Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English
Synopsis
The biological daughter staged her own kidnapping.
In the video she sent to Ethan, she cried out pitifully for help.
But behind the camera, the kidnappers were kicking and punching me.
In the very last second of the video, Mia wailed, "Ethan, Chloe set this up! Save me!"
My mouth was duct-taped shut. I couldn't scream.
I thrashed around, trying to make enough noise for Ethan to notice, but it only earned me a more brutal beating from the thugs.
Ethan stormed into the old family manor like a madman and grabbed my eight-year-old son's arm.
"Leo, where is your bitch of a mother? Tell her to get out here right now!"
My son's eyes were vacant. Still traumatized by watching me get dragged away by the kidnappers, he couldn't speak.
To Ethan, his silence only fueled his deep disgust.
"Still playing your cheap mind games after all these years, aren't you? You even faked a kidnapping."
"Fine. Since she's hiding, I'm taking you. Let's see if your doting mother actually shows her face for you!"
But he had no idea that I was already a bloody, broken mess in the hands of those monsters.
He thought he was holding my weakness hostage. He didn't know he was torturing his own flesh and blood!
The video cut to black.
The kidnapper smoothly untied the ropes around Mia's wrists and ankles.
Mia rubbed her slightly numb wrists, frowning as she complained to the thug.
"It's just a show! Who told you to tie me up so tight? My hands are completely numb!"
The thug quickly bowed his head and apologized, terrified of upsetting her.
Watching this, my blood boiled with uncontrollable rage.
I thrashed against the wooden chair I was tied to, desperately trying to break free.
Mia slowly turned her gaze to me, her smile sending chills down my spine.
"Why so dramatic, Chloe? Have you forgotten? I'm the one who's supposed to be kidnapped."
A flash of pure malice crossed her eyes.
She reached out and violently ripped the duct tape off my mouth.
A sharp, agonizing pain flared as the skin of my lips was torn away.
Blood instantly welled up, dripping down my chin and staining my shirt.
I couldn't help but let out a low groan of agony.
Mia looked down at me, a sadistic smirk playing on her lips.
"Look at you. I don't know what Ethan is still obsessed with. He's still searching for the woman from that night, refusing to touch me."
"I drugged you back then hoping some homeless guy would ruin you, but you ended up crawling into Ethan's bed instead. I drugged him too—I was supposed to be the one lying next to him! You stole my place, you bitch!"
"And I never expected you to get pregnant with his child. Too bad he's a freak. Ethan will probably go to his grave thinking that kid is some bastard, never knowing it's actually his own son!"
Mia laughed hysterically. "Do you know why I only took you and left your son alone? Because I don't even have to lift a finger. Ethan only trusts me. When he can't find you, who do you think he'll take his anger out on?"
"By now, Ethan is probably at the manor. I can't wait to see how he destroys your autistic little boy!"
I stared at Mia in sheer horror.
"Mia, you're insane! I already gave everything back to you! Why won't you let us go? Isn't torturing me enough? Why do you have to go after my child?!"
Mia's hand slowly climbed up my neck, squeezing tightly. Her eyes were icy.
"Because your very existence is a constant reminder of my humiliating past!"
"Why did you get to steal my life from the moment you were born, while I had to get beaten half to death by that white-trash foster family? I didn't have a single patch of unbruised skin growing up!"
"All of this is your fault! Why do you get to live without a care in the world? You deserve to die!"
Her face contorted in rage as she grabbed a handful of my hair, dragging me toward the thugs.
A sharp pain ripped through my scalp as chunks of hair were torn out, leaving raw, bleeding skin. I could barely breathe from the pain.
A sick, manic light danced in Mia's eyes.
"Torture her slowly. Don't let her die too quickly. I want her to suffer, piece by piece, until she begs for death!"
"Chloe, if you dare resist, don't blame me for being cruel. I'll make sure your precious son goes to the grave with you!"
Despair washed over me as my body shook uncontrollably.
I didn't know what kind of horror awaited me.
But I didn't dare fight back.
