When Alex regained consciousness, everything around him was pitch-black. A black cloth had been tied over his eyes, and his mouth was stuffed with fabric, leaving him unable to make a sound.
"Boss, he's awake." A man's rough voice came from behind him.
"Good. He's been unconscious for a whole day. I thought he was dead." Another man answered from somewhere in front of him.
Then, he heard two sets of footsteps approaching until they finally stopped right in front of him. Alex struggled, but his hands and feet were bound tightly.
"Don't bother struggling. And don't worry. We don't want to kill you. Here's the deal. Give us 50,000 dollars, and we'll make sure you suffer a little less."
The ringleader of the abductors demanded an outrageous sum.
Alex immediately nodded, putting on an extremely cooperative act.
The abductors burst out laughing. "Looks like we've scared this guy witless. He agreed pretty damn quickly."
Alex nodded again.
The ringleader stepped closer and grabbed him by the chin. "You have something to say?"
Alex nodded once more.
"Fine. Let's hear what you've got to say."
The abductor pulled the wad of cloth out of his mouth. "Go ahead."
Alex cleared his throat. "I'll pay you double. All you have to do is deal with the person who ordered my abduction."
Someone had managed to abduct him from Laurent Group's parking garage and get him out of there without being stopped. That meant someone inside the company had to be involved, and that person had to hold a position of considerable influence.
Alex had always treated people kindly. He was generous and forgiving toward both his superiors and subordinates, so he couldn't think of anyone he'd offended badly enough to do this.
The only person who came to his mind was Hugh. He'd just framed Alex, but apparently, that hadn't been enough for him.
"Double?" asked the ringleader.
Alex nodded. "That's right. Let me go, and I'll give you 100,000 dollars. I don't care who hired you. All I want is for him to suffer the same treatment I've suffered."
The ringleader was just about to agree when the fat man with the prominent ears behind him slapped him across the face.
He said, "Don't let this guy sweet-talk you! Have you forgotten who's backing us? We can't afford to cross him!"
Hearing that, Alex was even more certain that Hugh was behind all this. He just hadn't expected Hugh to be so ruthless.
"That's right. We can't afford to cross that man."
The ringleader touched the knife at his waist. "Relax. You're not going to die. We're just going to leave you with a little reminder."
Alex shouted, "Don't come any closer! You guys… I can give you even more money! I'm from the Shaw family in Rubove…"
The abductors refused to listen. They pinned Alex down while one of them raised his phone to record everything.
Outnumbered and unable to move, Alex could only watch helplessly as they carved the word "WRETCH" into his chest, cutting deep into his flesh.
Blood poured from the wound. His agonized screams echoed throughout the abandoned building.
After enduring a night of torment, Alex finally found his chance just before dawn. While the abductors slept, he painstakingly dragged himself on his knees toward the exit.
He found a rock and rubbed the black rope around his wrists against its rough surface until it finally gave way. Then, he untied the ropes around his ankles.
Outside, he spotted a pickup truck parked along the roadside. He smashed a window, climbed inside, and drove away.
Once he reached the highway, he was still shaken by everything that had happened. His chest throbbed with pain.
"Hugh, I swear I'll never let you get away with this," Alex said through gritted teeth while gripping the steering wheel tightly.
But in the next instant, a heavy truck suddenly changed lanes. Alex turned the steering wheel sharply, but he couldn't avoid the collision. His car slammed into the guardrail.
With a deafening crash, the barrier broke apart, and the pickup truck Alex was driving plunged into the river below.
By the time he regained consciousness, three days had passed since the accident.
Ignoring the excruciating pain radiating throughout his body, Alex scrambled out of bed and searched for his phone.
He needed to call the police. He couldn't let Hugh get away with this!
"Alex."
Eva entered the hospital room and locked the door behind her. "You're badly injured. You need to rest."
Alex yelled, "Don't even think about protecting Hugh! He tried to kill me! I nearly died because of him!"
Eva pressed him back down onto the bed. "But you're alive and well now, aren't you? Enough. It's all over now, and you're out of danger."
"I'm fine?" Alex pointed at his head. "My head is killing me, and look at me! I'm wrapped up like a mummy!"
He tore open his hospital gown, exposing the wounds on his chest.
"I was fully conscious when they cut into me, one slash after another. Do you have any idea how much it hurt? Do you know how humiliating it was to endure that? And you call that being fine? On top of that, he arranged for someone to run me off the highway and kill me!"
Eva's expression hardened. "That was a traffic accident. The case has already been closed. The people who abducted you have been arrested, and they've confessed. They did it for money. Stop getting so worked up!"
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