Chapter 84: Lydia’s Abduction
Chapter 84: Lydia’s Abduction
After spending a little more time with Dennis, Lydia became completely certain that what she had sensed was right—Dennis was definitely hiding something from her. She felt it in the way he smiled at her, the way his eyes seemed to avoid hers when she asked certain questions. It didn’t sit right with her. She didn’t want to assume the worst, but it was hard to ignore what her instincts were telling her.
She was a bit upset, and though she didn’t want to cause a scene, she thought it was time to leave. She was glad he was now awake and well, and that was enough for her—for now.
“I’ll be heading home,” she said gently, turning to Dennis and his parents.
“Oh, alright,” Mrs. James replied kindly. “Will Melissa and Victor be picking you up like yesterday?”
Dennis, who had been quiet, suddenly asked, “Victor and Melissa picked you up yesterday?” The tone in his voice was unfamiliar—almost too sharp.
“Yes, they did,” Lydia responded, giving him a curious glance before turning back to Mrs. James. “But I doubt they’ll be able to today. I’ll just take a cab.”
Dennis didn’t say anything else. His expression was unreadable. Lydia chose not to dwell on it.
The time was a little past 6 PM. Lydia stood up, picked up her bag, and said her goodbyes. Dennis, still too weak to walk, asked his father to walk her out on his behalf, which Mr. James agreed to with a warm smile. He made sure she got into a cab before heading back upstairs, watching as the car pulled away before turning back toward the hospital entrance.
Lydia sat in the back of the cab, thinking. Something still wasn’t adding up. What exactly had Dennis discussed with Detective Philip? Could she be right? Could Dennis really have something to do with the strange things that had happened to her and Melissa?
But no—it didn’t make sense. If that were the case, wouldn’t the detective have at least hinted at something, maybe to the doctor or Dennis’s parents? Why would he leave her in the room again if Dennis was dangerous? Still, her gut wouldn't let her rest.
She sighed and leaned back into the seat.
That’s when she realised something strange.
She hadn’t given the cab driver her address.
And he hadn’t asked either.
Yet the car was moving—and in the wrong direction. It was going the opposite way from her house.
She sat up straight, alarmed. The driver was dressed in all black, from head to toe. He wore a black face mask and a face cap, making it impossible to see his face clearly.
“Excuse me,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. “I just remembered I forgot something at the hospital. Can you take me back, please?”
The driver didn’t answer. Instead, he turned the music up and stepped harder on the gas.
Lydia quickly picked up her phone, trying to call someone—anyone. But there was no signal. Not even a flicker.
“Don’t stress yourself,” the man said, his voice muffled and low. “You won’t be able to call, text, or receive anything.”
Fear shot through her. Her heart began to pound heavily. She thought about fighting him, grabbing the steering wheel, doing anything to stop the car—but suddenly she couldn’t move. Her vision began to blur. Her head was spinning, and she felt herself slipping away.
“What’s happening to me?” she whispered weakly.
“Nothing,” the driver replied smoothly. “You’re just falling asleep.”
That was the last thing she heard before everything went black.
Back at the Joe residence, Mrs. Joe was on the phone with Julia. “I’ll be home tomorrow night,” she said excitedly. “I can’t wait to see you girls.”
Julia sounded pleased. “We’ve missed you,” she replied.
“I haven’t been able to get through to Lydia,” Mrs. Joe added. “I wanted to tell her the good news.”
“Tell her to call me when she’s home,” Mrs. Joe said.
“I will, Mom,” Julia replied. “Can’t wait to see you soon.”
After the call, Julia smiled and sent Lydia a quick text, then returned to her assignment. She assumed Lydia was probably still with Dennis or catching up on rest. Nothing seemed off—yet.
At the Wrights' residence, Melissa was bored. It was just her and her mom at home, and both were in their rooms. She remembered that Dennis should be awake by now and picked up her phone to message Lydia. That’s when she saw Lydia’s earlier message saying that Dennis had woken up and that Detective Philip had stopped by.
She smiled and decided to call Lydia instead of replying with a text. But the call didn’t go through. The number wasn’t connecting. Melissa frowned slightly but didn’t think too much of it. Maybe Lydia’s battery had died, or she was still in the hospital.
She put her phone down and turned on a movie on her laptop.
At the hospital, Dennis was holding a brand-new phone—one his parents had bought to replace the one that got damaged in the accident. It was the same number, so he figured Lydia would still be able to reach him. He typed a quick message: “Are you home yet?”
No response.
He waited a few minutes, then checked his phone again. Still nothing. He refreshed the app, wondering if maybe it hadn’t delivered. Then, he called her.
It had been over two hours since she left. No answer. He tried again.
Mrs. James noticed how agitated her son was getting.
“Are you alright, dear? Should I call the doctor?” she asked.
“No, Mom. I’m fine,” Dennis replied, trying to stay calm. “I just… I just need to reach Lydia. That’s all.”
He stared at the phone screen, hoping it would light up with her name. But nothing happened.
At the Joe’s residence, Julia had dozed off while doing her assignment. When she woke up, it was almost 11 PM. She rubbed her eyes, stretched, and walked to Lydia’s room—only to find it empty. No sign that Lydia had returned home.
She checked the bathroom and the kitchen, just in case. Still nothing. Lydia’s room was neat, untouched, as though she had never returned.
She immediately began to worry. Lydia never stayed out this late.
She checked her phone—no reply from Lydia.
She dialled her number. Still not reachable.
Now panicking, Julia called Melissa.
“Hi, Melissa. Are you with Lydia? Or when last did you hear from her?”
“No, I’m not with her,” Melissa replied, sitting upright. “I haven’t seen her since yesterday, and the last I heard from her was that text she sent me earlier about Dennis.”
Melissa quickly opened her messages. The last text was around 3:22 PM. No replies after that.
“Is everything alright?” she asked Julia.
“I’m not sure,” Julia said, trying to stay calm. “Lydia isn’t back home yet, and I can’t get through to her.”
“Do you have Dennis’s number?” Julia asked suddenly.
“Yes, I do,” Melissa replied.
“Please send it to me. I want to try calling him.”
“I’ll send it now,” Melissa said. “And I’ll keep trying to reach Lydia. Let me know if you get through, too.”
“Okay, I will,” Julia replied before ending the call.
Melissa sent the number and then kept dialling Lydia’s number, but now it had started saying “number not reachable.” That only made her more anxious.
Lydia slowly woke up. Her head was pounding, and she felt dizzy and disoriented. As she blinked a few times and tried to sit up, she gasped in pain.
She looked around.
She was in a room that looked old, worn, and dimly lit. There was a man dressed in all black sitting on a single-seater chair. He noticed she was awake and stood up.
“Please don’t hurt me,” Lydia said, her voice shaking. Her hands were tied with a plastic wire tie, but her legs were free.
“Oh, I wouldn’t dare hurt you. You’re too precious to me,” said the man. His voice was distorted but oddly familiar.
“Who are you? What do you want from me?” Lydia asked, her voice rising.
“I’m a very nice person,” he said, walking closer. “I just want you to keep your promise—the one you broke.”
Lydia felt a chill run through her spine.
“You smell really nice, by the way. I can see you liked my gift,” he added.
“Were you the one who sent the perfume, candles, and note?” she asked slowly.
“Yes, I am.”
Lydia’s eyes widened in shock.
“Who the hell are you?” she asked again, her voice angry now.
“Don’t get worked up, my queen,” the man replied.
He slowly reached for his face mask and cap.
And began to take them off.