The deal with my kidnapper

Evelyn's POV 

“Stop this van! Now!” I typed frantically on my iPad, holding it up for the driver to see. But he ignored me, his eyes locked on the road like I wasn’t even there.

Fear gripped my chest. My fingers trembled as I quickly typed again.

"Please, let me go!"

The man beside me glanced at the screen, then smirked. “Shut up,” he muttered, snatching the iPad from my hands and tossing it onto the van floor.

Panic shot through me. My only way of communicating—gone.

I grabbed his arm, shaking my head desperately, but he shoved me back against the seat.

“You really think you can get out of this?” he sneered.

Tears welled in my eyes. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.

I reached for the van door, my fingers fumbling with the handle. Locked. Of course, it was locked.

The driver let out a low, cruel laugh. “She actually thought she could escape,” he said to the man beside me.

I turned, my breath coming in fast, shallow gasps.

Why is this happening? Who sent them? Was it Louis?

Before I could process my thoughts, the man beside me pulled out a small can.

No.

I knew what that was.

I shook my head violently, trying to move away, but he grabbed my arm, holding me still.

A sharp hiss filled the air as he sprayed something near my face.

My vision blurred. My head felt heavy. My body slumped against the seat.

I tried to fight it.

But then—everything went dark.

---

A sharp splash of cold water jerked me awake.

I gasped, coughing as I blinked against the blinding light above me. My hands were tied. My legs too.

Panic swelled in my chest. I struggled against the ropes, but they only dug deeper into my skin.

A man loomed over me, watching with an amused smirk.

“Oh, you’re awake,” he said.

A shiver ran down my spine. My throat was dry, my voice caught in fear.

I reached for my iPad, but it was gone.

My heart pounded. I had no way to ask him why he took me. No way to beg for my life.

Still, I refused to just sit there. I lifted my trembling hands, forming the only words I could in sign language. "Why?"

The man raised a brow, then laughed. “You really want to know?”

I nodded, my whole body shaking.

His smirk widened. “Okay. If you want it to be your husband that sent me, then sure. Let’s go with that.”

His words sent a wave of nausea through me.

Was it really Louis? Did he hate me that much?

Tears burned in my eyes.

The man stood, pulling on a pair of black leather gloves. My stomach twisted. In every movie, when they put on gloves, it meant only one thing—murder.

I shook my head desperately, my lips trembling. My hands formed shaky signs. "Please… don’t."

But then, I saw it.

A gun.

He held it so casually, like it was nothing. But to me, it was everything.

I struggled harder against the ropes, my breaths coming in frantic gasps.

“What are you doing?” I signed, but he didn’t understand.

The cold metal of the gun pressed against my forehead.

My whole body turned ice-cold.

“Please don’t kill me,” I typed on my phone as quickly as I could with my tied hands. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t kill me.”

His lips curled into a grin. “Really?”

I nodded so fast my neck ached.

He lowered the gun slightly, then held out my phone. My ipad.

“Call your husband,” he ordered.

My blood ran cold.

Why?

I hesitated, my fingers shaking as I unlocked the screen.

The man’s eyes darkened. “Now.”

I swallowed hard and dialed Louis’s number.

It rang twice before he answered.

“Louis…” The man leaned in, putting his lips close to the speaker. “Your wife needs your help. She’s been kidnapped.”

There was a pause.

Then Louis spoke.

"Really? Is that so? What do you want me to do now?"

His voice was calm. And nonchalant.

My stomach dropped.

He didn’t care.

Tears spilled down my cheeks. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. But why was I even surprised? Louis had never cared. He had been a terrible husband from the very beginning.

"You don't care? You don't care if I kill her?" the kidnapper asked, his voice laced with amusement.

I clenched my jaw, my fingers trembling as I reached for my iPad. But before I could type a word, anger surged through me. Instead, I pressed the end call button.

I turned to the man, my hands moving frantically in sign language. Leave him alone. Do whatever you want with me!

To my shock, he smirked. "I understood that."

My breath hitched. He understood sign language?

He leaned forward, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "What if we strike a deal? You and me."

I hesitated, my body tensing. A deal? What kind of deal?

"You walk out of here unharmed," he continued, "but in return, you become my ally."

My heart pounded. "Ally?" I typed quickly on my iPad and held it up for him to see. "What kind of ally?"

He exhaled sharply, tapping his fingers against his leg. "I want to bring your husband down."

I stared at him, stunned. "Why?" I typed.

He didn't answer. Instead, he leaned back against the chair, a smirk playing on his lips. "I need money. And I need payback for what he did to me in the past."

I swallowed hard. My mind raced. Louis had made my life miserable—five years of neglect, humiliation, and betrayal. He never loved me. He never even respected me. And now, he had just proven that he wouldn’t care if I died.

Maybe… Maybe it was time to stop being the victim.

I met the kidnapper’s gaze and extended my hand.

He grinned.

And then, we shook hands.