Why Did You Kidnap Me

A shock of freezing water hit her, jolting Evelyn violently awake.

The icy deluge shattered the heavy silence, dragging her from the dark void of unconsciousness.

Her head throbbed. Time felt distorted, impossible to measure.

She shook her head, trying to clear the fog. Her vision swam, then slowly sharpened.

The grim reality came into focus. She was tied to a crude wooden chair. Rough ropes dug into her wrists and ankles.

The room was dim, walls peeling. The air was thick with the smell of mold and decay. Each breath was a labor.

Panic began to claw its way up her throat, tightening her chest.

Before it could consume her, a voice sliced through the gloom.

"Evelyn. You're finally awake."

Her heart stuttered. She turned her head, disbelief and fear warring within her.

Julian stood there, moving toward her with a predator's grace. A devilish smirk played on his lips.

His eyes raked over her soaked, shivering form. The intensity in his gaze made her skin crawl.

"Julian! It's you!"

Her voice broke, raw with confusion and a deep sense of betrayal. Julian? Her kidnapper? How could he do this? Did he not understand this was madness?

Her bound hands clenched into fists behind her back. Anger surged, burning away some of the fear. "Julian, have you lost your mind? Why did you kidnap me?"

Even as she confronted him, her fingers worked frantically against the ropes. She scraped her binds against a sharp, splintered edge on the chair leg.

A silent, desperate bid for freedom.

She thought of Alexander. She had told him she was going straight home from the office. He would know by now that something was wrong.

Time was slipping away. She had to think, to find a way out.

Julian remained unnervingly calm. His smug grin widened as he closed the distance between them.

He reached out, his fingers closing like a vice around her chin. He forced her to meet his gaze. His touch was cold, his eyes burning with a twisted triumph.

"Why else would I go to such lengths, Evelyn?" His voice was a low, venomous growl. "You married Alexander Blackwood. After five years, you just walked away from me. Did you think I would simply stand by and watch the woman I love belong to someone else?"

Evelyn wrenched her face from his grasp. Her eyes blazed with defiance, but she fought to keep her anger in check.

Provoking him further would only make this worse.

She drew a shaky breath, forcing her voice to steadiness. "Julian, you need to let me go. Do you understand what you're doing? This is kidnapping. It's a serious crime. If you stop now, there might still be a chance. Do you really want to ruin your life? Spend it in prison?"

Her words seemed to have no effect. He chuckled, a sound devoid of warmth, leaning in closer.

"Once we're together, Evelyn, you'll see reason. You won't want to leave me again."

His gaze darkened, his smile turning sly and ominous. "Starting to feel... warm?"

Evelyn's body went rigid.

A strange, overwhelming heat was indeed spreading through her veins. It was sudden and intense.

She saw the malicious glint in his eyes, and cold dread washed over her.

"What did you do to me?" Her voice was a strained whisper.

Julian's smile widened. He leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. "Just a little something to... enhance the experience. I've waited too long for this."

His tone dripped with scorn. "I know you married Alexander, that pathetic cripple. There's no way he can be a real husband to you. Tonight, I'll show you what you've been missing. After this, you'll be begging to come back to me. I'm certain of it."

His grin twisted into something truly sinister, brimming with vile confidence.

He believed that once he possessed her, her heart would inevitably follow.

Driven by this conviction, Julian could wait no longer. He lunged for her, his intentions terrifyingly clear.

"No!" Evelyn's scream tore through the room, filled with terror and defiance.

Marrying A Secret Zillionaire: Happy Ever After