Just as Ryan kept trembling on his feet, his eyes quivering in fear, his phone rang so loudly that he dared not ignore the consistent ring.Lifting the phone to his sight, he realized that it was from an unknown number, not saved in his phone.He swiftly answered it, and placing it to his ear, he had to stay calm for a split second to know who was calling. Just then, a voice boomed through the speaker of the phone.“If you want your father and Isabella alive, bring Ethan Wills to us!”At the sound of the statement, Ryan felt nothing but a sense of fear and trepidation rush through his veins.“Who are you and what do you want? Why do you have my father?” he asked, a sense of urgency tinged in his tone at this moment.“You'll know soon when you arrive with Ethan Wills. And I'd advise you not to try anything stupid, young man!” the man warned briefly, and before Ryan could utter another word, the call was swiftly ended.“Hello? Hello?” Ryan yelled at the top of his voice, but he got no r
Just as Ethan was trying to take care of his daily work, trying to set everything in place so he could get ready to leave the company, he halted at the slight sensation of a throbbing ache at the back of his head.“Shit!” he exclaimed as he swiftly reached for the back of his head. His eyes shut tightly as he leaned back in his seat, trying to recover from the intense pain.“Ethan? Ethan, are you okay?” James asked, having caught sight of Ethan acting like he was about to die or something.James didn't like that. He hated seeing the ones he loved suffer so much.“Ethan?” he called out again, seeing that Ethan didn't respond to his first question.Slowly, Ethan opened his eyes to meet James' worried gaze fixed on him from where he sat.“You know, if you are sick, we could go to the hospital. You don't need to…” Just as James was about to finish, Ethan cut in, shaking his head in refusal to James' every word.“I'm fine…” he let out with heavy breaths. The pain had subsided, and Ethan co
“I am thinking about important things, James... I don't have the luxury to worry about such silly matters!” Ethan let out with a furious tone as he rolled his eyes.“I don't think this is useless, Ethan. Take a quick look,” James urged as he walked closer to where Ethan was standing, handing the paper over to him.Ethan felt reluctant at first to take the paper, but staring at the content, he couldn't help but sense his heart race rapidly.“What?” he exclaimed, his eyes bulging with fear as he instantly took out his phone and unlocked it.“Oh no! I missed a lot of calls from him!” he exclaimed, feeling so stupid.How the hell couldn't he realise that Ryan had been calling him all this while?He instantly dialled the number again and, placing it to his ear, he waited for it to ring, but there was no response.“Come on, Ethan... I think you should stay calm,” James urged, but Ethan didn't think that would be necessary."You don't get to tell me what to do, James," Ethan said firmly, his
“Come on, Ethan… you are trying to kill yourself! You are walking right into their trap! I can't let you do this!” James' grip around Ethan's wrist tightened as he stared directly into his eyes from where he stood.He just didn't feel right about any of these things. He just didn't feel comfortable letting Ethan walk out of the house in the middle of nowhere just because he wanted to save Ryan.“There's nothing you can do to stop me from leaving, James, so I'd advise you to stop trying to do so!” Ethan declared as he pulled his hand out of James' grip.“My Ryan is in trouble, and saving him is the least I can do. It's the only thing I can do. He came into my life, and anyone in my life can't be left all alone!” Ethan added, clearly explaining his reasons for wanting to go save Ryan, no matter what James had to say to him.He could feel it, he could sense the pain and regret Ryan was feeling right now, and it just didn't feel right.“What if this is a trap?” James stated again, but Eth
“We have arrived, sir!” the driver announced the second he brought the car to an abrupt halt.Ethan turned to look out of the window. Seeing the dripping wet tunnel before him, he felt an irking feeling of disgust course through his veins.He climbed out slowly and paid the driver his fare. Without hesitation, the man drove away, knowing what could happen if he stayed a second longer.Gazing at the irritating place, Ethan would have turned around and left, but at the thought of Ryan not being safe, his fist clenched.The memories of seeing Ryan in a dirty and bad state fueled his determination.“They must regret ever taking hold of him,” Ethan muttered as he let out a deep sigh and began to walk right into the tunnel without turning around.As he walked into it, he made sure that he was on alert just so he wouldn't get caught unaware.He took out his phone and turned on the torchlight so the ones waiting for him would come to attack him. He wanted them to attack him; he wanted to see
“It is clear that we are surrounded in this area. They are waiting for us to leave this room, so no matter what you do…” Ethan leaned closer to Ryan, his hand cupping his cheeks as he glared right into his eyes.“This time, don't act recklessly. You have to obey me. Is that clear?” Ethan warned, and seeing how serious Ethan was, Ryan nodded his head, accepting the fact that Ethan was only trying to protect him. He was trying to shield him from getting hurt.All his life, he had always fought for himself, but no matter the injuries he sustained, he'd always be fine. Seeing Ethan's concern for him, his heart felt warm.Soon, he got freed from the clutches of the ropes that held him against the pole.“Come on, let's go!” Ethan took his hand and was going to pull him out of the room, but immediately, Ryan pulled his hand out of his grip, making Ethan turn to look at him in utmost confusion.“Are you okay? What's wrong?” Ethan asked, his eyes staring back at Ryan, who looked determined not
“I knew that she shouldn’t have been trusted. Now look at the mess we’re in!” Ethan snarled as he tried counting the men before them and understood the strategy they would use to attack him.“Are you sure about this? Are you sure that you can beat them? I am…” Ryan began to say, but right then, Ethan turned to him with a sharp glare, urging him to stay back.If there was anything Ethan didn’t want, it was for Ryan to get hurt again. It was already too much for him to see Ryan’s injuries all over his body.“I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you,” Ryan complained briefly.“You don’t have to be, Ryan. After all, they are no match for me!” Ethan declared as he turned his gaze toward the men standing before them.“Oh, Ethan Wills, I’d advise you to turn around now and leave. We promise not to hurt you if you just surrender to us. Let us do what we are here for!” one of the men suggested with a sneer curling up on his lips.“Leave? I am no coward. I know how cunning you all are. You’ll neve
Just as they were about to lift him from the bed, a sudden intrusion of footsteps approaching the room caught their attention immediately.“Someone is coming!” Ryan gasped as his heart raced. There was no doubt that he was scared. He was scared of losing his father or Ethan.“I think we should…” he began to say, but Ethan swiftly cut him off with a sharp gaze.“Stay still. Find a place to hide. I'll handle this!” Ethan urged, but Ryan didn’t see it as a good idea.“What? Hide? But you are injured too. I need to…” he started again, but Ethan interrupted."Hide now. Don't make things difficult. I'm begging you!” Ethan warned, his voice low but urgent. Seeing the serious expression on Ethan's face, Ryan's eyes widened in understanding, and he nodded quickly.Ryan didn’t want to be a burden. He turned on his heels and dashed to the far corner of the room, slipping behind the heavy curtains. He crouched down, trying to make himself as small and invisible as possible, his heart pounding in