each other. That tiny reaction was enough to make Derek's suspicion grow.

"Who is Benjamin?" one of them asked.

The question sounded too deliberate. Derek watched him carefully.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about."

The man stepped closer. "You should worry less about other people and more about yourself."

Derek didn't answer as his mind was already working. If they didn't know Benjamin, then perhaps Adrian was operating alone.

But if they did know him...

Then everything was much bigger than he had imagined.

One of the men grabbed the chair near the wall and pulled it closer.

"You won't be asking questions for much longer."

Derek looked at him. "Where is Rebecca?"

The man smiled coldly. "With Adrian."

Derek's heart sank.

"And once Adrian gets what he wants, you won't matter anymore."

Derek's fists tightened behind his back. He wanted to fight, scream and to break free and find Rebecca himself. But he knew he couldn't waste his strength.

He needed to stay alive for Rebecca and their unborn child.

He closed his eyes briefly. "Please..." he said as his voice trembled. "Let me see her."

The men laughed. "You'll see her."

Derek opened his eyes.

"When?"

"In the after life," one of them says and burst into a peal of laughter before walking way.

The door closed behind them leaving Derek alone again. He leaned his head against the wall, his breathing shaky.

Adrian.

The name kept repeating inside his mind. He had been looking in the wrong direction.

All this time, he had been trying to protect Rebecca from Michael while the real danger had been standing much closer than he realized.

Derek looked toward the dark window.

"I'll find you, Rebecca."

His voice was quiet but firm. "No matter where they took you, I'll find you."

He didn't know how. He didn't know whether help was coming but he refused to give up.

Because somewhere out there, Rebecca was waiting and Derek was determined to get back to her before Adrian's plan became something none of them could undo.