Chapter 19
The man’s voice wasn’t load, but in the eerie silence, his words sliced through the stillness. Even Natalie, caught in her own haze of confusion. heard him clearly. Her head shot up, her wide, disbelieving eyes betraying her shock. What on earth is going on!”
Myla, her expression as stoic as ever, rubbed the bristly stubble of her close–cropped hair. This is bad. Two possibilities here. Either Natalie and this guy are working together, staging this whole damsel–in–distress routine so the boss can swoop in as the hero.
Natalie throws herself at him in gratitude, a neat little setup to get closer to him. Or.. someone’s playing a bigger game. Natalie’s just another pawn on the board”
Her mind ticking over the possibilities, Myla turned her gaze toward Jonas, who remained seated in the car. She waited for his reaction, her sharp eyes silently asking for instructions.
Jonas, however, didn’t so much as twitch. He acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, taking his time tapping a cigarette out of its pack. He placed it between his lips with the kind of casual indifference that could set a room on edge
Beside her, Natalie noticed Myla’s movement, Instinctively, her eyes followed Myla’s line of sight to the car. As realization dawned on her, panic surged through her chest like a tidal wave. She turned sharply to Jonas, her heart racing.
The drunken man’s words had thrown her into the depths of despair.
She bit her lip so hard it nearly bled, trying to force her overloaded brain to make sense of the chaos. But the avalanche of information was fon overwhelming, her thoughts tangled in a web she couldn’t unravel
‘s like this all started the moment Dad passed away! Natalie thought, her stomach knotting. A giant invisible net has been closing in on me ever since.
Inside the car, Jonas finally moved. Tilting his head to light the cigarette, he flicked the lighter shut with a sharp click.
Then he finally spoke, his tone cutting and dry, “Why are y
it gouge out your own eyes and toss them in too.”
are you all staring at me Got nothing better to do? Dig a hole and bury him. While you’re at
Myla let out a subtle sigh of relief. If the boss is cracking insults like this, it probably means it’s not that big of a deal. Still, I don’t get it—he’s been acting so erratic lately.
“His mood swings are getting worse by the day. It can’t be early menopause, right? Or could it be… delayed puberty?
Her internal musings were interrupted by the man on the ground, who erupted in a fit of desperate shouting after bearing that Jonas wanted him buried. “I’ll talk. I’ll—”
Before he could finish, Myla’s boot collided with his side, flipping him onto his stomach with a dull thud. Moving with efficient precision, she bound his already mangled limbs and ripped a piece of fabric from his shirt, stuffing it into his mouth to mutile his cries
Myla wasn’t in the interrogation business, nor did she have the patience for useless noise. Letting him stew in fear for a while would only make him easier to break when Dominik arrived
And if Natalie really is involved, Myla thought, this will keep them from coordinating their stories.
She sprang to
g to her feet and immediately turned to deal with the two henchmen still crouched on the ground, too terrified to move.
Times like this really drive home the importance of having a good leader, she thought wryly. Otherwise, anyone could end up like me following an emotionally unstable boss and slogging away like a park mule!
me–stuck
Meanwhile, Natalie remained plastered against the passenger–side door, frozen in her panic and completely forgetting to get into the car.
Jonas took a long drag from his cigarette and leaned back, the leather seat pressing uncomfortably against his skin.
Irritated, he shoved the car door open, wung his leg out, and stepped onto the ground without the slightest hesitation. His expression darkened as he strode toward the back of the car, silent as a storm cloud.
He yanked open the trunk and rummaged through the chaotic assortment of weapons until he found a camouflage jacket.
Clamping the cigarette at a careless angle between his lips, he shrugged on the jacket as he made his way back toward the group.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Natalie. Her red–rimmed eyes, trembling lips, and the nervous way she bit down on her lower lip in fear made her look utterly pitiful
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Chapter 19
As if sensing his gaze, Natalie cautiously looked up. The moment their eyes met, tears pooled in hers, threatening to spill over like she’d just suffered the gravest injustice in the world.
Seeing the look on her face. Jonas paused mid–step, his earlier irritation seeming to ebb slightly.
Leaning lazily against the car, he raised an eyebrow and drawled, “Standing guard now?”
The casual remark startled Natalie, who had been on edge since he’d stepped out of the car. Her shoulders jerked in a nervous flinch, and for a moment, she thought he was about to lash out. Then, realization struck her. Wait… did he just… He’s not mad
Jonas took another slow drag from his cigarette, blowing a thin stream of smoke into the air.
