Chapter 116
Chapter 116
Chapter 116-Let’s talk about your so-called husband
The warehouse was quiet as Melina stood there like some dummy, having this look of confusion on her face that gives out the impression she didn’t know what Elijah was talking about.
“Strap her,"
Elijah commended, his face dead of emotions as he stared straight into her eyes like she was a puzzle to solve.
Once the boss’s order was out in the open, Jerome did not hesitate to grab a rope and then dragged a chair toward Melina, resting it right behind her.
Before she could protest or realize what was going on, Jerome locked her down in the chair and bound her wrists along with her ankles with two sets of ropes.
“Melina, don’t test my patience… I want my wife back, and trust me, I can do anything to make that happen… Is that understood?"
Elijah asked, staring straight at her from across the room, his tone deadly serious.
Suddenly, his ringtone sounded, and Elijah pulled out his phone, answering the call with his sight still trained on Melina.
“Dice,"
Elijah mumbled, fear suddenly creeping its way back into his heart as the sense of worry he felt just moments ago returned tenfold in an instant.
“Have you guys…"
“They had replica vans that were used to confuse the chase, boss… and I am sorry… We got thrown off and lost track of them."
Dice admitted with regret laced heavily in his voice.
“We lost the van, boss.”
Like his entire world had been ripped away from underneath him, Elijah shut his eyes for a second, trying to calm himself down.
But the cage door burst open and his emotions broke through, a mix of panic, anger, and grief coursing through him, threatening to explode and take over completely.
“Melina, where the fuck is my wife?!!"
Elijah shouted, his voice breaking a little and betraying how much stress he was under right now.
But that didn’t stop anger from burning in his eyes as he ended the call and glared over at Melina.
“Call it being at the wrong place at the wrong time, but I only visited you because of the pregnancy test result.
How was I supposed to know that Peach was going to get kidnapped at that exact moment?"
Melina said, sarcasm dripping from her voice like oil on water as if she didn’t care about the question he had asked.
“Do you remember how smooth your bed is, the taste of food, the feeling of cold refreshing water running down your throat?… Act cocky with me again, and this will be the hell hole you will be spending the rest of your lousy life in! Now let me ask you again: where the fuck is my wife?!?!"
Elijah uttered in a smooth voice.
Looking back at Jerome, Larry, and a couple of men around the warehouse, fear was written all over Melina’s expression as the men stood there, looking at her blankly.
“I don’t know,"
Melina answered, her words almost sounding like a whimper.
“I don’t know where they are taking her.”
The silence in the room after those words had left her lips made Melina realize that she had gotten herself in some deep shit.
She had messed up big time and she knew it.
“I swear that I don’t know, Elijah,"
Melina said in a desperate attempt to make Elijah believe her.
Not a single word did she get from Elijah as he just looked at her, his gaze boring holes into her soul, and his silence had her so scared she started crying, mumbling, “I don’t know… I don’t."
“Then tell me what you know,"
Elijah ordered, keeping his hands clenched tightly together as he tried to suppress his rage.
Seeing how unbothered he seemed by her tears, Melina abruptly stopped, darting her eyes around and then dragging her gaze back to him.
“Grandma called me this afternoon to tell me that she needed me to do something to grab your attention for a couple of minutes, outside of the hotel, away from Peach, and have you focus solely on me…"
Melina explained, her eyes dried and a pinch of annoyance in them.
Her words made Elijah tighten his fists so much that his knuckles began to turn white as his nails dug into his flesh.
But he didn’t dare to show any of it on his face since he knew that would only fuel the fire inside his head and make him lose his mind.
“So you thought putting on a show of being pregnant with my baby was the perfect script to use for your distasteful act… Typical you… I am not shocked."
Elijah mumbled, his voice filled with disgust.
“You have not changed a bit.”
“Yes… it was, and I am… SO-rry… But honestly, that’s all I know.
My grandmother won’t answer any of my other questions when I asked her about why she wanted you distracted."
Melina explained, trying to sound remorseful, but her voice just came out more bitter than sincere.
