"Mrs. Ruiz!" Kathryn exclaimed, her voice trembling with fear. "I just heard voices coming from Althea's room! I think Timothy's in there!""We know," Mr. André said, his voice grim. "We heard from Henry and Bella."Mrs. Ruiz's heart sank. She had a sinking feeling that something terrible had happened."Move aside," she said to Kathryn, her voice firm but trembling. "I have the spare key to Althea's room."Kathryn stepped aside, her hands shaking as she watched Mrs. Ruiz unlock the door."I tried to break down the door," Kathryn said, her voice full of regret. "But I wasn't strong enough.""It's okay, Kathryn," Mrs. Ruiz said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure this out."Mrs. Ruiz stepped into Althea's room, the others close behind her. The window was wide open, the curtains fluttering in the breeze. The room was empty, Althea's bed unmade."Where did she go?" Henry asked, his voice trembling."I have a feeling I know where she is," Mrs. Ruiz said grimly. "With that boy, Ti
Timothy pulled up in his uncle's driveway, which was technically the front yard. He turned off the car, let out a deep sigh, and turned to Althea. "Wait right here," he said, his hands still on the steering wheel.Althea didn't like the idea of being alone. "But where are you going?" she asked."Just wait right here," Timothy said, running his hands through his hair. "I need to do some checking with my uncle, to make sure everything is in order before you come in."Althea still felt uncomfortable. "But..." she started to protest."But nothing," Timothy said, reaching for Althea's face and cupping it in his hands. "I promise I won't be long. I'll be back before you can say...Maya Redfield""Maya Redfield," Althea finished, trying to prove him wrong."That's not how it goes," Timothy said with a light chuckle."Then how does it go?" Althea asked, slowly reaching out to cup his face in her hands.Timothy leaned in close. "Like this," he whispered, and their lips met in a passionate kiss.
"Sir, we've located them at the airport," one of the guards said into his phone, his eyes fixed on the couple standing in front of him. "They were about to board a flight to the Philippines using fake passports."Timothy moved to shield Althea, his hands outstretched in front of her as if to protect her from the guards. His eyes were wide, his body tense, ready for whatever might happen next, ready to attack."Bring the girl back to me, unharmed," a voice on the other end of the line said, the words dripping with menace. "I don't want a single scratch on her, or you'll regret it."The guard looked up from the phone, his eyes cold as he took in Timothy and Althea. "The boss says you're to bring the girl back to him," he said, his voice hard and unyielding. "What about the boy?" he asked, his eyes fixed on Timothy. "What do we do with him?"“Teach him a good lesson!” Adam, the voice on the other side, ordered as he ended the call. He was in a room at the hotel, fitting into his wedding s
Adam's eyes were filled with rage and sorrow. "Maxwell," he said, his voice tight with emotion. "Kill this guard! I won't tolerate anyone harming Althea, not even one of my own men."Maxwell hesitated, but he knew better than to disobey a direct order from his boss. He turned to face the guard, a dangerous glint in his eyes.As soon as Maxwell led the guard out of the room, Adam's heart began to race. He was alone with Althea, and he had no idea what to say. He watched as she turned toward the door, her hand resting on the doorknob."Althea, please," he said, his voice shaking. "Just hear me out."Althea paused, her back still turned to him. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, slowly, she opened the door about to walk, not giving a thought to Adam's words. Adam's heart pounded in his chest. He couldn't let her leave without saying what he needed to say. So, he gently took hold of her arm and whispered, "Wait."Adam reached out and gently turned Althea toward him, then closed th
Adam and Maxwell entered the room, and Althea, the cleaning lady, quickly moved to the corner, trying to avoid their gaze. Adam looked around the room, and then turned to face the others. "We need some privacy," he said, his voice authoritative. "Can you please leave us alone?"Althea felt her heart skip a beat. She didn't want to be in the room while these two men were talking, but she didn't want to cause a scene by leaving. She glanced at Maxwell, hoping he would take the lead.Althea was relieved when she heard Adam's request for privacy. Her eyes lit up in delight knowing that she would be able to leave without being noticed. She quickly gathered up her cleaning supplies and made a beeline for the door, careful not to make any noise while Maxwell followed suit. As she turned the handle, she let out a silent sigh of relief. She went her way,abandoning the cleaning equipment, heading down the stairs and out the back door, feeling like she had just escaped something terrible.She f
Althea walked up the front steps of the orphanage home, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. The taxi driver had dropped her off and Mrs. Lisa, the godmother of the orphanage, greeted her warmly. As they entered the building, Mrs. Lisa's expression turned from welcoming to one of concern as she looked at Althea, knowing that today was supposed to be her wedding day.Althea told Mrs. Lisa the whole story, though much of it was already known to her. The older woman listened patiently, letting Althea speak without interruption.“Mr. Wilson had been to the orphanage before," Mrs. Lisa said, letting out a deep breath. "He offered us money if we would promise to call him if you ever showed up here. I guess you could say he had a premonition about what would happen."Althea's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe that Mr. Wilson had been to the orphanage and made such an offer. It made her feel even more betrayed and angry. She had no idea that he was so determined to control her l
Althea reached the rear entrance and was confronted by two intimidating bodyguards employed by Adam, daring her to approach and attempt to pass through them. They blocked her path, their eyes hard and unyielding and it made her heart race.Oh no! Althea said in her mind as the guards began to approach her, taking a step further. Althea's mind raced with worry as the guards advanced towards her, causing her to recoil and swiftly turn around. She sprinted back towards the stairs, unsure of her next move or destination. In a moment of panic, she spotted two guards approaching from a nearby corner and hastily made her way towards the entrance. As she turned to the entrance, Althea found herself face to face with Adam, his arms folded and his expression impassive. Before she could react, he swept her up in his arms and threw her over his shoulder. She kicked and screamed, but he carried her easily, his grip firm but gentle."Put me down!" she yelled, her fists pounding against his back. B
Bang! The deafening sound of the gunshot reverberated through the air. Althea covered her ears and looked up at Adam in terror, her eyes filled with tears. But Adam's gun was pointed up towards the sky, not at Althea. He had actually released the gun into the air, his hand raised up.The guards nearby drew their weapons and aimed them at Althea immediately they heard the gunshot, ready to protect Adam from any perceived threat. Inside the orphanage, the children and staff were frozen in place, not daring to move as they waited to see what would happen next. They knew better than to come out even though they wanted to.Slowly, Adam lowered his hand, letting the gun hang at his side. He called out to Althea, who was still shaking with fear. After a moment, she responded, her voice trembling as she struggled to control her emotions. Adam felt a pang of guilt, but he couldn't show any weakness now. He needed to establish dominance over Althea, to show her that he was in control."I don't