เข้าสู่ระบบThe private jet had already landed.
Outside the airport, countless luxury vehicles waited in formation. Alex stood beside the car, reviewing the itinerary for the week. Germany had been a success. The acquisition deal was completed ahead of schedule. By all logic, Zeke should have been in a good mood. After all, hidden inside the back seat were several gift boxes and a bouquet of fresh flowers. For the first time in years, he had personally selected gifts for someone. Ella. He wanted to surprise her. The thought alone had softened his expression during the entire flight. Abruptly — A sharp pain pierced his chest. Zeke's steps halted. His brows furrowed. Something was wrong. Very wrong. An inexplicable uneasiness surged through him. His heart pounded heavily. The feeling was so intense that it made breathing difficult. Almost instinctively, he pulled out his phone. Ella's number was dialed immediately. Ring. Ring. Ring. No answer. His frown deepened. He called again. And again. And again. Still nothing. The strange feeling in his chest only intensified. Alex immediately noticed the change in his expression. "Boss?" Zeke ignored him and dialed once more. This time— The call connected. --- Meanwhile. Inside a moving van. Ella slowly regained consciousness. Her head felt heavy. Her vision was blurry. Every part of her body felt weak. Then she heard it. A familiar ringtone. Her phone. Zeke. A faint spark of awareness returned to her eyes. Using every ounce of strength she had left, she managed to press the answer button. But her mouth was restrained. No words could come out. Only faint breathing. On the other end of the call— Zeke froze. He couldn't hear her voice. But he could hear enough. Heavy breathing. Movement. Muffled noises. And fear. The temperature around him instantly dropped. "Alex." His voice was terrifyingly calm. "Find her." Alex immediately understood the seriousness of the situation. Within seconds, multiple specialists began tracing the call. A few moments later— "We found her location." Alex's face darkened. "The signal is moving." "Toward Imperial Crown Hotel." The moment the words left his mouth, Zeke got into the car. "Drive." The driver nearly stepped on the accelerator hard enough to break it. No one dared speak. The atmosphere inside the vehicle was suffocating. Even Alex found it difficult to breathe. Because the man sitting beside him looked less like a businessman and more like a king preparing for war. --- At the hotel. Ella was dragged into a suite. The moment she was thrown onto the floor, several men looked up. One of them smiled. A smile that instantly disgusted her. "You're finally here." He stood and approached. His eyes traveled over her face. "You're even prettier than the photos." The man reached out. Before he could touch her— BAM! A painful scream echoed through the room. Ella's knee connected with him directly. The man collapsed instantly. The others jumped to their feet. Their expressions darkened. "Get her!" Despite her weakened condition, Ella refused to surrender. She forced herself to stay conscious. Anyone who approached was met with a punch or kick. Several men ended up on the floor. Unfortunately, her strength was fading. Her vision became increasingly blurry. Realizing she couldn't continue fighting for long, Ella rushed toward the bathroom. SLAM! The door locked behind her. Inside, she turned on the shower. Cold water poured down over her. She bit her lip hard. Forcing herself to stay awake. Forcing herself to think. Forcing herself to survive. Outside, furious banging echoed against the door. "Come out!" "You can't hide forever!" Ella hugged herself tightly. For the first time in a long while— Fear appeared in her eyes. Please... Someone... --- Meanwhile. The elevator doors opened. Zeke practically ran through the hotel corridor. The sight left Alex and the bodyguards stunned. The usually composed Young Master Fredamo was panicking. Actually panicking. "Search every room." His voice was cold enough to freeze blood. The bodyguards immediately spread out. Moments later— A scream echoed down the hallway. Then another. Then silence. The suite door burst open. Several men were already restrained. Others lay groaning on the floor. Zeke didn't even spare them a glance. His eyes searched only for one person. Then— He heard water. The bathroom. Without hesitation, he forced the door open. Inside the shower sat a trembling figure. Completely soaked. Completely exhausted. Ella slowly lifted her head. Her vision was blurry. Yet she still recognized him. A faint smile appeared. "Zeke..." His name barely left her lips. But it hit him harder than anything else. The ache in his chest became unbearable. Carefully, he crouched beside her. "It's okay." For the first time in years, his voice sounded gentle. "I'm here." The tension she had been holding onto finally disappeared. She allowed herself to lean against him. For the first time that night, she felt safe. Zeke immediately wrapped his jacket around her shoulders and lifted her into his arms. "Call Dean." Alex nodded. Already dialing. As Zeke carried her away, his expression became colder. "Derek." The head bodyguard stepped forward. "Yes, Boss." Zeke glanced toward the restrained men. His eyes held no warmth. "Handle them." The men instantly turned pale. --- Back at Fredamo Manor. Dean arrived within minutes. After a thorough examination, he finally sighed in relief. "She's exhausted and frightened." "Fortunately, nothing worse happened." Only then did Zeke's clenched fists slowly relax. Dean observed him carefully. Then smirked. "You know..." "I've never seen you this worried over anyone." Silence. Dean's smile widened. "Interesting." Zeke's gaze immediately became dangerous. The doctor quickly coughed. "Forget I said anything." He had no desire to be thrown out of the country. --- Hours later. Ella finally fell into a peaceful sleep. The maids remained nearby. Watching over her carefully. Standing outside the room, Zeke stared through the slightly open door. Only after confirming she was safe did he finally leave. But the warmth disappeared from his face the moment he reached the basement. Painful groans echoed through the underground chamber. The captured men looked barely recognizable. Alex stepped forward with a report. "We traced everything." His expression became grim. "The person behind this is Andy Kim." "The younger sister of Tim's fiancée." Silence filled the room. Then— Zeke laughed. A low laugh. One that made everyone present shiver. The Kim family? In front of Fredamo