Chapter 174
Chapter 174:
Outside the window, the plane began rolling across the runway, its low rumble vibrating through the cabin floor. An icy command left Kyson’s lips. “Work with the police. Whatever conditions they propose, accept them p>
“Understood p>
Despite the urgency, formal procedures still unfolded step by step. Everything traced back to the vehicle that had struck her car earlier on the road. Once statements were collected, officers immediately pulled up the toll-booth surveillance, zooming in until the car’s license plate came into crisp focus.
Nightfall crept across the horizon, staining the sky in deep indigo, yet Kailey’s whereabouts remained terrifyingly unknown. Again and again Devin flicked his gaze to his watch, each passing minute tightening the knot in his chest. Waiting like this was impossible. If Kyson returned to find Kailey still missing, the consequences would be his to bear alone.
A short distance away, several officers huddled together, quietly debating the next direction of the search. Resolve hardening in his eyes, Devin curled his fingers into a tense fist, then turned sharply and strode back toward his car.
𝖳𝗿𝘦𝗇dіn𝗴 ո𝗼𝗏el𝘴 𝗼𝘯 ѕ.c𝘰𝗆
A heavy, dreamlike sleep had dragged on for what felt like ages before Kailey finally stirred awake. When her vision cleared, she realized she was trapped inside a grimy, foul-smelling room, the windows swallowed by pitch-black night while a suffocating hush pressed in from every corner.
She attempted to shift her wrists, only to find they wouldn’t budge. Rough ropes bit into her skin, securing her arms and legs to a stiff wooden chair, and a strip of tape sealed her lips shut. Questions spiraled through her mind as she struggled to guess who would kidnap her. Fear clenched her chest with sudden cold, and tears slipped down her cheeks before she could stop them.
Carelessness had betrayed her. She had convinced herself that the residential complex meant safety, never expecting shadows to close in the moment her guard dropped. Where was Kyson now? She hadn’t replied to his message — he must be worried sick.
Drawing a shaky breath, Kailey forced herself to steady her racing heart, silently repeating that panic would only make things worse. Desperate eyes swept every corner of the confined room in search of anything she might use, yet the barren space offered nothing.
Moments later, a faint noise drifted from the doorway. Her head snapped up, a cold shiver sliding down her spine like a blade of ice.
A tall figure filled the entrance — easily six feet or more, wrapped head to toe in black. The high-zipped jacket concealed his neck, while a mask, dark sunglasses, and a low baseball cap erased every trace of identity.
“Awake?” The word slipped out in a voice worn rough around the edges.
Kailey’s breath hitched, eyes locked onto him, unblinking, as if even the smallest movement might provoke disaster.
Amusement flickered beneath the man’s features, and a low chuckle escaped him. “I’ll admit, I admire a girl with your kind of backbone. The way you handled that car — confidence practically dripping off you. But what good did it do? You still ended up right where I wanted, caught in my hands p>