The Billionaire's Kidnapped Bride[English]

04

Chapter 4

Rory, still clutching the back of the passenger seat, saw a figure approaching the car. Time seemed to slow down as a man casually opened the car door, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Sorry, but there’s no wedding happening today. You’re coming with me,” he said, his voice laced with a chilling amusement. Before Rory could react, he grabbed her waist, lifting her in a bridal style.

In the middle of the bustling street, under the scorching sun, Rory was kidnapped by this unknown man, the wedding car left abandoned.

“No… No! Let me go!” Rory screamed, finally recovering from the shock and realizing what was happening.

The man, however, swiftly got into the car, leaving Rory trapped beside him in the backseat.

Rory ripped off her veil, her gaze fixed on her captor. “What do you want from me? Why did you take me? Look, you won’t get anything from an old woman like me,” she said, her voice trembling slightly.

Rory’s words were met with silence. The man’s gaze was intense, unsettlingly so. He wasn’t ordinary.

“You’re rich,” he finally replied, a smirk twisting his lips. He pointed to her expensive wedding dress, a half-billion dollar piece.

“You’re from the Jihoon and Alto families, right?” he asked, his hand reaching for her neck. Fear gripped Rory as he touched her, a cold dread spreading through her.

The man froze, however, as Rory suddenly fainted, her head slumping onto his chest.

“What the heck is her problem? I haven’t even done anything, and she just passed out,” he muttered, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

The driver, who had been watching the scene unfold, sighed. “Looks like she fainted from fear. Did you read the information about the young madam? She has heart failure and is quite fragile.”

Disgusted, the man ordered his assistant to call a doctor to the mansion. “This woman can’t die yet. I have plans for her.”

Rory woke up in the middle of the night, finding herself in a luxurious bedroom. She sat up abruptly, her eyes scanning the room, her wedding gown still clinging to her.

“For a woman who woke up in an unfamiliar place and was kidnapped, you seem awfully calm. No screaming, no begging to be released?” the man said, his voice a low purr.

Rory slowly looked up at him, standing at the doorway, his eyes fixed on her. “If I do that, will you let me go?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

The man chuckled, shaking his head. “No.” He crossed his arms, his expression unreadable.

Rory averted her gaze, her voice laced with bitterness. “If you need money, if you plan to ask for ransom from the Jihoons and Altos, you’ve picked the wrong person. They won’t pay.”

The man’s smirk widened. “Do I look like a cheap kidnapper who needs money?”

Rory paused, her eyes widening as he slowly approached her. His wristwatch alone was worth a billion dollars. The earring he wore, Rory remembered seeing it on an auction list, sold for 500 million.

Fear gnawed at her, her fingers digging into the bedsheets. “Sister, don’t you recognize me?” he asked, his voice a soft murmur.

Rory gasped, her back pressed against the headboard as the man leaned in, his arms flanking her. Their faces were inches apart, his eyes boring into hers.

“Don’t… Don’t try anything. I’ll call the police,” she stammered, her voice trembling.

The man chuckled, his face now level with hers. “Should I lend you my phone?” he asked, his tone laced with amusement. He seemed unconcerned, his confidence bordering on arrogance.

Rory thought about it. The man had kidnapped her in broad daylight, in front of numerous people. She had been unconscious for nearly two days. Considering her identity, there should be people searching for her, knowing her location by now.

“Don’t expect your bastard groom to rescue you. I’m sure he’s comforting your little sister right now, consoling her about the loss of her bride in a hotel,” he said, a hint of mockery in his voice. Rory whispered that it wasn’t true, though deep down, she knew it wasn’t impossible.

For a week after she regained consciousness, before the wedding, she had realized that Anthony had no space for her in his life. His concern for her was solely due to her assets.

Rory’s thoughts were interrupted as the man handed her a phone. She reached for it, but he raised it out of her reach.

“How about we make a bet?” he suggested. Rory paused, her eyes questioning.

“If you win, I’ll let you go. I’ll let you live. And since I ruined your dream wedding, I’ll give you compensation, you won’t lose anything,” he said, twirling his finger in the air.

Rory asked why she would agree to such a thing.

“What kind of question is that? I hold your life in my hands, and your family has wronged me beyond measure,” he replied, a low laugh escaping his lips.

Rory knew her family had many enemies. She wasn’t surprised that this man was one of them, seeking revenge. It wasn’t the first time someone had tried to harm her, to use her. That is not a first time.

“What if I don’t agree?” she asked, her voice barely audible.

The man paused, his hands resting on the bed, his body leaning forward. His eyes, cold and calculating, held her captive.

“I’ll kill you, along with your entire clan,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Rory’s throat went dry. “This should have been the day I killed you and your entire family, but I found something interesting. I came up with another way to erase the three clans without getting my hands dirty. Why not try it? I won’t die if I just watch and let someone else do the dirty work for me,” he continued, his voice a chilling whisper.

Rory shook her head, her voice laced with defiance. “You want to hurt my family, my fiancé!”

Rory gasped as the man’s expression shifted, his hand gripping her jaw, his intent to kill flashing in his eyes.

“Tell me, how confident are you that they feel the same way about you? That they’re worth your sympathy? Your parents don’t care about you, they favor the adopted daughter of the Altos. And worst of all, your groom is cheating on you with your sister,” he said, his voice laced with venom.

Rory insisted that no matter what he said, she wouldn’t let him use her to hurt the people she cared about.

“They’re doing the best they can for me. And about Samira and Anthony, I know that one day, Anthony will wake up to the truth, that he loves me. Once we’re married, he’ll leave Samira,” she said, defending the Altos and Anthony.

The man burst into laughter, releasing her jaw. He shook his head, his voice laced with amusement. “I’ve never encountered anyone as stupid as you.”

“Since you made me laugh, and you’ve really piqued my interest, I’ll let you go,” he said, a smirk playing on his lips.

Rory froze, her eyes widening. “You’ll let me go?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

The man nodded, his smirk widening. “But you have to sign a contract about our bet,” he said, extending his hand. A man appeared, handing Rory a document and a pen.

“It states that if you lose our bet, you have to marry me. You have to do everything I want, including destroying the Alto and Jihoon families,” he said, his voice a low growl. Rory clenched her fist, the idea of being forced into such a deal making her blood boil.

“The terms are simple,” he said, a chuckle escaping his lips. He waved the document in the air.

“Within a month, you have to stay within the Alto family, control Anthony, and sever his connection to Samira Alto. You have to do it within a month,” he said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Rory hesitated, the ease of the terms making her suspicious. She looked at the man, her eyes filled with doubt.

“Don’t look at me like that. Don’t worry, during the duration of the bet, I won’t do anything. I’ll just watch and wait for you here at the villa to accept my offer,” he said, his smirk widening.

Rory took the document, her hand shaking as she signed it.

“That won’t happen,” she said, her voice filled with determination. She would win, and then she would be free of this man. She would find out his true identity and save her family. But for now, she had to play his game.