Upon arriving at the Seaside Villa, Waylon Lewis forcefully grabbed Hope Williams' hand and yanked her out of the car.
Hope was worried about the two children, even though she knew Luke was capable of taking care of Willow and getting on the plane to find Liam Cloud in Y country. But she still felt uneasy, after all, they were only five-year-old kids.
Lost in thought, she was caught off guard by Waylon's tug and nearly fell to the ground. Fortunately, she balanced herself by holding onto the car door frame. She glared at Waylon, her eyes blazing with anger. "Let go of me, I can walk by myself!"
The man, of course, ignored her words, instead dragging her more forcefully towards the villa's room.
He mercilessly threw Hope onto the carpet. Before she could react, a sharp pain shot through her chin as she was forced to lift her head, caught by the chin, and the man's handsome face was just inches away.
"Stay here and reflect on your actions. When you're ready to explain, you'll get something to eat." His cold voice echoed like a demon's whisper, chilling her to the core.
Hope felt a chill down her spine and clenched her fists tightly. Explain about the children? He must be dreaming.
"Keep dreaming."
"Heh."
The man gave a cold, brutal laugh.
"I hope in a few days, you'll still have the guts to be so stubborn."
With a harsh remark, the man slammed the door and left.
Panic surged in Hope's heart as she checked her pockets, realizing her phone had been taken away by him. She leaped up in desperation.
The door closed mercilessly in her face.
"Bang!"
Hope's eyes blazed with anger. "Waylon, give me back my phone, you lunatic!"
Without a phone, she couldn't contact Luke and Willow, couldn't ensure their safety. Hope was overwhelmed with anxiety, kicking the door, but the ornate double doors didn't budge!
The room was on the third floor. Hope looked at the height; jumping out would surely result in injury. The door was locked from the outside by that bastard, and she couldn't open it.
Hope quickly searched the room. It was the room she had lived in after marrying Waylon, and not much had changed, making her feel both familiar and estranged. She remembered there being a spare key somewhere.
Holding on to a sliver of hope, Hope rummaged through all the drawers in the room but found no trace of a key.
Defeated, Hope leaned against the wall, hugging her knees as she slid to the floor, unsure if Luke and Willow had safely boarded the plane.
Without a phone, she couldn't contact them. Her anxiety made every minute unbearable.
So passed three long hours. The clock on the wall showed it was twelve, lunchtime, but no one came to bring her food.
Hope had rushed out in the morning, made food for the kids, and barely had a bite herself. By this point, she was ravenously hungry.
Then, footsteps approached along the quiet hallway. Hope sharply straightened up; her hearing was always excellent, someone was coming.
There was a knock on the door, followed by a sweet female voice calling warmly from outside, "Waylon."
That voice... Joy Ward!
"Waylon, are you there?"
Hope's heart stirred. She didn't make a sound, yet walked a few steps on the floor, deliberately making slight noises, signaling the person outside that someone was inside. Then, Hope held her breath, standing against the corner of the wall.
"Waylon, are you in there?"
"..."
"Waylon, should I come in?"
Joy felt a hint of delight. Waylon hadn't refused; previously, he never allowed her in this room. The servants rarely entered, and even if they cleaned, they couldn't disturb anything inside.
Today, Waylon hadn't refused. Joy's mouth curled into a sweet smile.
She was about to enter the room she had longed for, and her heart couldn't help but race. She adjusted her collar to reveal her elegant collarbones, fluffed her meticulously styled tea-colored curls, and opened the door.
Just when she thought she was about to see Waylon, "Ah..."
Hope took her by surprise with a chop and she immediately fainted.
Hope hadn't exerted too much force, so Joy would wake up in less than an hour.
Since Joy had come upstairs to find Waylon, it indicated Waylon was not downstairs. With this thought in mind, Hope bolted downstairs.
She dashed straight to the foyer, the main door was within reach, and Hope's eyes were filled with hope as she reached for the doorknob.
"Where do you think you're going?"