Chapter 5: Kidnap

More than a month passed and Nicole's life has become quiet. She became the secretary of Kanor who she now calls Father. He also stopped driving the taxi because he had already accomplished his mission, to save someone whose life is almost ruined. She was that person, and he also considered her as his daughter. She kept nothing secret from him except who she slept with.

"You look pale, haven't you had breakfast?" Kanor asked Nicole worriedly.

Nicole was unable to answer the gentleman because she felt cold in her hands and feet. She was sweating even though it wasn't hot.

"I should bring you to the hospital to have your condition checked."

When Kanor approached her, Nicole suddenly felt nauseous. She didn't like the perfume he used even though she's been smelling it even before. Covering her own mouth, she ran into the bathroom.

Kanor watched her with a worried expression. He was sure why she was acting like that. His wife was like that when she became pregnant with their first child.

Nicole burst into tears when it was confirmed that she was pregnant. Her mind was again confused and she did not know whether to inform the father of her future child.

"He has a right to know that what happened to you resulted in your pregnancy. Based on your story, it doesn't look like he's a bad person. You'd better let him know your situation." Kanor advised to her.

Nicole thought for a few minutes. She has had no contact even with her own family since she left their home. She threw away her sim card and her cell phone broke, so she didn’t know who else to contact.

The next day, Nicole decided to go to the company to talk to Steven. But she first saw Danica and could not avoid her when she was invited to talk in private.

Danica wasn't mistaken in suspecting that Nicole might show up there, so she hired someone to watch around the company. When her staff called her earlier, she hurried out of the building and looked for Nicole. Now she's with her in the car.

"Danica, where are we going?" Nicole asked Danica, who remained silent by her side. When her head turned to her, she slightly moved away.

"Can you just be quiet?" she gave Nicole a sharp glare.

Nicole did as she was told. She wanted to reconcile with her, so she agreed to go with her. But with how she treated her, it's obvious that she still hates her a lot. She was saddened by that thought and forced herself not to cry. She became especially sensitive when she found out she was pregnant.

Nicole did not know how far they had traveled and where they are now. She went out of the car and followed her old friend into a house she was not familiar with.

"Danica, can we talk now?" She calmly pleaded with her.

"I don't need your explanation. I want you to tell me the truth, are you pregnant with Steven's child?"

She nodded hesitantly in response to Danica. She had prepared herself for her reaction and she would not let herself get hurt because she was pregnant.

A crisp laugh escaped Danica's mouth, which surprised Nicole. She seemed happy with the news, instead of being angrier with her.

"Then, all my plans came was successful. All I have to do is wait for you to give birth to the child and I'll be the mother it will know." Danica smiled as other events according to her plan played on her mind.

"What do you mean, Danica? I'm here to clarify what happened that day and not to give you my baby when it's out." Nicole felt nervous, as if she didn't know this friend of hers anymore. She had a very different attitude and behavior right now.

"Don't try to become clean because no one will believe in you. Even your parents believe in me, so don't have hopes in others either." Danica sneered at her.

"Danica? What are you saying?" she asked confusedly. She did not expect her to be happy with the fact that her life has become miserable because of what had happened.

"Simply put, I drugged you and Steven to make my plan work." Danica explained with a smirk.

"But, why?" she asked, utterly confused. She couldn't think of why she would want something to happen between her and Steven and for her to get pregnant. She thought Danica loved that man so much.

"Don't ask because I don't have time to explain further with a fool like you."

She decided to change her plan because the old woman found out about her ovary problem. She didn't think that even her inability to conceive would be known. Her intention at first was to claim that the baby Nicole would have is hers. She also found out that she was looking for Nicole to make sure the baby would be fine if she got pregnant.

Nicole was suddenly scared, she felt danger for the baby in her womb. "Whatever you're planning, I can't let it, Danica! This is my child and I won't let another woman take him away!"

Danica slapped Nicole on the cheek out of annoyance. "From this day on, you have no right to contradict everything I want! If you want that baby in your womb to live, then be obedient!"

Nicole pushed Danica and ran out of the house unfamiliar to her. But she backed away when the door opened and an armed man entered. He pointed the handgun at her head, so she went back inside while trembling with fear.

Danica's laughter grew louder and she enjoyed the visible fear on Nicole's face. She approached her and dragged her into a room.

"Ah… let go of me!" She struggled with Danica's grip on her hair, but she was stronger. She just noticed that there were other people inside the house.

