Chapter 7: The Abduction

Charlotte stood frozen for a moment before her brow furrowed in determination. "Mr. Parker, I'm done playing your game. No more dirty money or being at your beck and call. It's high time you treat Chloe with the respect she deserves. Don't trample on her devotion." "Enough, Charlotte," Mr. Parker's voice cut through the air like a blade, "my patience has its limits!" She seemed to have a knack for pushing his buttons, time and time again. Did she really think he was a pushover? Liam's anger roared to life, a simmering fury bubbling over. "Foolishness beyond belief!" Charlotte, resignation letter in hand, found his outburst puzzling but had no desire to ponder the reasons. She rose swiftly, her exit as brisk as the onset of a storm. Liam watched her retreating figure, a cold indifference masking the tumultuous rage and panic swirling in his eyes. "Henry!" His voice was a command that rang with urgency. Henry entered, listening intently to his orders, his expression turning steel-like. Mr. Parker was plotting something drastic... —— As the workday drew to a close, Charlotte stepped out of the office building, contemplating shredding her resignation letter. But on second thought, she decided to keep it, saving herself the task of drafting another once Chloe's situation was clear. Approaching the bus stop, her phone rang; it was Maria. Her brother was coming home for the holidays, and she wanted Charlotte to pick up a Tiramisu from a bakery in the city's west end. "Why the west side? It's quite a trek from here," Charlotte questioned. "It's for your brother's birthday; let's indulge his craving just this once," Maria pleaded over the phone. Charlotte figured since she had to go back and deal with the house mortgage issue anyway, she didn't turn down the request. Purchasing the Tiramisu, Charlotte stepped outside, only to sense something amiss. Four identical vans lined the street, with a menacing bald man lurking nearby. Was she walking into a robbery? She turned to retreat to the safety of the bakery when suddenly, a cloth was pressed over her face, and darkness claimed her. When Charlotte came to, she was in the back of a moving vehicle. She kept her eyes shut, eavesdropping on her captors. "The lass is a looker. No wonder Robert's keen on selling her. Heard Griffin's bid is 600k?" "More like 400k, cash, and the Perry family won't ask questions about her fate." Griffin? The notorious son of a murderer from the pig farms in the outskirts! It all clicked - Maria's specific request, the suspicious vans. It was a setup, with Maria implicated too. Fury and panic warred within her as she struggled to keep her breathing in check. She had to think fast. Caught by a psychopath in a desolate pig farm, escape would be near impossible. If she ended up in his hands, she'd rather jump out of the car and die! In a panic, Charlotte suddenly felt a hard, rectangular object in the bag under her. Her phone! Trying to stay calm, she discreetly reached for it with her fingers, and, relying on memory, dialed her emergency contact's number. She didn't have a chance to call the police because the moment she dialed the number, the bad guy would notice, and it might even make him desperate enough to do something irrational. Right now, the only person she felt she could trust was Liam. Her phone had a location tracking feature, and the emergency contact, which Liam had set up when Robert first started chasing her, was programmed with a special ringtone. He had told her that if she was ever in danger, she should call this number, and he would come to rescue her immediately. As expected, just a few slight vibrations were enough for the thug to notice. He roughly snatched her phone away. "Think you can call the cops, huh?" the man sneered with suspicion. But when he saw that the dial screen only showed a single digit '1', he thought Charlotte had touched it by accident and didn't give it much thought. Charlotte let out a quiet sigh of relief. After driving for a while, the car suddenly stopped. Then, someone cursed and swore and got in and kicked Charlotte twice in the leg. "Damn it! Useless piece of crap! Acting all high and mighty! Got me beat up because of you!" That's Robert's voice! Charlotte opened her eyes and stared him down, noticing his face was swollen like a pig's head, his arm hung limp and useless, and one of his legs was loose and floppy as if it had been broken. Feeling her gaze, Robert exploded with anger, "What are you looking at? If you hadn't acted all high and mighty, would Mr. Parker have had me beaten up?" His rage was palpable as he exclaimed, "Twice! They nearly beat the life out of me!" Then, grumbling under his breath, he lamented, "Now I'm really in for it. Without Parker's favor, my pockets remain empty, thanks to your high and mighty act. No payday for me means I've got to sell you off again! You've only got yourself to blame!" Charlotte's brows knit together in frustration. She hadn't given Robert a single penny of the money from Liam, yet Robert spoke as if he had been lining his pockets... Where did it come from? "Did Liam pay you?" she asked. "Of course he did! Do you think I'd let him have his way with my girl for free? He's coughed up a good three to four million over the past few months. Stingy, that one is!" Charlotte's fists clenched in anger. No wonder she didn't pay up and Robert hadn't troubled her; it turns out Liam was backing her up secretly! Three to four million! She had sold her body and pride for a mere one point nine million and thought she was asking for too much. Robert, the beast, had the nerve to play the victim and call Liam stingy! Charlotte, stifling her rage, sought a way out, "I'm still employed by Parker Group. If my colleagues can't reach me, they'll call the cops. And the bakery's doorstep is swarming with cameras. They'll trace this abduction easily, and none of you will get away." Her voice grew louder, "You take the cash, but you all share the risk. That's hardly fair play, is it?" "Don't try to drive a wedge between us!" Robert kicked her again. "It's my god-given right to marry off my daughter! The 400k is her dowry! Once you're off this vehicle, you and Griffin will seal the deal, and no one will dare say a word." "Liam won't let you get away with this," Charlotte retorted with feigned confidence. "Once he finds out what you've done, you..." "Don't you dare use Liam to scare me! I asked him for money, and he refused, then had me beaten not once but twice! Can't you see? He's tired of you!" Robert's face twisted cruelly, "And he's about to get engaged. Think he's going to come to your rescue? Get that fantasy out of your head!" Charlotte didn't dare say more. She couldn't risk Robert turning his attention to Chloe if Chloe was indeed her sister; entanglement with a family as vile as the Perrys would bring endless trouble. She wouldn't allow anyone to disturb Chloe's tranquil life. The ride to the pig farm was rough, and Charlotte was forced out of the car upon arrival. A middle-aged man handed Robert a bulging briefcase, which he greedily counted. "Perfect, 400k. Griffin, you've seen my daughter's beauty. I wouldn't part with her for 400k, let alone four million if I wasn't desperate!" Griffin glanced at him with disdain, "Remember, her life or death is none of your concern after this. Don't come chasing after me once you've spent the money wanting her back." "Don't worry; my word is my bond," Robert assured him. To Robert, a lowly butcher was far more terrifying than the aloof aristocrat Liam could ever be. "Enough chit-chat, don't keep Griffin waiting!" Charlotte was roughly shoved into a room. Before she could even look up, she heard the sound of a beastly, heavy breath close by.