Knowing that Melina was nothing short of a hardcore liar and manipulator, Elijah couldn’t even find a shred of reason to believe her.
But then his phone rang again, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“Stuff her mouth,"
Elijah commanded, looking at Melina.
A nervous look crossed her face as she stared between Elijah and Jerome, mumbling,"
Wait… Don’t put anything dirty in my-!"
But soon she was shut up when Jerome took hold of a thick cloth and shoved it deep in her mouth before duct taping her lips together to keep them sealed.
After taking a moment to calm himself, Elijah looked at the unknown caller id on his phone screen and answered.
But he withheld his words as he listened to the silence from the other line until he heard a low husky voice, “We have your wife.”
Being hundred percent sure now that the Hayes was behind his wife’s kidnapping, his hate for the family felt like poison spreading through his veins. Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.
“Please… I am beg-ging you… Please don’t… don’t hurt my wife… I will do anything you want from me."
Elijah said in a cowardly and shaky tone, causing his men to become shocked, their eyes widened as they stared at him, wondering if he was being sarcastic or serious.
The other side of the line grew quiet immediately, and suddenly, the silence started circling the atmosphere with no one speaking on both side.
“Please, tell me… what do you guys want?"
Elijah finally said, desperation and pleading evident in his voice.
“Well…."
The husky voice drew once again.
“I want Elmer Hayes released from prison.”
» ML
There was a brief pause as Elijah’s eyed Melina, seeing her eyes darting nervously, and then he let out in a shaky tone, “Okay… O-kay… Just don’t hurt my wife."
“We wouldn’t if you cooperate with us."
The man replied with a threatening tone.
“It’s going to take like two to three days to get him free… But… how do I know my wife will be unharmed during those days."
“What are you asking?!”
“I want a picture of her right now, and a picture of her after every hour-"
“Listen here”
“Look… Peach is my life, and a scratch on her… any part of her body will make me very uncooperative… And since I want her home safely, and you want Elmer free, we have to accommodate each other’s wishes."
1 The line went silent again, and for several long moments, no one spoke.
Finally, the male voice came back through the line and he said in a low threatening voice, “Fine… If Elmer is not free on the third day, Peach will get hurt, pretty bad."
“I won’t let it come to that.
I can assure you."
Elijah said, his face grew dark as he spoke his last words.
“Good."
:
“Thank you.
I will be waiting for her picture.”
A low groan echoed from Jacob’s lips as he ended the call with Elijah and then threw Peach a hard stare.
“Your husband wants a photo of you, so fix your face and say, ‘cheese!"
Jacob ordered while giving her a sharp look.
Since she had been nothing but cooperative with them since they got her, there was no need for violence with Peach, and Jacob was glad about that because even though Elijah sounded like a chicken on the phone, he knew not to be fooled by a man that had the Hayes by their balls.
Being kidnapped by some random dude was the least of Peach’s concerns since her emotions won’t let her stop grieving the fact that Melina was pregnant with a child that could belong to Elijah.
“Look up and smile!"
Jacob barked in a loud voice.
Perking up from the table she sat at, Peach slightly tilted her head, forced a grin, and waited for him to get done already.
When the flash went off in her face, she drew a silent breath and then stared back at the table, ignoring Jacob as he said in a creepy tone, “You have a beautiful face, even with tears in them, you still look sensual, and have smooth skin.
Have you thought of becoming a lingerie model?"
Her tears slowly dripped down her cheeks as a bunch of emotionally draining thoughts ran through her brain.
All she could think about was how her marriage was about to change course and she had to learn to be okay with Melina being in Elijah’s life for the sake of the baby.
“And sent,"
Jacob finally declared as he put his phone back into his pocket.
Then he stared hard at Peach, frowning at her tears dropping on his table, and then commanded, “Hey, look at me."
Slowly, Peach raised her head, looking calmly at him as he sat in the chair opposite her, leaning forward in an attempt to look serious and intimidating, but Peach was too exhausted to care or act up.
“Let’s talk about this so-called husband of yours.
Who is he, really?"
Jacob asked as he tilted his head to the side, his eyes searching for hers.