LOGINNews reports about women taken and never found rose unbidden in Naomi’s mind. Some had lived with permanent injuries for decades. Others had simply vanished.This place was deep in a remote mountain area. Even if she managed to free herself, she had no idea which way led out. Unknown wild animals roamed the slopes. How was she supposed to leave?Despair crept in, quiet and cold.“No. I have to get out of here.”After assigning people to investigate and track every lead, Marcus Sinclair waited alone in the study for results.The moment he sat down, restless, tangled emotions forced him back to his feet. He could only pace the length of the room.He sorted through everyone connected to Naomi, searching for the key.“Could it really be Ethan Blackwood?”A second later he shook his head, rejecting the idea.If it had been Ethan, his goal would clearly have been reconciliation. In that case he would never have agreed to the custody paperwork transfer for Lily. And if it had been him, there
The two younger men fell silent the moment their leader returned. They stepped forward with forced, awkward smiles, shooting Naomi Sinclair sharp warning glances that told her to keep her mouth shut.A jolt of dread went through her. All she could do was pin her remaining hope on the buyer.The leader grinned and shifted aside, revealing the middle-aged man waiting behind him.Despair flooded Naomi’s chest. Her pretty face went tight; she deliberately hardened her expression into something fierce and unapproachable.“Oh, still fighting?” The old man’s voice was thick with amusement. “I like a woman who needs conquering.” He licked his lips, eyes gleaming, and rubbed his dirty hands together as he advanced on her one slow step at a time.Naomi’s stomach turned. “Get away from me.”“Do you understand that what you’re doing is illegal? Let me go right now. My family is not someone you can afford to cross.”A sharp slap cracked through the mountain air, startling birds from the trees.Bur
The trunk lid swung open. A flashlight beam stabbed straight into her eyes.Naomi couldn’t stand the sudden glare and squinted hard.The man in front looked surprised.“Wow. You wake up this fast after being drugged?”Naomi stared at the group coldly and asked without hesitation, “Who sent you?”“You don’t need to know that.” The man curled a sinister smile and dragged her out of the trunk.He hauled her into a run-down wooden cabin.“Stay here and wait. Once we find a suitable buyer, your life will be settled for good.”Finished speaking, the man turned with open satisfaction and prepared to leave.Just as he reached the door he stopped and ordered, “You two keep an eye on this bitch. If she gets away, I’ll sell you off like cargo.”“Yes, boss!”Naomi stayed calm and studied her surroundings.The cabin had almost no security. Anyone who wanted to break in could easily tear the place apart.The real problem wasn’t the cabin. It was the two men left to guard her.“Did Vivian send you t
“Seb, you finally answered the phone!”Dean Mercer’s anxious voice crackled through the receiver. He was always loud, so even now Sebastian Cole felt no real urgency. “What’s the matter?”“You’re too calm!” Dean grumbled, then got straight to the point. “Leo Reyes just got an emergency call. It looks like Naomi’s in trouble. No one can reach her.”Sebastian’s hand shook. He nearly dropped the phone.His breathing stopped for a second. His mind went blank.Naomi… something happened?His breath came uneven, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. “Who’s in trouble?”Dean’s own worry leaked through. “Naomi! Stop wasting time. Finding her comes first.”He hung up.Leo Reyes was nearly out of his mind with anxiety. If he hadn’t known his own people were no match for Sebastian’s in a fight, he would have already gone after her himself.Night settled quietly over the city.Under Naomi’s guidance, Lily Blackwood kept a very regular schedule.Marcus Sinclair had personally helped her finish
Naomi Sinclair paused while packing her things and looked up at her supervisor in confusion.What did he mean?The Sinclair family had already submitted her resignation request on her behalf. All the work at hand had been completed, and the relevant documents had been handed over to other members of her team.Naomi couldn’t think of any other reason why the supervisor wouldn’t let her go.Besides, she had always had the impression that this supervisor had been at odds with her. Wasn’t he the one who most wanted her to resign in the entire department?The rest of her team seemed to be working diligently, but in truth they were all secretly listening to what was happening.Everyone exchanged glances, wondering what the supervisor was up to.Could it be that he wanted to keep Naomi?For a moment, everyone was confused.The supervisor slammed the document in his hand down in front of Naomi and said in a harsh tone, “You can’t leave until the work is done.”The obvious difficulty made ever
“You know, a girl like me is easy to be deceived. At least I won’t be bullied if Mr. Cole is here.” Vera Ashford offered a reasonable excuse.It was true that major businesses tended to bully the weak and fear the strong.Besides, being alone would make it easier to expose something wrong, and Sebastian Cole didn’t want to miss the opportunity to investigate.“Fine.”The two of them went to a home improvement and paint store together.After explaining their purpose, the merchant took them to the paint area to choose.Vera leaned over to look at the samples on display. The fabric of her top draped over her chest, revealing more than it should.Seeing that Sebastian didn’t look at her, she deliberately raised her head a little. “What do you think of this color? I think it’s very delicate. It should be easy on the eyes once it’s applied.”Sebastian tilted his head. Vera straightened her chest without a word.He sneered the moment her little thoughts became obvious.So the truth had final







