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371words
The door slammed shut.
From the balcony,I watched him drive off,a strong sense of helplessness washing over me.
How had we become like this?
I shouldn’t have returned.
After that,Ethan didn’t contact me.
I stayed in my rental,rarely leaving unless necessary.
Ryan,who was fed up,dragged me out shopping.
I couldn’t resist him.
Having lived abroad so long,I barely knew the city.Ryan,who was always restless,vanished after a few steps,leaving me to wander.
Passing an alley,I fell a sharp pain in my neck.
My vision went black,and I collapsed.
I woke on a bumpy car’s backseat,hands tied behind me.
The driver was unmistakable—Rachel Evans.
Seeing me stir,she hissed,“I should have given you a higher dose!”
Her intent was obvious.“Kidnapping me won’t help.Ethan won’t pay a dime.”
I’d learned Rachel’s family business declined since I left,nearly bankrupt.
Tyler stepped in,but his own finances were stretched,which drained Rachel’s savings.
Rumor was after his miscarriage,he treated her worse.
She sneered.“Jessica,you underestimate your place in Ethan’s heart.”
I didn’t argue,settling into the seat,feigning sleep.
Ryan wasn’t dumb—he’d notice my absence and call the police.
Rachel sped to a coastal cliff,sea winds roaring,dizzying me.
She dialed repeatedly,but no one answered.
I mocked,“Told you,Ethan doesn’t care if I live or die.”
Then,an engine roared nearby.
Rachel retorted,her voice sour,“Jessica,you’re quite the trump card.”
It was Ethan.
But Ryan stepped out first,spotting Rachel and swinging.“I f you can’t cheat fairly, you play dirty?”
Rachel ignored him,dragged me by the neck to the edge of cliff.“Ethan,my terms are simple.”
“Ten million,wired to my offshore account and once I’m on the boat,I ‘ll release Jessica.”
Ethan stepped out slowly,smirking.“Rachel,your greed keeps growing each time.”
I frowned.
What did that mean?
Rachel,enraged,snapped,“I f you don’t pay,and I’ll kill her and leak those photos and videos—haunt her even in death!”
A thought sparked.
Her earlier threat about the old evidence.
It was connected to now.
She saw my shock,whispering,“Didn’t you know?When I showed those photos and videos back then,Ethan paid me a fortune.”
“He loves you so much,he couldn’t bear to see you hurt.”
I looked at Ethan.
He didn’t deny it,which confirmed her words.
My heart churned,and my feelings were unreadable.
Rachel,who was impatient,pulled me back,half my body over the edge.
