Chapter 132
Around seven in the evening, night began to fall.
It was a time that should have been quiet, but this area was unusually restless.
Under the dimsky, hurried figures moved about, shining bright flashlights and clutching color–printed photographs.
The photographs depicted a woman dressed in Chanel’s latest summer collection–a white high–collared blouse, a loose, light purple floral maxi dress, and black snakeskin flat shoes. She had a delicate face, and her long, wavy hair flowed smoothly down to her waist…
“Excuse me, have you seen this woman?”
“Any information you can provide will be rewarded…”
That evening. Avalon Lakes was unusually lively. A group of sturdy, unfamiliar men with serious expressions were asking around about a
woman.
The residents of the neighborhood were abuzz, seriously pondering the matter because word had spread that anyone who could find this woman would be handsomely rewarded with 200 thousand dollars- a life–changing sum
“Who is
is this woman?” Their curiosity was palpable.
Meanwhile, the woman in question, Stephanie, was hiding in an inconspicuous tile–roofed house deep within the area. Looking flustered, she was desperately trying to communicate with the elderly woman before her.
“I just happened to meet your grandson in the park and brought him back… There’s no need to cook for me; I need to leave… Do you have a phone?”
Difficult to understand her dialect, Stephanie had been gesturing with her hand near her ear to indicate she needed to make a call. “I need to call home. I’m afraid my family is looking for me…”
The elderly woman, likely around seventy years old, wore simple but clean clothes and smiled kindly, “You sit there for a while, dinner is almost ready.”
Stephanie felt like she was about to break down because she couldn’t communicate with this old lady.
Looking at the darkening sky outside, she felt anxiety grow. She kept repeating herself, hoping the woman would understand at least a little. “I need to make a phone call. Is there a phone here? A phone!”
“My grandson is very mischievous. I’ve been looking for him for a long time. Thank you for bringing him back…”
But the elderly woman continued to thank her. Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she turned excitedly towards the door, muttering to herself, “I’ll go catch a big rooster for you to take home.”
What?
Stephanie only caught the words “big rooster”
“I don’t want a chicken, I need to go home,” Stephanie said, sitting on a wooden chair in the small living room, her expression increasingly anxious and uneasy.
“Miss.”
A childish voice came, and a chubby little boy of about three years old raised a large apple towards her with his small hands. He smiled shyly,
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looking a bit silly and bashful.
Stephanie looked down at the little boy by her feet, accepting the apple from him. “Thank you,” she said. Yet, she truly had no appetite.
Earlier that afternoon, she had been sulking in the park when suddenly, she heard the sound of a child crying. Out of curiosity, she followed-
the direction of the voice.
Eventually, she found the child under a dilapidated slide on the right side of the park.
At first, she thought the child might be injured. She cautiously approached him and luckily found that he was unharmed. Unfortunately, she seemed to have gotten entangled in something
“I want my mommy…” The child kept crying for his mother.
Stephanie wasn’t good at comforting others. Even if it was a three–year–old child, she appeared somewhat at a loss.
Her first thought was to call the police and let them handle it, but the next moment, she angrily realized that her phone was still in
Dominick’s car.
“Do you live nearby? Let me take you home.” She crouched down, looking him in the eye.
The child seemed to understand her words. Perhaps seeing that there was no one around and tired from crying, he stood up and grabbed her
hand tightly with his chubby hand.
Somehow, through twists and turns, they ended up here. Undoubtedly, they were lost.
She wanted to leave but didn’t know which way
Outside, the night grew darker, making h ten pounds in her right hand.
“Here, take it home…”
ay to go…
her even more uneasy. Before long, the elderly woman entered with a large rooster weighing about
The rooster was handed directly to Stephanie. She was a bit dumbfounded, her hand not yet reaching. suddenly, outside the door, there was a commotion of frightened clucking and barking.
ing out to take this living creature, when
Dozens of black sports cars quickly stormed into the outskirts of the old district, disturbing its peace.
The bi
piercing sound of brakes and the intense glare of headlights instantly illuminated the dark and desolate area as bright as day.
Inside the house, a wave of panic swept through the occupants. The large rooster, suddenly startled, flapped its wings and let out an anxious
cackle.
The little boy, caught off guard, burst into tears. The elderly woman appeared fearful and overwhelmed as a group of robust, tall strangers barged into her modest home, holding the child into her arms. She trembled, huddling on the ground.
“What… What do you
want?”
Stephanie’s face tensed nervously as she confronted the imposing group of men, rising abruptly from her long wooden chair.
Just as she spoke, a familiar and commanding figure appeared at the doorway.
She paused, momentarily stunned, her expression frozen. In contrast, Dominick remained stoic and composed. His bodyguards cleared a path as he advanced toward her with measured steps.
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Stephanie wanted to say something, but perhaps it was the blinding headlights outside or the suddenness of the confrontation that left her
stunned. He seemed mad.
“What are you doing!”
He seized her wrist forcefully, dragging her outside. His grip was vice–like, causing her wrist to ache as if it might break. Her face paled, instinctively struggling to break free.
“Dominick, let go of me.
“It hurts…”
Outside the tile–roofed house, the sparse stars flickered overhead. The muddy path was uneven, bordered by weeds and scattered pebbles. In the distance, a vast field ridge loomed. In the quiet night, devoid of streetlights, the surroundings felt eerily desolate.
“Let go, where are you taking me?”
Stephanie’s voice quivered with increasing fear as he forcefully pulled her forward, heading towards the dark and ominous field ridge ahead, where the tall rice stalks swayed eerily in the breeze, casting ghostly shadows.
However, the tall man ahead remained tight–lipped, his expression cold and resolute under the cool moonlight. His deep–set eyes pierced
into the darkness ahead, reflecting an intensity that matched the somber night.
He tightened his grip around her wrist with unyielding force, showing no mercy in his hold. Her cries seemed to ignite his anger further as he forcefully dragged her along the uneven path.
“Dominick, what are you doing? Let go of me, let go! I don’t want to go there…
Her voice trembled with fear, almost pleading. “Why are you doing this? Let go of me I don’t want to go there!”
This was a rice paddy, its surface softened by the night’s dew, yet to her, it felt unnaturally cold and foreboding. Each step she took sent a
shiver down her spine.
Memories of a past trauma rushed back to her, when she had once faced death in a similar cerie field under the cover of darkness…
“Nol
“Let go of me! I don’t want to…
Her face turned ghostly pale as she screamed, her desperation evident in her futile attempts to break free from his grip, to flee….
want to go then?”
“What do you mean by you don’t want to? Where do you w
Abruptly halting his stride, the man pivoted to face her, his eyes drilling into hers with an icy glare. His demeanor showed no compassion, and his voice was sharp with frustration, “Stephanie, are you terrified? Tell me, how do you feel right now?”
Locking her gaze with his, he clenched his jaw tightly. “I’ve been searching for you all afternoon, feeling just like this!”
SEND GIFT