<h4>Chapter 352: Married</h4>


    "We won’t tell them, then. I’ll say you rescued me from the kidnappers and took care of me because I had lost my memory. And now," she paused for effect, her eyes locking onto his, "we’re madly in love and nning to get married."


    Mnie smiled up at him then, trying to keep her expression as sweet and innocent as possible as she waited, watching him closely for his reaction.


    There was a moment’s pause, a flicker in his gaze, too brief to read, and her breath hitched.Did he take the bait? Or was she going to have to spin something else?


    Then, atst, he stepped back and gave a slow nod as he answered in a low voice," Okay. Then I’ll have someone bring them here."


    Her eyes flew wide open, panic instantly surging. Dam* it! Did this man not think straight? "No. Wait!" she yelped, and quickly darted in front of him, arms outstretched as if to physically block his path. "Ay ay ay! You can’t do that!"


    He blinked at her, and she could already see the suspicion forming in his gaze so she hurriedly huffed, trying to sound casual, "If you bring them here, they’ll figure everything out. I mean,e on! The moment they see where I’ve been kept, they’ll realize something’s off. That you’re not just the guy who saved me-they’ll see you as the one who took me."


    Sheughed nervously, stepping even closer, forcing a light tone into her voice."And then your whole n? It’ll fall apart. Poof. Gone."


    He studied her, quiet and still, and she kept going, rambling now, trying to stay ahead of whatever calction was forming in his mind.


    "Look, if we want this to work, we have to be smart. We let them think everything’s fine. That I came back on my own. Maybe I call them first, ease them into it, tell them a softer version. But you bringing them here like that?" She gave an exaggerated shrug. "Might as well confess outright."


    She dropped her arms finally, taking a breath, her eyes still fixed on him. "So," she said gently, "can we... not do that?"


    Cadence looked at her carefully and nodded," Okay. I will think about it."


    "What is there to think about..."


    But before Mnie could say anything more, the man had already walked off.


    Mnie sat down, pushing the food around her te, appetite gone. Her mind, however, was racing.


    Cadence was unpredictable. One moment believing she was Melody, the next ready to bring her family here and risk exposing himself. He didn’t question her story. Didn’t ask why she suddenly changed sides. Did he really trust her that much? Or was he just that arrogant?


    She bit her lip, eyes narrowing slightly. If he was this gullible, then maybe she still had a chance to get out of here. A real one.


    Her gaze shifted absently across the room—then froze.


    There, on the corner of the table just a few feet away,y a phone.


    Her heart skipped a beat.


    A phone. An actual phone. Cadence had left his phone on the table due to his sudden excitement.


    The spark of hope that red inside her was instant, electric. Her chest tightened with the sudden surge of adrenaline, and she quickly nced around the room. No footsteps. No sound. No one watching.


    Without hesitating, she pushed back her chair slowly and stood up, careful not to make a sound. Her eyes locked onto the device like it was thest lifeline thrown to a drowning person.


    She crossed the distance quickly, snatched the phone off the table, and clutched it close as she backed into a shadowed corner.


    Locked. Of course it was.


    Her fingers hovered above the screen, brain spinning. It wasn’t her phone, obviously, and there were only so many chances before it locked her out for good. She needed to guess it right the first time.


    Think. Think.


    Melody. He was obsessed with Melody, so he must have something connected to her as the passcode. The date they met? The date she arrived here... What coudl it be?"


    Just then, she rememberd. Hadn’t he insisted that she see the pictures he and Melody had together for her birthdayst year... the date he liked best because that was the day she was born


    She took a breath, steadying her nerves and thought carefully to the date that had been visible on the bottom corner of the pictures.


    Her fingers trembled slightly as she typed in the four numbers slowly. Click.


    The phone unlocked. She almost dropped it in excitement at that and hurrayed quietly," Yes! Got you."


    She opened the keypad immediately, thumb flying over the numbers as she quickly punched in Adam’s number. All she had to do was let him hear her voice and he will do everything to get to her. Her thumb hovered over the green call button. One press, and she’d be out of this nightmare without having to pull all this nning and manipting.


    The line connected. A faint dial tone began to ring but then- Footsteps.


    Her blood turned to ice. Panicked, she jabbed at the red disconnect button, and had barely deleted thest dialed when Cadence stepped into the room.


    Mnie’s breath caught in her throat.


    She looked up, phone still in hand, forcing her face into something neutral, innocent, anything but what it actually was. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest she was sure he could hear it, while her thumb moved to the little icon on the bottom corner, very slowly.


    Cadence stood in the doorway, eyes sweeping over the scene as his gaze dropped to the phone in her hand. "I left my phone here."


    Mnie extended her hand and said," Yes. I just saw it. I was about to bring it to you..."


    "Bring it now." Cadence said coldly and she gulped. If the call had connected and Adam called back... But she could not refuse to give it to him.


    She was probably being too slow for Cadence when he almost shouted," Give it here fast."


    Mnie reached him and slowly extended her hand, holding out the phone... "What are yuo doing with it? Were you calling the police to rescue you, Melody?"


    He caught her wrist and pulled her close to him, when she shook her head," No no. See for yourself, what I was going to do..."


    Hearing her tone, Cadence looked down slowly and so did Mnie.. While Cadence’s expression remained calm, Mnie breathed a sigh of relief at the open camera and said," I just thought that I would click a picture of myself and leave it as your wallpaper...A surprise for you..."