Briony pulled out her phone and booked a flight.
Once her ticket was confirmed, she made two quick calls to tie up some loose ends at work.
When she finally looked up again, she realized the driver had taken a wrong turn.
"Excuse me, are you sure this is the right way?" she asked.
The driver didn''t respond.
A jolt of unease shot through her. Briony immediately opened her ride-hailing app.
The map made it clear-they were headed in the opposite direction from the airport.
She reached for her phone to call the police, but suddenly a harsh, chemical odor filled the car.
Her vision blurred, and darkness imed her almost instantly.
The driver nced at her unconscious form in the back seat, then dialed a number. "She''s out. I''ll bring her over now."
...
"Bryn? Bryn!"
Briony''s eyes snapped open to find Ferdinand''s anxious face hovering above her.
She jerked upright and scanned the unfamiliar room.
"Where are we?" she demanded.
"We''re at a hotel," Ferdinand said gently. "You were nearly abducted, but I got there just in time. If I hadn''t, who knows where you''d be right now?"
Briony stared at him, wary of his words.
But she knew now was not the time to confront Ferdinand.
"Did you call the police?" she asked.
"I did. The man who tried to kidnap you is in custody. He''s a repeat offender- targets women traveling alone. The police told me several women have already fallen victim to him before you."
Briony''s face darkened.
Lately, strange idents had been happening around her with unsettling frequency.
Ever since she''d started suspecting there was something wrong with that bag of candy...
She studied Ferdinand''s face-serene, refined, almost too perfect.
But her doubts about him only grew stronger.
She needed to get out of Havenport as soon as possible. Once she got back to Northborough, the very first thing she''d do was hire a professional bodyguard.
"Thank you for saving me," Briony said sincerely, meeting Ferdinand''s gaze. "Let me treat you to dinner once I''m back in Northborough. But right now, I really have to go."
"You''ve been out for half the
day-you already missed your flight,"
Ferdinand replied. "Why don''t you
stay here tonight? Tomorrow
morning we''ll head back to
vel
Northborough together. It''s safer if I''m with you, after what happened."
Briony felt tension knotting between her shoulders.
"There''s a crucial meeting at Starlight Entertainment tomorrow morning. I have to get back tonight."
Ferdinand watched her closely. Even though she tried to act calm, he could tell how tense she was.
"Bryn, are you afraid of me?"
"Of course not," she said with a faint smile. “It''s just, I really do need to make it back tonight."
"There aren''t any flights to Northborough left tonight," Ferdinand said, handing her phone back. "See for yourself if you don''t believe me."
Briony took her phone and checked the screen.
It was already 8 p.m.
Sure enough, every ticket was sold out.
She booked the earliest flight for the next morning. "I''ve got a seat on the six a.m. flight."
Ferdinand raised an eyebrow. "Isn''t that a bit early?"
"This meeting is important. I can''t miss it."
Ferdinand gave a small, knowing, smile. "Bryn, I''m a businessman too, you know. I''m now the majority shareholder at MQ. Within three years, MQ will be the leadingpany in the country."
Briony offered a polite smile. "Congrattions."
"You know what I mean," Ferdinand said, locking eyes with her. "Everything. Stewart ever achieved can achieve too. You don''t need to run yourself ragged. Marry me. Whatever Stewart could give you, I can give you as well-and i can promise, you''ll never have to feel neglected."
Ferdinand had never been this direct before; any trace of subtlety was gone. Now
he waspletely open, almost aggressive.
Briony felt her patience fraying.
She had once genuinely thought of Ferdinand as a benefactor. As they became
close, she''de to value his friendship deeply.
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