Group, they weren't even qualified to sit at the same table. The gap between them was like heaven and earth. Alex watched his boss carefully. Then heard him mutter softly— "Nobody touches my woman." Alex blinked. His eyes widened. Woman? Since when? Was this recent? Had everyone somehow missed this development? The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Meanwhile, Zeke's eyes remained fixed on the report. Cold. Merciless. Dangerous. "Start with the Kim family." His voice was calm. Too calm. The kind of calm that came before a storm. "And investigate everyone connected to this incident." Alex immediately straightened. "Understood." Far away, the Kim family remained completely unaware. A disaster was already descending upon them. And this time— There would be no escape.The final bell rang, signaling the end of classes. Ella slowly packed her books into her bag, but her mind was nowhere near her lessons. All day, the same questions had been circling in her head. Why had the school suddenly decided to review her prize? Why had the investigation ended almost immediately? And most importantly... Why did she have the feeling that Zeke knew something? She remembered his words from their phone call. I'll tell you everything when you get home. Ella sighed. She wasn't angry with him. But she didn't like the feeling of being kept in the dark. As she stepped out of the classroom, her phone vibrated. Zeke: Wait for me. I'm coming to pick you up. Ella stared at the message. Her lips curved into a small smile. She typed a reply. Ella: You don't have to. I can go home myself. His response came almost immediately. Zeke: I know. A second message followed. Zeke: I want to. Ella's cheeks warmed. She quickly put her phone a
The next morning, Ella woke up to an unfamiliar sense of uneasiness. She couldn't explain it. Everything seemed normal. The mansion was quiet, the maids were going about their duties, and Zeke had already left for work. Yet something felt different. She dismissed the feeling and prepared for class. By the time she arrived at school, the campus was already buzzing with excitement. Students gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves. Ella frowned. "What happened?" she asked one of her classmates. The girl hesitated before answering. "Didn't you hear?" "Hear what?" "The chairman announced that the scholarship committee is reviewing yesterday's prize." Ella's expression changed. "Reviewing it?" "Yes. Apparently, someone questioned why you received such a large amount." Ella's heart sank. She immediately understood. Someone had complained about the twenty million. But why? She hadn't asked for the money. It was officially presented to
At the time, Bella had convinced herself it meant nothing.Perhaps Zeke was simply helping someone.Perhaps they had some business connection.But after seeing Ella receive twenty million, she could no longer dismiss the possibility."What if..."Bella paused."What if Zeke is the one behind the money?"Kathy immediately shook her head."Impossible.""Why?""Because a man like Zeke Fredamo wouldn't date someone like Ella."Bella frowned."Why not?"Kathy gave her an incredulous look."Do you even understand who that man is?"She leaned back."Zeke Fredamo is one of the most powerful young businessmen in the country. He's surrounded by wealthy families and women from prominent backgrounds."Her voice carried a note of disdain."Why would someone like him choose Ella?"Bella fell silent.She had no answer.Kathy continued."Besides, I've heard things about him."Bella looked at her curiously."What things?"Kathy lowered her voice."People say Zeke isn't interested in women."Bella's e
By the time Bella arrived at her family home, the sky had already begun to darkened.She stepped out of the car with an irritated expression, her mind still occupied by what she had witnessed at the grocery store.Ella's smile.The expensive groceries.The mysterious phone call.And, most importantly, the way Ella had looked completely unbothered by her presence.Something had changed.Bella pushed open the front door and walked inside."Mum?"Her voice echoed through the spacious living room.Kathy was sitting on the sofa, a cup of tea resting untouched on the table before her. The moment she saw Bella, she straightened."You're finally back."Bella dropped her handbag onto the sofa."Mum, you sounded so serious on the phone. What happened?""Come and sit down."There was something unusual about Kathy's expression.Bella immediately became alert.She walked over and sat beside her.Kathy waited until Bella was settled before speaking."I heard something today."Bella frowned."What?
Meanwhile, Ella had already returned to the mansion. The moment she stepped through the door, the maids greeted her warmly. "Welcome home, Madam." Ella smiled. "Thank you." She handed the shopping bags to the maids. "Please take these to the kitchen. I'll prepare dinner myself." "Madam, you don't have to—" "I want to." She smiled before walking toward the kitchen. Today, she was in an exceptionally good mood. The twenty million naira prize had solved a problem she had been worrying about for months. She had finally paid Andrew's debt. She still couldn't believe her luck. Yet something about the prize continued to bother her. The chairman's additional fifteen million was far too generous. She shook her head. Perhaps she was simply overthinking it. "Madam." Ella turned. One of the maids stood at the kitchen entrance. "Yes?" "Master called." Her heart immediately skipped. "What did he say?" "He asked if you were home." A smile slowly spread across Ella's face.
At the checkout counter, Ella paid for her groceries and walked outside. The moment she reached the parking lot, she noticed her phone vibrating. She pulled it out. Zeke. A smile immediately appeared on her face. She answered the call. "Hello?" "Where are you?" His deep voice came through the phone. "I'm at the market." "Alone?" Ella smiled. "No. The driver is with me." There was a brief silence. "Did you buy everything you needed?" "Yes." "Good." Ella narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why are you asking?" "I can't ask about my woman's day?" Her cheeks immediately warmed. "Who is your woman?" "You." His answer came without hesitation. Ella bit her lower lip, trying to suppress her smile. "You really have no shame." "None when it comes to you." She laughed softly. The driver, standing nearby, immediately turned his face away to hide his smile. After a few more words, the call ended. Ella placed her phone back into her bag. Sh







