Never Fall For The Billionaire

Danger

Chapter 9: Danger

If there is good, there will always be the bad.

A week passed and Derek kept his word. He never bothered or talked to me ever again. Or even glanced at me.

Life was fine. Life was perfect. As it can be.

So why am I queasy all the time?

It began when I least expected it. My kidnapping.

On once upon an ordinary day . . . 

The second time I saw my kidnapper was on the walk to my first part-time job. That I wasn't fired yet. Just yet. My first complete glimpse of him was as a customer. That I didn't know yet. He was a handsome man at 26 years old getting a bagel for his breakfast. Nothing suspicious. It was on Saturday, a week after our date.

"Here is your bagel," I smiled, "That'll be $2.50 please."

He counted and double, triple checked the amount. Still not very suspicious. What I didn't realize was that for such a rich businessman, wearing such an expensive suit, he shouldn't be checking for the right amount over and over again. Like he was broke. Or dirt poor, like me.

"I was wondering if you have some time after you're done to chat with me," he smoothly lied.

However at that time, I didn't know he was lying. I said I was unavailable, I really was. It'll be quite a while before I'll be done. But he persisted. Until I had no choice but to accept his offer. This was when I realized it was a bit suspicious. No one ever was asked by a customer to chat, not even by full-time customers. Which he most definitely wasn't. It was my first time seeing him in the cafe I worked at.

By then, I was too late. Or so I thought.

I still don't know why. Why didn't he do anything then and there?

My shift came to an end. The man was still there despite the long hours that passed.

"Thank you for waiting," I smiled kindly. Maybe he just wanted to recommend something to me. There were tons of advertising going on lately. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

"You're saying I can't just talk to a pretty lady like you?" he said jokingly. His personality was different. I could feel it. First, it was purely business, now it was in a friendly tone.

Why? What caused the change of heart?

I laughed a little, "There are many more beautiful women than me." It was true.

"Maybe so, but I never met anyone as kind-hearted as you."

This time I couldn't help but blush. It wasn't everyday a stranger complemented me on my nonexistent beauty and even more nonexistent kindness. "Thank you."

He talked about nothing personal in particular. I thought it was harmless. I answered.

Soon, it was time to go. "I need to go, it was nice knowing you," I said. It wasn't a bad experience, it was a lovely chat to get my mind off of things.

"Of course, it was nice meeting you too," he replied. "Maybe if you have more time, you can call me and we can have another nice chat sometime," he handed me his business card.

"Okay, I will, bye."

"Bye." And we both went our separate ways.

I glanced at the professional card he gave me. There was his phone number, his position, and his name: Alex Wilson. And it stated that he was the CEO of Wilson Corporation. Where have I heard that company before?

I slipped the card into my pocket.

The third time I saw him were just glimpses the following Monday.

One was the military jacket hiding suspiciously behind the store to the left of me.

Second was the dark sunglasses covering his eyes when I caught him looking my direction.

And third was the old-fashioned brown hat covering most of his hair and face I saw peeking out from the throng of early morning shoppers.

That happened on the jog to school. I couldn't tell Adam my suspicions, of course, it had nothing to do with him and I couldn't just force my troubles on him. Even if he said I could tell him anything. Which I'm sure he will say. And Derek? We weren't even on speaking terms anymore. Besides, he'll probably just wave me off like he usually does. Maybe.

I made sure to always be around a group of people. No matter where.

Especially at night.

I didn't know whether he was just a coincidence passengerby or something much worse.

But the first time we saw each other, and where it all began, was during the date. The amusement park. Or more specifically, after that one roller coaster ride, on the bench. Where I thought someone was watching us. Observing us. That was probably when his forming plan sprang into action. It could have been a random coincidence or it could have been more than that.

But the real question was: Was he after me, or Derek?

I don't remember if I upsetted someone by accident, so it could have been just me. Derek could not be in any of this. Or it could be the opposite.

Nothing happened on Monday though. I didn't even sense whoever it was on the way to my university on Tuesday. So I let my guard down, thinking it really was a coincidence or that the supposedly stranger had the wrong person.

My only mistake.

It happened after school on Tuesday. On my way to my job once again.

But before I made my way inside the cafe, I heard a sound. I think it was a whimper. All I knew then was that it sounded scared and frightened. I made my way behind the cafe and onto a street, following the noise. The neighborhood was peculiarly quiet and looked almost abandoned. I couldn't see anyone in sight. But I still followed the sound.

Before long, I found the source of the cries. It belonged to a sweet little girl, no more than six years old. I made my way slowly towards her, in hopes of comforting her and not doing the opposite, scaring her. I asked her what's wrong.

But how did she end up there in the first place?

The neighborhood was supposed to be abandoned.

That was when he came upon me. No one else was in sight. Absolutely no one except for the little girl. And just like that, I was kidnapped. In broad daylight.

Well, not just like that.

He was behind me and forced a cloth to my mouth. To stop any screams coming out of my mouth, probably. And to knock me out. Because the cloth was infused with a sleeping chemical.

It happened in a second. No time to think about trying to kick him from behind or tell myself not to inhale.

I slumped in his waiting arms completely knocked out and he carried me to his truck. He laid me in the passenger seat of his pick-up truck hidden from prying eyes. He tied up my legs and arms just in case I woke up too early. There was no need for that, I never woke up once during the ride.

I wasn't able to tell where we were going. And I still can't tell where we were right now, where we landed.

Because when I woke up, I couldn't see anything. I thought I was still dreaming and blinked. I was definitely awake. But I couldn't see anything.

Then I realized there was a cloth on my eyes instead of my mouth this time. But this time, the cloth on my eyes was not dipped in poisonous chemicals.

And here am I now, blindfolded.