The day she got kidnapped happened to be the day when everything in her escape plan from seemed to work out. It was too perfect.
Adrian was out on a business trip.
Esther had successfully made all her escape arrangements. Esther promised her that she would take her to Max.
Ruby had already passed away by then. Esther told her that although the marriage between Ruby and Max was not based on love, he was still shaken by this tragedy. He needed her by his side.
Ella herself was in disbelief about the news and in her heart, she felt weird emotions sprouting but she no longer was in the sane mind to understand them.
All her life, she had been fixated on Max. She had loved him and dreamt of a life and future with him.
Now that it was in front of her, she could no longer turn away from it.
So, she followed the plan and lit her room on fire with the lighter that Esther had given her during her last visit.
Because her room in the Eve Mansion had been cleaned of everything dangerous at some point. There was not even a paper left.
The fire alarm was triggered but by the time anybody could get to her, Ella had jumped off the huge window with the help of long bed sheets tied into ropes.
Bruised and battered, she fell on the ground where the hidden guards surrounded her.
But Ella pulled out a pocket knife, stabbed it against her neck and walked away from there, untouched.
All of them wanted to stop her but none dared to touch her in case she really killed herself.
So, they stood there until she got into the car and disappeared.
After an hour or so, Ella finally let out a sigh of relief seeing that nobody caught up to her.
She watched the city lights blur past, her lips trembling into a disbelieving smile. ’Max... I’m finally coming.’
That hope lasted exactly a few seconds.
"How long will it take us to reach there...?" Ella asked the driver.
The driver didn’t hum, didn’t glance back, didn’t even adjust the rearview once.
Ella looked into the unfamiliar places zooming in her vision and moved in her seat, trying to get a glimpse of the driver’s face.
Suddenly, her eyes met a chilly pair of green eyes in the mirror and in the next moment, a dart was shot out of the person’s sleeve.
The dark stabbed right into her neck. And even as Ella struggled to pull it out, her body slumped in the backseat of the car, her muscles gradually weakening.
Ella woke up with a nibbling pain in her body...
High-pitched squeaking sounds pierced her ears.
Something seemed to climb atop her. There seemed to be something crawling over every inch of her body.
Ella opened her eyes, and darkness greeted her vision. She tried to move her limbs but she could not move an inch.
Suddenly, a ray of light pervaded into the darkness and Ella’s eyes registered to her surroundings.
She laid in the middle of what seemed like thousands of mice, inside a dingy cell with gaps barely enough to pass a finger.
A dread settled in the bottom of her heart and she moved again, only to fail.
"Don’t waste your efforts,’’ A cold voice reverberated in the place, ’’The drug in your body weakens your muscles. It will take you time to recover but by the time you do, your body will be destroyed beyond repair.’’
Tears rolled down Ella’s eyes as her mouth opened wide, yet no words came out of her mouth. Her body trembled violently at the defenselessness that consumed her.
From the corner of her eyes, Ella looked at the dagger that had dropped near her head.
’’I will let you have it for now. When your body regains the strength and you are unable to take anymore pain, then pick it and kill yourself," That voice was cold and malicious, without a hint of care or concern for the world.
Ella’s body turned cold when she heard the sound of retreating footsteps.
The door entrance closed and suddenly the pain in her body seemed to have magnified in the darkness.
A rat sank its teeth into her ankle. She couldn’t even twitch. Ella gasped for air.
Ella sat up on the bed, heart racing, soaked in cold sweat.
The memories of her previous life seemed to have come alive again.
And for a few moments, she remained motionless, unable to differentiate between what was real and what was not.
Slowly, Ella pressed her fingers to her throat, half expecting to find the dart still embedded there.
But the spot was smooth and she did not feel any pain.
It took her a while before she gradually composed herself and checked the time.
Knowing that it was impossible for her to fall asleep again, Ella remained in the bed for a little longer before she pushed herself out.
After putting on her jogging attire, Ella ran out of the campus.
Over the weekend, post the kidnapping incident, she had missed her scheduled morning runs so she got tired quicker than she usually did.
"Fatty, is that you?"
Ella’s footsteps halted.
She never expected to bump into this person so soon again.
Mo Jun tilted his head and looked at her from head to toe, "Oh, it’s you indeed."
Ella gave him a fleeting look before she tried to step past him but the guy suddenly blocked his path.
’’Uh-huh, not so soon!" Mo Jun squinted, watching the girl raise an eyebrow.
’’What exactly do you want?" Ella crossed her arms in front of her chest as she looked at him.
"From you? Nothing much but I am just curious...’’ Mo Jun sighed, ’’See, I will put it for you in a way you can understand better...!"
’’I am not interested.’’
Ella had just stepped to the side when the guy blocked her path again.
’’See, we can talk it out. No need to run away,’’ Mo Jun smiled.
Had Ella not known better, she would never have associated this guy with the head of the Black Wolf Gang that kidnapped her and Ruby.
’’Yesterday, it was chaotic and you saved my life. You practically rushed into danger to save my life but then suddenly, your attitude towards me changed. What could be the reason behind it?"
Mo Jun sighed, "I don’t consider myself a hateful person but even if I am, I don’t think I did anything to deserve your hate. At least, not yet."
"You want to know the truth?" Ella asked suddenly.
Mo Jun’s perked up, looking like he had not expected her to agree so easily, ’’Tell me.’’
Ella leaned towards him.
Suddenly, Mo Jun’s eyes darkened.