Watching her tremble like a frightened bird, he suddenly flicked the cigarette to the ground and grabbed her ghastly face between his fingers, giving it a teasing tug. “What’s this? Are you traumatized? Want me to book you a shrink for some therapy!”
“Mm-“Natalie instinctively raised a hand to cover the side of her face where his grip stung.
“Weren’t you just scrappy as a stray mutt, fighting tooth and nail? What luppened? Now you’re acting like a little coward,” Jonas Launted, stepping closer. His towering frame cast a shailow that completely engulfed her petite figure.
Natalie, caught off guard by his sudden shift in demeanor, could only stare up at him, her mind scrambling to keep up. As the oppressive weight of his presence bore down on her, her eyes inadvertently landed on the exposed, sun–kissed muscles of his chest
If she hadn’t been tilting her head back, she was certain her face would’ve been huried in those chiseled abs by now.
“Why didn’t he zip up his jacket? she wondered fleetingly. She stumbled quickly to the left, and with the movement, the hand gripping her face loosened
Before she could think of what to say, an arm circled her waist in one swift, effortless motion. Her feet left the ground as she was lifted clean off it her body weightlessly suspended for a split second before she was unceremoniously deposited onto the warm hood of the car.
“What? Am I scarier than that scumbag?” Jonas asked, his tone laced with mockery as he nudged Natalie’s thigh with his knee, forcing his legs between hers.
Natalie, wearing a knee–length skirt, felt the fabric bunch and ride up under his intrusion. Her face flushed crimson as she scrambled to tag the hem back down, not wanting to show her panties, instinctively trying to scoot away.
But the moment her hips shifted, Jonas’s bandaged hand clamped down on her thigh with unnerving precision. His palm pressed against her bare skin, the heat of his touch searing like a brand.
His fingers tightened, firm and unyielding, as if to ensure she wouldn’t slip away. Despite the electrifying contact, his expression remuined devoid of even the faintest hint of flirtation. “Hmm”
“No, that’s not it—” Natalie stammered, shaking her head.
“Oh? Is it because you think he wouldn’t dare have his way with you?” Jonas cut her off with a sardonic smile that didn’t reach his enchanting eyes. He leaned in slightly, his breath brushing against her skin. “Sweetheart, then tell me… do you think I would?”
Natalie’s throat tightened as she struggled to find the words, her thoughts spiraling into chaos. “I don’t know him… You-” she started, but the warmth of his palm against her thigh suddenly shifted, breaking her focus
Without thinking. Natalie grabbed his wrist, her fingers wrapping ughtly around it. I don’t know what kind of mess I’ve been dragged into, but 1 swear I know nothing about this”
Her voice was steady despite the frantic beating of her heart. Tilting her head back, she met his sharp, predatory gaze head–on, her eyes unwavering and resolute.
Jonas didn’t respond immediately, his hand still resting on her leg unmoving. Sensing this sliver of opportunity. Natalie quickly began spilling
what little she knew
“Two days ago, my father was in a car accident,” she said, her voice softening slightly. “My grandfather wanted to bury him and my mother together. so he sent a private jet to bring us over”
Jonas stayed silent, his expression unreadable, but his lack of interruption emboldened her. Her thoughts began to clarify as she recounted the events and analyzed the current situation.
She began, “The plane was supposed to land at Hocem Airport in the Northern District, but my grandfather said there was a terrorist attack there, so we rerouted. We landed at that other airport–the one where I was kidnapped. I didn’t catch the name of the place.”
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Chapter 19
She paused to catch her breath before continuing. “In the car, the kidnappers thought I was unconscious. They made a phone call, speaking in Apairian. I overheard them say someone killed my father which makes me think his death wasn’t an accident.”
–
Unconsciously, her fingers tightened around his wrist as a wave of fear and frustration coursed through her “Just now, that man said someone sent him to assault me, but I swear I don’t know him. I’m not working with him. That’s all I’ve got.”
Every word she spoke was honest, but she carefully avoided any mention of Jonas. Jonas is this guy’s mortal enemy, after all.
Doubts began to creep into her mind. ‘Could this all be part of Jonas’s plant A trap to take down this man‘ Have my grandpa and I been nothing but pawns in his game?”
Jonas’s gaze darkened as an almost absurd thought crossed his mind. With a flick of his wrist, he broke free from her grip, only to catch her hand in his own. His palm wrapped around hers, firm and dominating,
His voice dropped, cold and cutting like a blade. “What’s your mother’s name? When did she die?”
