Ellinor managed to make a break for it from the warehouse, fumbling her way alone through the dark wilderness Her phone was chucked somewhere unknown by the kidnappers while she was out cold Right now, the sky was dark and stormy with not a hint of moonlight.
In the pitchâblack, she couldnât find her bearings and had to find a spot to hunker down and wait till daybreak to find the way back home This suburban wasteland was even more barren than the real wilderness.
Out there she couldâve found a cave to hide in. But here there was nothing but flat wasteland. All around, apart from some thorny weeds, there wasnât a single big tree for cover!
Then the sky started to pour With no place to take shelter, she was left to the mercy of the rain.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps following her from the back, the rustling of the weeds, and the sweeping of a flashlightâ¦
Who else could it be out here in the dark, if not the accomplices of the kidnappers!
Ellinor held her breath and immediately ducked into the bushesâ¦
The footsteps were getting closer and closer, a tall manâs silhouette stopped one meter away from her, the flashlight shining directly at her, blinding âCome out!â
The manâs voice was cold and hard, full of menace.
Ellinor knew her hiding spot had been found out. She grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it at the manâs face, trying to blind him!
He might have a gun and she had nothing. Going head to head was not an option. She had to blind him to get a chance to escape..
However, he reacted swiftly, dodging the dirt and grabbing her wrist tight!
Ellinor was taken aback, trying to wriggle free while raising her other hand to strikeâ¦
âItâs meâ
The manâs voice was steady and strong Being close, his voice was clearer. The familiarity of his voice made Ellinor pauseâ¦.
Immediately after, she was pulled into a warm, broad chest!
The manâs large hand gently held the back of her head, as if comforting a scared little animal, and stroked her hair, âEasy, itâs okay now.â
Ellinorâs guard gradually dropped, âTheo, how did youâ¦â
âAre you hurt?â
Theo didnât seem as calm as usual, his deep voice revealing rare concern. He held her shoulders and under the dim flashlight, he checked her from head to toe.
Ellinor shook her head, blinking in confusion.
How did Theo end up here?
Wasnât he just saying he didnât care about her and would leave her to the mercy of the kidnappers?
He even hung up the phone impatiently without even asking about the ransomâ¦
The rain was getting heavier.
Seeing no obvious injuries on the girl, Theoâs tension eased a bit. He took off his jacket and draped it over her, even covering her head to shield her from the rain, then apologized quietly, âSorry, Iâm late.â
Ellinor watched Theoâs unusual behavior in silence, feeling a bit unsettled.
Actually, he wasnât late. In fact, he was quite fast It had been less than half an hour since the fat kidnapper called him for ransomâ¦
If he left downtown right after hanging up the phone, it would have taken almost two hours to get here.
But he arrived in just half an hour, his speed was astonishing! How did he manage that?
âMr Blanchet!â
Collin ran over, panting heavily, quickly opening the umbrella in his hand to shield him from the rain.
Seeing Ellinor in Mr Blanchetâs arms, Collin breathed a sigh of relief, âThank goodness, weâve found Ms. Mendoza! Ms. Mendoza, are you alright?â
Ellinor nodded her head faintly, âIâm fine.â