My baby... he had to be safe...With a face like thunder, Ethan stormed into the old manor.
He searched every single room, but there was no sign of me.
The video of Mia tied to the chair, struggling weakly, kept replaying in his mind.
Furious, Ethan snatched a priceless porcelain vase nearby and smashed it onto the floor, sending shards flying everywhere.
He roared.
"Chloe! Where are you hiding Mia?!"
"If you don't show yourself right now, you can rot out there! You'll never set foot in this family again!"
Ethan continued to scream threats.
But I couldn't answer.
I was in the clutches of the kidnappers.
My hands and feet were bound, my mouth taped shut. I couldn't move, let alone make a sound.
Just yesterday, a gang of thugs had broken into the manor to drag me away.
I fought with everything I had, only to be brutally beaten.
They beat me until blood filled my mouth. Lightheaded and dizzy, I blacked out.
They dragged me out, threw me into the trunk of their car, and sped away.
There was still blood pooled on the living room carpet. If Ethan had paid any attention, he would have realized something terrible had happened to me.
But he didn't.
Ethan kept searching the house, finding nothing.
His frustration was boiling over.
Suddenly, he heard a faint rustle coming from the bedroom closet. Thinking it was me, he yanked the door open.
Instead, he found my frail son, dressed in faded, oversized clothes, trembling inside the closet.
Seeing him, Ethan's face showed no warmth—only deep disgust.
"Where is your bitch of a mother? Tell her to get out here!"
My son had watched the kidnappers drag me away with his own eyes.
His world was already locked away, and the trauma of that day had completely paralyzed him.
His eyes were lifeless as he stared at the floor in silence, devoid of any childlike innocence.
His silence only deepened Ethan's irritation.
"I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?!"
Ethan yelled, shoving my son's head, but still got no response.
His expression darkened as he violently dragged Leo out of the closet.
Leo's knees slammed hard against the floor. The sharp pain made him curl into a ball, whimpering softly.
Ethan sneered.
"Oh, so you can make noise. I thought that bitch gave birth to a mute!"
My son's voice trembled as he squeezed out a few words.
"Mommy... got taken..."
Ethan froze for a second, then let out a cold laugh.
"Chloe really is something, teaching even her little bastard how to act! Hasn't she had enough of these pathetic games over the years?"
"Tell me where she is right now! I don't have time to waste on you!"
Helplessness filled Leo's eyes. He looked up at Ethan, hesitating before gathering the courage to speak.
"Uncle Ethan, are you here to take me home?"
Two years ago, Mia had slipped poison into the food of Leo's beloved cat.
That kitten was his only comfort in his silent world.
But that day, the kitten had writhed in pain right in his arms.
He had watched his only friend take its last breath.
His world shattered completely.
Already suffering from autism, he shut himself away even deeper.
When I found out, I pushed Mia in a fit of rage, and she fell.
Unfortunately, Ethan walked in at that exact moment.
Without letting me say a word, he banished me and Leo to this abandoned old manor to "reflect on our sins."
For two whole years, Ethan never showed his face.
Now, looking at the boy's desperate eyes, a flicker of guilt finally crossed Ethan's face.
He slowly knelt down, his expression softening slightly as his voice dropped.
"Leo, if you just tell your mom to let Aunt Mia go, I'll take you home, okay?"
At the mention of Mia, Leo's face went completely pale, drained of what little color it had.
He pushed Ethan away violently, his voice shrill with terror.
"No! She's a monster! She took Mommy!"
"Uncle Ethan, please save Mommy!"
Smack! A sharp slap landed on Leo's cheek.
The blow sent his fragile body spinning, and he crashed hard onto the floor again.
His scraped knees began to bleed, leaving a bright red stain.
Ethan showed no mercy.
His face contorted with fury.
"Is this what Chloe taught you? You're just like her—wild, classless, and willing to do anything to get what you want!"
Leo tried desperately to hold back his tears, but a sob escaped his throat.
"You're all bad people! I don't want to go with you!"
