Kidnap Me, Mr.Alberto

“Are you always this careless when choosing a hiding place?” Kenzo’s voice did not rise, yet its chill was enough to freeze the remnants of tears on Lyra’s cheeks.He did not look at her. He kept his eyes on the digital tablet resting on his lap. The white glow from the screen illuminated half of his chiseled face. His jawline looked sharp, perfectly composed. A stark contrast to Lyra, who felt completely shattered.Lyra tried to steady her breathing. The adrenaline that had fueled her moments ago was fading. Her body suddenly felt boneless and weak. The sting in her wrist became painfully real. Hans’s grip had left angry red marks against her pale skin.“I didn’t have another choice,” Lyra whispered.A small sob slipped past her lips. She tried to suppress it, but her defenses crumbled. The tears she had forced herself to hold back in front of Hans now poured freely. She cried without sound. Her shoulders trembled violently. Her disappointment was too immense to be contained in a sin

“Don’t let go. If your hands shake, we lose,” Kenzo said flatly, almost without emotion.Lyra steadied her breathing. She looked at the back of her own hand. It was not trembling. Her fingers felt foreign as the diamond ring pressed against her skin. Cold and heavy. The metal was a reminder that starting tonight, she no longer belonged to herself. She had been sold for the next year.“I’m not shaking because I’m afraid,” Lyra replied, her eyes fixed on the grand doors of the gallery ahead.“I just can’t wait to watch him rot.”Kenzo did not respond. He merely adjusted his sleeve, making sure his silver watch was perfectly visible beneath the cuff.The driver opened the limousine door. Camera flashes from the journalists outside began to burst in rapid succession. Kenzo stepped out first, then extended his hand to Lyra.Lyra took his hand. The moment her heels touched the asphalt, fear ceased to exist. She focused on one thing only, not stumbling.Hundreds of flashes struck her face, b

“Get out, Lyra. We’re here.”Kenzo’s voice broke the silence inside the soundproof limousine cabin.Lyra snapped out of her thoughts. She turned toward the pitch-dark window. There were no streetlights, no grand gates of the Cullen residence that should have been there to welcome her.“Wait, this isn’t my house, Kenzo. Why are we in the basement?”She stared at the row of luxury cars parked neatly under the harsh glow of white neon lights. The atmosphere was unnervingly quiet, broken only by the soft hum of engines shutting down.“Your father’s house is no longer safe,” Kenzo replied without turning.He opened the car door and stepped out with the effortless grace of a predator. Lyra didn’t move, her fingers tightening around her small evening clutch.“What do you mean it’s not safe? My father has the best security system.”Kenzo bent down by the open car door, his sharp eyes locking onto hers. The basement lighting cast shadows across his face, making him look even harder.“Reporters

“Thinking too much isn’t good for you. Look at you now. Instead of daydreaming, you should enjoy the facilities here.”Lyra snapped out of her thoughts by the massive window of the fiftieth-floor penthouse. She didn’t turn, her gaze fixed on the glittering city lights below, scattered like unreachable diamonds.“I prefer freedom to being here.”Lyra turned around, folding her arms across her chest. The ivory silk nightgown she wore clung to the tense lines of her body, the crystal chandelier casting reflections over the sapphire necklace around her neck.“Too dramatic, and ungrateful.”“What? You think I like it here? On top of that, you’ve cut off my access to the outside world.”Kenzo stepped closer. He had already removed his jacket, the collar of his expensive white shirt left open.He held a glass of whiskey, ice clinking softly.“I’m not a stupid girl. You didn’t save me from that bastard. You just moved me somewhere higher so you could watch me fall more clearly.”Lyra pointed

“Miss… this card will only work for three minutes. After that, the system will notice,” the cleaning staff whispered, glancing left and right to make sure everything was under control. His hand trembled as he handed over the gray access card.Lyra snatched it immediately, her fingers cold. Her lips curved upward as she imagined freedom from Kenzo’s golden cage.“Where’s my payment?”Lyra shot him an annoyed look. Reluctantly, she handed over the gold ring her mother had left her. There was no turning back. No matter what, she wanted out of that place.“Three minutes is enough,” she murmured. “I just need to get out of here.”“I’m so unlucky to have run into that old man. Whatever his personal business is, I don’t care,” Lyra cursed inwardly.She refused to think about Elena. Not now. If she started digging into it, she might hesitate and trade away her own freedom.And she could not hesitate.After making sure the situation remained safe, she dismissed the cleaning staff before anyone