Married to my Father’s Enemy

My father’s message didn’t give me time to think. I grabbed my things and left immediately, my heart racing as I stepped outside, knowing I was going back to people who chose her over me, but still my family anyway.

My mind was already racing as I walked, thinking about everything waiting for me at home, my father’s anger, my mother’s silence, and the way no one even tried to hear me out before taking her side.

I reached the main road and stopped, raising my hand for a taxi without wasting time, my eyes moving quickly from one car to another.

None of them stopped.

I stepped slightly forward again, trying to get a clearer view of the road.

For a brief second, I noticed a black car parked across the street. It hadn’t moved since I got there.

I frowned slightly, my eyes lingering on it just a second longer before I looked away.

That was when I felt someone behind me.

Not too close at first, just enough to make me feel uneasy.

I turned slightly just to check who was behind me, and that was when I saw a shadow move too fast for me to fully understand.

Before I could react properly, a cloth was pressed over my mouth from behind.

The shock hit me instantly. A sharp smell filled my nose, and my body reacted before my mind could even catch up.

My breathing stopped for a second as I struggled against someone stronger than me.

I kicked, I twisted, I tried to scream, but nothing came out.

My vision started breaking at the edges, like everything around me was splitting apart. The road, the lights, and the noise all started fading away at once until everything went blank.

~ ~ ~

I don’t know how long I was unconscious.

My head was throbbing painfully when I started coming back, my body feeling weak like I had been drained of all strength.

I forced my eyes open slowly, trying to understand where I was.

I was in an abandoned building.

Cold air hit my skin immediately, and I tried to move, but I couldn’t. I could feel it now, my hands and body were tied to a chair, and I couldn’t move no matter how much I tried.

There were seven men around me, all wearing masks that covered their faces.

My eyes moved around the room again, slower this time… until something didn’t sit right.

These men didn’t look disorganized. Everything about them felt planned… controlled.

Like they weren’t just random people who grabbed me off the street.

I stayed still immediately as I listened closely to their voices moving around the room.

“She’s still out,” one of them said, calm and certain.

“Good,” another replied. “Keep her that way for now.”

There was a short pause before another voice spoke, lower and more controlled than the rest.

“Your father has been a problem for a long time,” he said, anger clear in his tone. “He thinks he can interfere in things that don’t concern him and go Scot-free?”

A quiet, cold laugh followed.

“So now the result of that interference is sitting right here.”

My chest tightened at his words, confusion mixing with fear.

What exactly did my father do…?

And why did it feel like I was the one paying for it?

My fingers twitched slightly at the mention of my father, but I forced myself not to move. I didn’t understand what they meant, but I knew one thing clearly now, this wasn’t random, and I was not taken by mistake.

Something metallic shifted beside me, and my stomach tightened, but I forced myself to stay still.

“Let’s see how long she stays unconscious,” the same voice said again, and I could hear footsteps moving closer to where I was sitting.

That was when my body reacted before I could stop it, tensing slightly, just a small movement, but it was enough.

“She’s waking,” one of them said immediately.

“Hold her,” another voice ordered sharply.

Footsteps came closer, steady, like the person didn’t need to rush at all.

A hand grabbed my chin and forced my face upward. I flinched slightly, my eyes opening more clearly.

A man stood in front of me, wearing a mask like the others, the same man that was talking about my father. He was calm, in control, he was the one everyone answered to.

“Oh, you’re awake,” he said, almost amused. “Good.”

His grip tightened slightly on my chin as he tilted my face from side to side like he was studying me.

“Aria Collins,” he said slowly, like he was tasting the name. “Daughter of William Collins.”

He paused, then gave a small laugh.

“I must say… you are more beautiful than I expected.”

My chest tightened, but I didn’t respond. I just stared at him, trying to stay steady even though fear was rising.

He let go of my chin and stepped back slightly, then turned to someone behind him.

“Maybe I should start by ruining that beauty,” he said casually.

My stomach dropped immediately.

I thought, Oh God… why is this happening to me? First my wedding… now I’m being kidnapped.

He reached for something nearby and pulled out a metal rod already burning red at the tip.

I froze as he brought it closer, slowly, like he wanted me to see every second of it.

I tried to pull back, but the chair held me firmly in place as he lifted it toward my face—

“Let’s see how strong you still are,”

—and just then a voice cut through the room like a gunshot, making everyone freeze instantly.

“STOP.”