Chapter 50

Ivy’s POV
My entire body trembled uncontrollably as the car sped through the city streets and out toward the suburbs.
Was I being kidnapped for ransom? Was this because of Ryan? Would they hurt me? Kill me?
The bodyguards didn’t touch me beyond the restraints, which was my only comfort during the terrifying ride.
Eventually, we pulled up to a private villa tucked away in an exclusive neighborhood. They dragged me inside and unceremoniously dumped me onto a plush carpet.
I glanced around, heart pounding. Who the hell had brought me here?
Then came the soft mechanical whir of an approaching wheelchair—quiet, almost polite, but it sent ice lancing through my veins.
I looked up.
And in that instant, familiar features swam into focus. My breath caught, and the fear in my chest bloomed, sharp and blinding.
It was him.Kane Blackwood.My nightmare.
He rolled to a stop in front of me, the wheelchair gliding to a halt with an ominous hiss. His eyes glittered with sadistic pleasure as he drank in my terror.
Without a word, he reached down and yanked the cloth from my mouth. His lips curved into a cruel, almost lazy smile.
“Well, well,” he murmured. “After all this time… you don’t recognize me?”
I shook my head frantically, forcing my lips into what I hoped passed for a smile. It felt more like a grimace.
“Kane… how… when did you come back?” My voice was barely a whisper.
He scoffed. And then, without warning, he slapped me hard across the face.
The slap echoed through the room like a gunshot.
I didn’t cry out. I knew better.
Years ago, as Kane’s lover, I’d learned the rules: pain excited him. The more you showed, the more he wanted. The only weapon I had was silence—and pretending.
“Kane,” I said, working to steady my voice, “why have your men drag me here like this? You could’ve just called me.”
I softened my tone, slipping into the coquettish cadence he used to like. A desperate gamble.
“You worthless slut,” he spat. “If I hadn’t brought you here by force, would you have come willingly?”
“Of course I would!” I said quickly, leaning into the lie. “I’ve always wanted to see you. Please—untie me. I’m not going to run.”
Despite Kane’s volatile temper, getting back into his good graces could provide me with the protection and lifestyle I desperately needed. Better the devil you know, right?
“Kane, please,” I whispered, inching closer to his wheelchair. “These ties are hurting me.”
“Untie her,” he ordered his men.
Relief washed over me as they cut the zip ties. I immediately positioned myself by his wheelchair, looking up at him adoringly.
“I’ve missed you so much. You’ve been gone for so long.”
Kane watched my performance with obvious contempt.
“Really? You seemed to be doing quite well without me. Working at Blackwood’s design studio, career taking off nicely. What happened? Did Ryan get bored after he used you up and threw you away?”
My smile froze on my face. How did he know so much about my situation? Did that mean he also knew how desperately I’d tried to seduce Ryan?
Before I could form a response, Kane grabbed my chin with bruising force, squeezing until my face contorted painfully.
“You treacherous bitch. I sent you to seduce Ryan so we could destroy him together. Instead, you fell for him. Tell me, how should I make you pay for this betrayal?”
My eyes widened in terror as I frantically shook my head, making muffled sounds of denial against his grip.
“I didn’t… I swear
“Do you think I’m an idiot? Useless!” He suddenly released me, shoving me backward. I tumbled onto the floor, my cheek throbbing with angry red fingerprints.
“Kane, please,” I gasped, scrambling to explain. “You know what Ryan’s like—completely impenetrable. I never had a chance to destroy him! He’s still obsessed with my sister.”
“Is that so?”
Kane seemed to consider this, his expression thoughtful.
“You’re still worthless to me,” he finally said. “Tell me, how would you like to disappear?”
Terror exploded in my chest. “Kane, no! Please! Give me another chance! Don’t do this to me!”
I knew exactly what Kane was capable of. When he decided someone needed to “disappear,” they vanished without a trace. No witnesses. No body. Nothing.
“Another chance?” he echoed, seeming amused by my desperation.
“Yes, another chance! Please, Kane. We were together once. Don’t do this to me.”
Kane laughed coldly, slapping away my pleading hands.
“Together? You were nothing but a warm body in my bed. You think that makes you special? You’re delusional.”
I felt hope draining from me. Ryan already despised me—he wouldn’t swoop in to save me now. Nobody would.
Kane seemed to feed on my despair, his eyes gleaming with a perverse satisfaction.
“So tell me,” he said suddenly, “how do you plan to use this second chance?”
Hope flickered back to life. “Anything! I’ll do anything you want! Just tell me what you need!”
My mind raced with possibilities. If I could just get out of here alive, I’d never let Kane catch me again. I’d run far away, change my identity if necessary.
Kane’s eyes narrowed, sharp and knowing, as if he were reading every thought racing through my head. A dangerous smile curved across his face.
“Ivy, tell me—does Ryan even know you used to be mine? I wonder how he’d react if he found out his precious Sophie’s sister was keeping my bed warm. Think about it—how do you imagine he’d look at you then?”
His voice dropped to a low, taunting murmur. “I can’t wait to find out.”
The blood drained from my face, and I collapsed back onto the floor, hollow and defeated. There was no escape. No matter what I did now, I was already trapped.
Kane didn’t let me breathe before delivering the final blow.
“I want the Blackwood Group’s trade secrets. I don’t care how you manage it—this is the last chance you’ll ever get.”
He leaned forward, eyes glinting like a viper ready to strike.
A chill rippled down my spine, sweat slicking my back. There was only one answer I could give.
I understand.”
Kane’s lips twisted into a satisfied smile. “Good girl. Three days. I’ll be waiting.”
I tried to keep my voice steady, forcing out a fragile plea. “Couldn’t you give me a little more time?”
“Of course,” Kane said smoothly, turning his wheelchair as if I were no longer worth his gaze. His tone was colder than steel.
“Just make sure you give Ryan a heads-up—so he knows when to pick up your body.”
I couldn’t remember how I was dragged out of the villa. All I knew was that my death sentence had been written. Kane never bluffed—when he spoke, he meant it.
By the time I came to, I was dumped at the corner near my apartment. My legs buckled under me, and I had to cling to the wall just to stay upright.
Three days. That was all I had. And every second was already slipping away.