"Go away! You took Mommy! I'm calling the police to lock you all up!"
He shoved Ethan with all his remaining strength.
Ethan's face turned livid. He grabbed Leo's wrists in a death grip.
"Mia is sweet and innocent. She would never kidnap your wicked mother! How long are you two going to keep up this act?"
"Chloe, you don't want to show yourself, do you? You think faking Mia's kidnapping will threaten me? Fine!"
"Don't you love your son more than life itself? I'll give you twenty-four hours. If Mia isn't back by tomorrow, don't blame me for taking your son!"
"You know what happens to people who cross me. Let's see how long you can keep this up!"
With a look of pure disgust, Ethan glared at Leo one last time, turned on his heel, and slammed the door shut.
The moment the door banged shut, Leo finally broke down.
His tiny body shook as he curled into a tight ball, tears streaming down his face.
He sobbed, his voice cracking with absolute despair.
"Mommy, I'm sorry... I'm so useless. Why won't they believe me?"
"Mommy, what should I do..."Ethan waited for a full day, but I never returned Mia to him.
He stormed back into the manor with a group of men, throwing a bucket of ice-cold water over my son, who had passed out from hunger.
In the freezing winter wind, Leo was forced to his knees, his thin clothes soaked through.
Ethan looked down at him coldly.
"Chloe really is heartless. She's so desperate to compete with Mia that she doesn't even care about you anymore."
Leo's eyes were bloodshot as he glared defiantly at Ethan.
"Don't you dare talk about my mommy like that!"
"She would never leave me! It's that evil woman who took her!"
Ethan suddenly grabbed Leo by his hair.
"Leo, you dare lie to my face? Do you think I won't hurt you?"
"Tell me where Chloe is! My patience is wearing thin!"
"I told you, Mommy got taken!"
Ethan kicked Leo hard in the stomach.
Leo curled inward, gasping for air, unable to get up from the floor.
To pay back Mia, I had already given up everything. Leo was all I had left.
But why? Why wouldn't Ethan just believe me?
I never wanted to hurt Mia...
Leo lay on the floor, battered and utterly broken.
"Uncle Ethan, please, just take me instead! Tell them to let Mommy go. Swap me for her!"
Maybe the sheer agony in Leo's eyes struck a chord, because Ethan froze for a second.
But in the next second, Leo began to cough violently, spitting up a mouthful of bright red blood.
"Leo..."
A flash of regret crossed Ethan's face, and he instinctively reached out.
Just then, the kidnappers sent another video.
The footage was grainy. A woman was tied to a rusted metal chair.
A burlap sack covered her head, hiding her face, but blood was soaking through the fabric, dripping slowly down her neck.
Her exposed skin was covered in deep, jagged cuts, raw flesh oozing blood.
A kidnapper's chilly voice echoed from the phone.
"Ethan, if you don't want her to die a slow death, I suggest you don't touch that boy."
"Otherwise, you'll have to live with the consequences."
The video immediately went black.
Ethan's eyes turned red. Seeing Mia's horrific state, he completely lost his mind.
Clenching his fists, he whipped around to glare at Leo.
"You still dare to claim Chloe didn't kidnap Mia? If she didn't, why would the kidnappers warn me not to touch you?!"
"She thinks she can threaten me? Delusional bitch!"
Ethan stared down at the helpless boy shivering on the floor.
The next second, he stepped forward, raised his foot, and kicked Leo hard in the stomach again.
Ethan's strikes were brutal, as if he were unleashing all his fury onto my son.
Blood spluttered from Leo's mouth.
Ignoring the horrific sight, Ethan took out his phone, snapped a photo of the bloodied boy, and sent me a text.
"Chloe, did you really think this pathetic stunt would work on me?"
"I have your son. This is your final warning. If you don't release Mia, don't blame me for what I do to him!"
The message went through, but there was no reply.
Ethan completely lost his patience.
"Chloe, you brought this on yourself!"
"Throw this little bastard into the asylum! Keep him there until he's ready to talk!"
Chapters (3)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Watch & Promotions
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