Ella followed closely behind the bodyguards, watching as they rushed to carry Benjamin out. The taxi from earlier was still idling by the side of the road.
Onlookers gathered, whispering and murmuring in curiosity. Ella felt a flash of anger—if these people had helped open the door sooner, perhaps Benjamin wouldn’t have been in such danger. But Benjamin wasn’t a local, merely a tenant from outside, so it was unsurprising that the villagers remained distant and indifferent.
As Ella hurried along, deeply concerned, a large hand suddenly grabbed her arm. "Miss, you dropped your phone!"
Startled, Ella turned to see the man holding out her phone. It was a custom-designed phone she had gotten with Eric, a matching set. But before she could react, the man quickly pulled out a handkerchief and covered her mouth!
Ella’s eyes widened in shock. As darkness closed in, she couldn’t help but think how unpredictable life could be, how things could take a sudden, dangerous turn at the most unexpected moment.
The crowd remained distracted by the commotion, completely oblivious to Ella being pulled back and knocked unconscious. The bodyguards were too focused on getting Benjamin into the car to notice Ella’s disappearance.
Once they had secured Benjamin in the vehicle, one of the bodyguards glanced back—and realized Ella was gone.
"Ma’am? Miss?" His heart sank. He immediately instructed his partner to get Benjamin to the hospital while he stayed behind to search for Ella.
The taxi sped off, the driver grumbling about the bad luck of having to deal with the situation, but feeling that saving someone’s life made the trouble worth it.
Meanwhile, the remaining bodyguard retraced his steps. "Ma’am, did you see where that girl went?" he asked one of Benjamin’s neighbors.
She shook her head. "No, I wasn’t paying attention to her. I was focused on all the commotion around Benjamin."
Another neighbor chimed in, "I did hear someone say something to her, something about her phone, but I didn’t think much of it at the time."
Realizing the severity of the situation, the bodyguard quickly pulled out his phone, dialing Eric as he walked toward the small path behind the village.
"Mr. Nelson, there’s a problem. Mrs. Nelson is missing. She may have been kidnapped while we were getting Benjamin into the car!"
Eric’s face darkened instantly upon hearing the news, his voice icy cold. "Find her immediately, or else—"
"Yes, sir, right away," the bodyguard stammered, knowing the gravity of the situation. He couldn’t be blamed entirely—his focus had been on saving Benjamin—but that didn’t lessen the weight of Eric’s words.
Eric’s heart felt heavy, sinking with the realization that danger was never far from Ella. So many people had it out for her, and no matter how vigilant they were, there were always threats lurking in the shadows.
He immediately called Larry. "Track Ella’s location now. She’s been kidnapped!"
"Got it, boss! I’ll send you her location as soon as I find it," Larry replied, hanging up quickly to start working.
Eric’s anxiety tightened like a vice. His breathing became shallow, the tension nearly unbearable. If anything happened to Ella...
No. He wouldn’t let that thought take root. He was certain that whoever had taken her wouldn’t dare harm her—not right away. They would be after ransom, knowing the value of both her and Eric.
"Damn it!" Eric cursed himself for not going to pick her up directly. If he had just canceled his meeting and gone to her in person, none of this would have happened.
His eyes grew colder, a lethal glint flickering in them. Whoever was behind this—whoever dared to cross him—would regret it. From now on, he wouldn’t show any mercy to those who threatened him or Ella.
When Ella opened her eyes, she found herself in a clean room, but her hands and feet were tightly bound, leaving her in an extremely uncomfortable position.
Lifting her gaze, she locked eyes with a pair of fanatical, intense eyes.
The man was dressed in pajamas, his slightly damp hair giving him a refreshed appearance, though Ella felt nothing but disgust.
"Brandon, what is the meaning of this?" Ella asked coldly, her voice calm and devoid of anger. She didn’t want to provoke him—if he acted impulsively, things could quickly spiral out of control.
She couldn’t believe that Brandon still hadn’t given up.
Again and again, he had pursued her relentlessly!
In the past, she had been too naive, thinking Brandon no longer had the power to fight back. But now it was clear—his mind was sharp, and he knew how to seize the perfect moment.
"Ella, why do you treat me ? I’ve had people watching you for a long time, waiting for the right opportunity... and now it’s here. Ella, can we finally be together?" Brandon smiled gently, reaching out with a pale, cold hand to caress her face.
Ella looked at him with a detached calm, neither surprised nor fearful. "Brandon, what we had is long over. If you truly love me, then set me free. Let me have my life back."
Brandon tilted his head slightly, watching her with a thoughtful expression.
Ella’s face showed signs of fatigue, but it couldn’t hide her beauty. The coldness in her eyes, like the pure, serene glow of the moon, made her seem untouchable, almost otherworldly.
"No, Ella, you won’t be happy with Eric," Brandon shook his head, speaking with a sincere, almost earnest tone.
Ella, furious, let out a bitter laugh. "Brandon, do you even know what you’re saying?"
Brandon’s demeanor remained surprisingly calm. He wasn’t acting like someone who had kidnapped her with malicious intent. Instead, there was a sense of genuine concern and warmth in his eyes.
"I’m telling the truth," he insisted. "At first, I thought Eric could protect you, that you’d be safe with him. But in the past year, you’ve gone through fires, gunfights, and... do you know who I saw in Country W a few days ago?"
Brandon’s expression turned sour with disgust.
Brandon hadn’t kidnapped her out of madness. His twisted sense of protection had driven him to do it. But to her, he was nothing more than a calm and dangerous madman.
"Hannah?" Ella guessed, thinking of the long-missing woman.
Brandon smiled, seemingly pleased with her quick deduction. "Ella, you’re still as sharp as ever. Yes, I saw Hannah in Country W a few days ago. And do you know how she was living? She had seven or eight bodyguards and several maids with her. She’s like a real noblewoman now. The aristocracy in Country W is very different from Country S—they have strong backing and power."
A terrible feeling washed over Ella. No wonder Eric hadn’t been able to trace who had taken Hannah. It turned out it was the nobility of Country W.
Had Hannah really gotten that lucky, falling into such favorable circumstances?
Ella had changed the fates of people like Brianna and Hannah, but she hadn’t been able to stop Hannah from climbing to new heights. If she appeared again, she would undoubtedly be even harder to deal with.
With eight bodyguards and multiple maids, Hannah had clearly garnered significant attention and power.
"So, Ella, let’s leave this place together. We can go into hiding, live a simple life in the countryside. Even with all of Hannah’s resources, she won’t be able to find us in the mountains!" Brandon’s eyes gleamed with excitement, filled with an almost desperate hope.
Ella’s lips twitched in disdain. "You’re being naive. If she’s truly connected to the nobility of Country W, do you really think they wouldn’t be able to find someone hiding in the mountains?"