Kidnapped to love

chapter 7

Dimitri sat in his office, staring blankly at the paperwork spread across his desk. His mind, however, was miles away. No matter how much he tried to focus on the task in front of him, it was useless. His thoughts kept drifting back to her.

Crystal.

The memory of their first meeting played over and over again in his head, like a movie he couldn’t turn off. The moment he saw her at the party, laughing with her friends, drunk and utterly unaware of the world around her, something inside him shifted. She was beautiful—too beautiful for this world. Her innocence, her carefree nature, the way she spoke with no filter, it all had an effect on him that he couldn’t ignore.

He leaned back in his chair, throwing his head back against the leather seat as he let the memory wash over him.

He remembered how she had been praying, begging for someone like him without even realizing he was standing just a few feet away. It amused him, how clueless she was, how open and vulnerable she made herself in that moment. And when she opened her eyes and saw him, the look of confusion, followed by her innocent excitement, had sealed the deal for him.

Dimitri had never believed in love at first sight—until that night.

Her drunk rambling had been oddly charming. She was fearless in her own way, talking about what she wanted in a boyfriend as if they were already together. Movies, shopping, cooking... the simplicity of her desires tugged at something inside him. She wasn’t like the women he’d known in his world, those who craved power, money, and status. Crystal just wanted someone to be there for her. She wanted someone to take care of her, someone to laugh with, someone to love.

And it made him want to be that person for her.

“Gosh, doll,” Dimitri muttered under his breath, running a hand through his dark hair. “You’re driving me crazy.”

He had never been this affected by someone before. The more he thought about her, the more he realized just how much he needed her. Not wanted—needed. The way she had looked up at him with those big, innocent eyes, as if she had no idea of the danger she was in, had lit something inside him. She trusted him, even though she barely knew him. And that trust was both exhilarating and terrifying.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and Dimitri’s eyes snapped open. He straightened in his seat, pushing the thoughts of Crystal to the back of his mind, though they lingered, like a whisper he couldn’t quite shake.

“Come in,” he called, his voice calm but firm.

One of his men stepped into the office, his expression serious. “Boss, we’ve got a situation.”

Dimitri arched an eyebrow, gesturing for the man to continue.

“The girl’s parents... Crystal’s parents, they’ve filed a missing person’s report. The police came to question you about it. They’re at your house now, waiting for you.”

For a moment, Dimitri didn’t react. His face remained impassive, though his mind was already working through the implications. He had anticipated this, of course. It was only a matter of time before Crystal’s disappearance raised alarms. But the fact that the police were already at his home...

He didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“Tell them to wait,” Dimitri said, his tone cool and controlled. “And make sure Crystal can’t get out of the room”

The man nodded quickly, sensing the underlying tension in Dimitri’s words. “Yes, boss.”

As the door closed behind his subordinate, Dimitri leaned back in his chair once again, exhaling slowly.