Chapter 173
Sarah’s POV
The bumpy car ride made me nauseous. I struggled to open my heavy eyelids, only to be greeted by complete
darkness.
My neck throbbed with pain, my head foggy. It took several moments to gather my thoughts as the image of a
chubby, rosy–cheeked little face floated into my mind.
Memories slowly returned. Earlier, I had been having dinner with Elena and Aria when my phone buzzed with a
text message.
I went downstairs to find a quiet place to take the call. Just as the call connected, I heard Pudding calling for me.
Before I could reach her, someone struck the back of my neck hard, and my consciousness plunged into
darkness.
In that final second before blacking out, my heart screamed for Pudding to stay away. I knew I was in danger
and feared she would rush to save me and get caught too.
What happened next?
I had no idea what had occurred after I lost consciousness. I didn’t know where I was, or if Pudding had
managed to escape.
I tried to speak, to cry out, but panic surged through me as I realized my mouth was stuffed with something
rough–probably a rag or cloth. I could only let out muffled, broken cries, unintelligible and weak.
My limbs burned from the pressure of the ropes binding them. My wrists had long gone numb, but I could still feel the rawness where the fibers had rubbed against my skin. My ankles were similarly restrained, making any kind of movement agonizing.
Suddenly, the car began to slow. The shift in motion jolted me out of my thoughts, and my ears picked up faint voices and the pungent, unmistakable scent of gasoline. We had stopped.
A gas station?
My heart leapt in desperate hope. Someone was nearby. Someone could help me.
I began writhing with everything I had left, twisting and bucking until the soles of my shoes connected with the
1/4
Chapter 173
inside of the trunk. I kicked furiously, the metal groaning with each hit.
+25 BONUS
“Hey, what’s that sound coming from your trunk?” a woman’s voice asked. She sounded skeptical, maybe even
concerned.
A strange man’s voice replied smoothly, almost too calmly. “Nothing to worry about, miss. Just caught a wild
boar. Takin‘ it back to skin and eat.”
Laughter followed, from another male voice. “Yeah, tied it up real good, but it’s still squirming. Feisty one.”
No! Please, don’t believe them!
I kicked harder, screaming into the gag. “Mmph! MMMMPH!”
“Bang! Bang!”
Pain exploded in my lower back as someone outside kicked the trunk hard, forcing a scream from my throat.
“Shut the fuck up!” one of them growled. “Keep makin‘ noise, and I’ll butcher you right here, bitch.”
His voice was a low, venomous snarl that sent chills racing down my spine.
Then came the clinking of coins, the beep of a card machine. “Three hundred dollars for the gas. Cash or card?”
the station attendant asked.
I screamed again, thrashing against the ropes, but this time… no one answered.
No police. No rescue. Just the sound of the trunk slamming shut and the engine roaring back to life.
Tears of frustration stung my eyes. Elena and Aria must be panicking by now. Would they know I was gone? Would they guess what had happened?
Pudding. My thoughts immediately turned to her sweet face. The last image I had was of her standing at the top
of the stairs, eyes wide with concern. Was she safe?
The ride grew bumpier, the car veering off paved roads, probably onto dirt or gravel. My body ached with every jolt. Eventually, the vehicle stopped once more.
“Fuck!” The car door was roughly pushed open. Someone cursed as they got out, then yanked open the trunk and dragged me out brutally.
Unable to contain his anger, he slapped me hard across the face. “Stay still!”
2/4
Chapter 173
+25 BONUS
The slap was delivered with full force. My face immediately swelled, burning with pain. My ears rang as if filled with buzzing flies.
“Bitch, you dare make trouble? Want me to beat you to death?” His hand rose high again.
“Hey, hey, stop hitting her.” The other man quickly restrained him.
His teeth were yellow, his face twisted in a disgusting, lecherous grin. “Are you crazy? Damage her face and it’ll
be unpleasant to look at.”
“Besides, the client paid good money for video with her face clearly visible.
How can we deliver if you mess her up? And we still need to resell the footage afterward–don’t you want a good
price?”
“Client?”
I immediately caught that key word. Who was this client?
I’d only just returned to North America. I shouldn’t have made any enemies…
No, wait there had been that unpleasant encounter with Queenie and Suzanna at the mall today.
Queenie, that self–important she–wolf, never could handle even the slightest affront to her pride. But I hadn’t imagined she would go this far over a few harsh words.
“You just can’t control yourself around women, can you?” Scar Face grunted, but lowered his hand.
Yellow Teeth smiled more lewdly, taking me from him and dragging me toward a dilapidated cabin. “Baby, don’t worry. I’ll take real good care of you.”
After being slapped and hearing my fate being so brazenly discussed, I found myself strangely calm. At least, at
least they hadn’t caught Pudding.
My only goal now was to protect myself.
“Come on, I can’t wait any longer.” With those words, Yellow Teeth threw me roughly onto a worn wooden bed. The hard frame dug into my back painfully as dust flew everywhere, making me cough. “Cough… cough
cough…”
Just then, I heard another small cough. “Cough! Cough cough!”
A child’s cough.
3/4
Chapter 173
My heart contracted violently as I turned toward the sound.
+25 BONUS
A small figure was being dragged in by Scar Face, who casually tossed her into the corner. “Heh, unexpected bonus today. This little wolf pup delivered herself right to us.”
“Good quality merchandise. Should fetch a high price.”
Just seconds earlier, I had been relieved thinking Pudding had escaped. Now, I saw her curled unconscious in the corner, her small hand clutching her shirt, coughing occasionally, her little face flushed with fever.
For one moment, I could barely breathe. Tears nearly spilled from my eyes.
No, this couldn’t happen.
Sarah, don’t panic. You need to stay calm and figure out how to escape with Pudding.
