Chapter 1

ONE

ADDIE LOOKED UP at the sky. She frowned upon seeing the overcast sky and the impending rain.

She had just stepped out of the mall where she worked. Yes, she took a job as a saleslady when she left her home.

She had altered her appearance. She wore thick eyeglasses and had braces installed. She even curled her hair to hide her true face.

It had been three months since she ran away from home. And it had been three months of hell for her.

Leaving was difficult because she had lived like a princess all her life—until she suddenly learned about the biggest blow to her existence.

Almost every night back then, she cried out of sheer resentment, made worse by the fact that she did not know how to cook, let alone do laundry.

Before long, however, she learned to do all of it because she etched it in her mind that she would never go back home. She refused to be used as payment for her parents' debts. She did not deserve that.

She walked briskly to avoid getting caught in the rain and to reach her small rented apartment quickly. Well, she had learned a lot from running away. She learned to be content with a small space. She learned to save money and serve herself.

She gasped as the heavy rain suddenly poured down. Stopping in her tracks, she looked for shelter and ducked under a waiting shed.

She hugged herself tightly, feeling the bite of the cold. The rain had completely soaked her and her clothes. She covered her chest, as her wet clothing had become sheer against her skin.

She stood there waiting for the rain to stop when a black BMW pulled up directly in front of her.

Three men dressed in black got out. A sudden wave of anxiety washed over her, and she forced herself to stay calm.

She shrank into the corner, pretending to be unfazed by their presence.

The men seemed suspicious, constantly darting glances at her and checking their phones.

Driven by instinct, she decided to leave, unable to shake off her bad feeling about them. It did not matter if she caught a fever.

Just as she was about to step out into the rain, they blocked her path.

Terrified, she looked up at them and hugged herself.

"I-I'm leaving. G-get out of my w-way..." she stammered.

They did not budge, merely staring at her as if studying her features.

"Adrianne Cueva," one of them uttered her name. She could not hide her shock. She had spent almost all her savings to change her look and physical appearance.

How did they know who she was?

"W-who is that?" she asked evasively. "Please, sirs, I need to go home," she pleaded, looking at them. They just looked at her, clearly unconvinced.

She tried to slip past them, but their quick hands blocked her way once more.

"Come with us, Senyorita," one said politely.

She raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? I'm not the person you're looking for," she denied, trying once more to push past them.

Being men, the three of them easily blocked her again.

"Just come with us peacefully, Senyorita. We don't want to force you, and most of all, we don't want to resort to violence," the one in the middle pleaded gently.

She raised her eyebrow and rolled her eyes. Perhaps her mother and father had sent them again to force her back home, but her mind was made up. She would never go back.

In one swift movement, she tried to squeeze through the gap between them, and to her surprise, she fit through and took a fast step forward. But on her very first stride, one man grabbed her by one arm, while another grabbed her other arm. She was trapped.

She thrashed around, but her strength was nothing compared to theirs. She even screamed for help, but it was useless. The pouring rain drowned out her cries.

Moments later, she was forced inside the car, and slowly, her vision faded into darkness.