Chapter 5. Maybe I’m Not the One?

Leah’s POV

It went dark again, and my heart pounded in my chest. The car sounded moving, and I could feel everything. My body was in pain, and with each turn and sharp movement, I winced in pain.

I could feel warm and thick liquid oozing out of my nose. It was pretty obvious that I had broken my nose. Well not me, the guy with the flashlight. But I guess you know what I mean.

I knew that if I continued to try to fight against the ropes, that would do nothing for me. I knew that if I continued to cry and scream for help, all that was going to do was make me exhausted and waste all my energy.

So although I was so scared and I wanted someone to help me, the best way to do that now was to be quiet and cooperative. It had already been made clear to me that I was not going to be killed.

So I guess that was good news. Right…?

I closed my eyes, and in a weird and twisted way, I accepted that this was actually happening and that I could not do much about it. I accepted that I was kidnapped and wouldn’t know why until I saw where they were taking me and to who.

They probably made a mistake, I was sure. I was almost sure that all of this was just a big misunderstanding and that they were going to apologize when they realized it.

If I was being honest, I did not deserve to be kidnapped. I did not belong to a wealthy family or anything like that. My mom has nothing to offer. All her earnings were just enough to take care of the both of us.

She barely had any real savings either.

Our family name? Um…no one knew it. It was basic and boring. And we don’t even have a single person in our family history who did anything worth mentioning. So, all of this had to be a mistake.

It just had to.

People were often kidnapped for good reasons. Money, revenge, or maybe something else. But right now, I don’t think I fit in any of those categories. Even the ‘something else’.

After what felt like forever, the car finally came to a stop. I had no idea how long we had been on the road, and best believe, I was not even paying attention to turns or anything like that. I was praying that all of this would be over soon and I would be able to return to my mom.

I’m sure she and I would be able to have a laugh about all of this.

The engine died, and then I heard footsteps. The hood soon opened, and I squinted my eyes as the flashlight was shown in my eyes again. Then the guy took the light off me. My vision soon adjusted to where we were.

We were no longer outside. It looked like we were in a garage. But not just any kind, it was a very nice and huge one. The other guy reached in, and I flinched, but it seemed like he was only trying to untie the rope.

It was not like I had any choice. I lay there as he got the rope untied. Finally, I was free. Where I had been bound was really itchy, and I did not hesitate to scratch there.

The guy then pulled me out of the back of the car and told me to stand to my feet. When I did, he reached for my hair and started to comb through it with his fingers. It was almost as if he was trying to make me look presentable.

“Better,” He said under his breath, and then he started to lead the way. I followed him, and the guy who had the flashlight followed behind.

I still had no real clue as to what was happening. But I just wanted it to be over fast. I complied and did everything they told me to do. I was in pain, though. Every step I took felt like torture, and I knew that it was because of the car crash.

But as I said, I did not have any choice here but to do whatever I was told. We finally left the garage, where there were so many fancy cars parked. We then entered a long hallway, where we met a dark-skinned man dressed in a very nice business suit.

“I will take it from here,” He said to the two men.

“But the boss—”

“I said I will take it from here,” The man replied in a firm tone as he adjusted his sunglasses. “Is that understood or…?”

The men stared at each other, and the one who had the flashlight gulped before he said, “Yes, we’re sorry.”

“Good,” The dark guy replied. He then turned to me and gave me a stiff smile. “Leah Payne?”

I nodded. He knew my name. That made me a bit nervous. My whole narrative of me being kidnapped by mistake was slipping out of the window slowly.

“Follow me,” He said, then he started to lead the way. His strides were purposeful and full of confidence.

I followed him, trying my best to keep up despite my injuries. I ran my hand, and it even hurt. Finally, we came to a stop in what looked like a huge living room. Three people were there. I did not recognize even one of them.

“Is this her? Leah?” The only lady there asked. She was older but looked like a goddess. It seemed like she was talking to the older guy next to her. Maybe it was her husband.

“It is.” His reply was slow and firm as he stared at me.

There was a younger guy there, too, and he was incredibly attractive. He had perfect features, and his body looked amazing, even though it was supposed to be hidden by the suit he was wearing. “So this is supposed to be my bride?” He asked, looking at me as if I was trash.