"Make sure that woman can't escape here and her pregnancy is healthy." Danica talks to the older woman.

"Danica, don't do this to me. What did I do wrong for you to do this to me?" She pleaded while crying. She fears for her baby even if it was only formed because of a scheme.

Danica smiled and softened the expression on her face. "I'm not mad at you. You just have the things I've always wanted to have. And for me to have everything I want, I have to use you."

"Danica, you know Mom loves you more. In fact, she kicked me out when you told her I stole your boyfriend. Isn't that enough?" she calmly talked to the vicious woman. She hoped even a little that she would change her mind and let her go.

"Promise, I won't appear in front of you ever again if that's what you want. I'll go away and Steven won't know about my pregnancy." She continued to plead with Danica, who went silent.

Danica purposely made a sad face and approached Nicole. "I'm sorry if I have to lock you up here. I only need the child so Steven would marry me."

Nicole stepped away from Danica while shaking her head. "Don't you want to have your own child? Why would you need mine?"

Annoyance replaced the sadness on Danica's face. Her patience was short when it comes to Nicole. She intended to look miserable so that she would willingly agree to what she wanted.

"I have a problem with my ovary, so it's unlikely for me to be pregnant. I need to have a baby or else his grandmother will look for another woman who could give her a great-grandchild." She confesses to Nicole, expecting her to take pity.

"I'm sorry, but this really is not right and…"

"You're not going to help me?!" She shouted at Nicole. Her fake act has been cut off.

Nicole was surprised because of the loudness of the speaker's voice. "You know you shouldn't get what you want in the wrong way, Danica. I'll help you, but not this way."

"You're a worthless friend! You deserve to be thrown out by your parents! Don't waste your saliva because my mind won't change!"

Nicole burst into tears when Danica left her in the room. The door was locked from the outside and the window was intentionally crossed with steels, so that no one could pass through there even when it's open.

A few more minutes later, Nicole calmed herself. Nothing would happen if she would just cry there. She peeked out the window to see the surroundings. She lost some hope when she saw that there's only trees. She thinks this house is an isolated vacation home. If the situation was normal, she would appreciate the beauty of the surroundings and would like to live there. It's quiet and cold.

"I need to leave, update me every day about her condition and take good care of her for the baby." Danica strongly instructs the trustworthy person.

"Yes, Ma'am. We'll take care of her." Soledad replied to Danica. She was a former midwife who lost her license because a couple who lost their child filed a complaint.

Danica smiled at the lady. She met her on a street and found that she could deliver a baby. She offered her a large sum, she knew she would not betray her. She hired two more people there to serve as guards and make sure Nicole wouldn't escape.

It's been two months, but Steven still can't sleep well. He wakes up in the middle of the night and is wanting the body heat of someone. He lost his appetite even more even though Danica seduces him a lot every time he was alone with her.

In the company, people became more and more afraid of Steven because even a small mistake makes him angry. All the employees who pass by him inside the building he owns, bow their heads and at the same time greet him. He didn't even look at them and just kept walking.

"Good morning, Mr. Scout!"

The next to greet him were high-ranking employees in the company. It was only then that he looked at them one by one, he was looking for a particular someone's face, but he couldn't find it. Now he just remembered that she was missing.

"Dismiss!" he authoritatively orders them before signaling the assistant to follow him inside the office.

"I want to know the status of this employee." He handed his assistant the small piece of paper on which was written the name of the daring woman that night. He did not know her full name, but he knew which department she was assigned to.

"Right away, Sir!" Grey bowed to the boss after taking the paper from his hand.

Ever since Steven started running the company, he has been his assistant. He did not dare to ask even though he was curious about why he suddenly took an interest in a female employee. He noticed that since the grand opening of the hotel, he has somehow changed.

"Wait a second." Steven calls Grey before he can walk out of the door when he suddenly remembered something.

"Is there anything else you want, Sir?"

"When the grand opening of the hotel was held, where were you the night I got drunk?"

Grey couldn't answer right away and thought about what had happened that day. He asked himself if something had happened because of his negligence.

"I woke up that you weren't around."

"I'm sorry, I was careless that day!" he was quick to apologize even though he had no idea what had happened. "When Ma'am Danica took you to your room, she told me to leave and she will take care of you."

Steven's eyebrows met and he thought deeply. A few minutes later, he told the assistant to go.