"If I can't have you, no one will," Rita hissed through clenched teeth, her eyes blazing with desperation. She sipped a glass of wine, swirling the deep red liquid as she plotted, her mind racing through plans that seemed to crumble before her very eyes. She was lost, out of ideas, and teetering on the edge of recklessness.
"Mmmmm… I will deal with Ella," she muttered under her breath, a shiver of cruel determination running through her.
Meanwhile, Ben and Ella had grown even closer. His overprotective nature had intensified; he had hired a personal guard whose sole purpose was to follow and protect Ella wherever she went. At least, they thought, this would make it impossible for Rita to strike again.
But as Rita discovered the presence of the guard, her cunning instincts sprang into action. She tried relentlessly, employing every trick she knew, until eventually, she found a way to manipulate him. Now, he was under her control, completely at her mercy, his loyalty and growing feelings for her exploited without hesitation.
Days passed peacefully. Letters stopped, emails ceased, and the unsettling feeling of being watched vanished. Ben and Ella, for the first time in weeks, felt their hearts at ease, believing the storm had finally passed.
Unbelievable to them, a far greater threat was quietly unfolding.
"You should bring her here, say it's your house and that you forgot an important document," Rita whispered to the guard, her voice cold and precise. "Pretend the car broke down, offer that she comes in while you 'fix' it."
He nodded, compelled by her manipulative charm and promises. Following her instructions, he lured Ella into a trap.
As she waited patiently, unaware, a heavy flower vase came crashing down, striking her.
"Hurry up and get her out of here!" Rita ordered sharply. The guard moved swiftly, taking Ella to a secret house no one knew existed, a hidden sanctuary of Rita's making. Everything was executed flawlessly, leaving no trace behind.
Back at the house, panic began to set in.
"Sir… sir… Miss Ella hasn't been seen after work hours," the guard reported anxiously, adding, "I dropped her off and went back to get something important at home… but when I returned, she was gone."
Ben's expression remained unreadable. He didn't flinch, didn't speak, but the fire in his eyes betrayed a mind already several steps ahead.
Unknown to the guard, Ben had anticipated every move. A tracker had already been placed on Ella's car, allowing him to monitor it in real-time. He knew everything; the path, the location, and the person behind the abduction.
A faint smile touched his lips. Calm, precise, calculating, he simply nodded.
"Okay… I'll contact the police," he said, his tone steady yet laced with restrained fury.
The guard nodded and left, unaware that the game had already been won.
Ben was consumed by a storm of disappointment and hurt. The betrayal stung sharply; the bodyguard had come highly recommended by his closest friends, someone he trusted implicitly. How could he have allowed Rita to manipulate him through someone so close to him? The thought churned in his mind, anger and disbelief colliding.
Without hesitation, he grabbed his phone and dialed his father. "Father, you need to help me," he said, his voice taut with urgency and frustration. Every detail poured out in rapid succession, each word laced with raw anxiety. He didn't know who else he could turn to, and time was slipping away.
McDon listened, nodding silently on the other end. He understood the stakes and the necessity of swift action. Within moments, he had mobilized a few of his most trusted men, the ones who had proven their loyalty and skill countless times before.
Ben waited, each second stretching like an eternity, his chest tight with worry. And then they returned Ella safe but visibly shaken, placed into his arms as if he were prepared for every possible scenario.
This time, there would be no hesitation. No room for error. No mercy for those who tried to manipulate or harm the people he cared for. Ella was back, and Ben's resolve had crystallized into something sharp and unyielding: he would not allow anyone to threaten her again.