-=Gabby's Point of View=-

My face broke into a triumphant smile while I was riding in Jayden's car, and when I checked on him, I saw that he was still deeply asleep.

I mean, how is it possible for someone to function normally after consuming bottled water that has drugs in it?

Who would have guessed that it would be this simple for Jayden to fall into my trap and that all it would take to fool him is a pretty face? 

I could still remember what happened earlier. After a few minutes, when he drank the water I handed him.

"Are you alright?" I asked, trying to sound worried when I saw how drowsy he looked.

I could tell that he was making an effort to fight off the sleepiness that he was experiencing, but I also knew that he was already losing the battle.

He responded, "Yeah, I'm fine; I'm just a little dizzy," while he was still attempting to keep himself awake.

He was probably under the impression that it had something to do with the hard liquor he consumed in the bar, but he was completely mistaken about that.

"I think you should stop the car, and take a rest first, it would be dangerous if you force yourself to drive in this condition," I said pointing to the side of the road.

"I guess you're right," he responded, and then he decided to park the car on the side of the road.

"Just give me five minutes, and for sure, I will be ok," he said, and he didn't wait for my response as he finally closed his eyes, intending to take a nap.

I gave him a gentle shake of the shoulder after a couple of minutes of waiting before I attempted to wake him up, but he didn't even budge.

"Jayden? Jayden?" I tried calling his name several times, but he still isn't waking up, which makes it absolutely clear to me that the drug I used finally worked, and there's no way that he could wake up any time soon. 

"Perfect," I muttered.

I quickly got out of the car and went to the driver's side, where I attempted, with a great deal of difficulty, to move Jayden from the driver's side to the passenger's side. This was quite a challenge because Jayden is quite large in comparison to the size of my body, so it was difficult for me to move him.

If the information provided by my dealer is accurate, Jayden will probably be asleep for at least six hours, which will provide me with sufficient time to drive to my destination, which is only a four-hour drive away.

"Don't blame me, Jayden Andrada; you brought this on yourself," I said as I reached for the back of the steering wheel.

After wasting no more time, I went ahead and started the ignition, and after a few minutes had passed, we were finally on our way to the place where my plan would be carried out.

I continued driving until the sun finally showed its first rays of light. At that point, it had already been a couple of hours, but Jayden was still sound asleep and showed no sign of waking up just yet.

To tell you the truth, I was having a wonderful time on my drive thanks to the breathtaking scenery and the fact that the temperature wasn't particularly hot. Because of this, I made the conscious decision to roll down the window glass so that I could take in some of the cool, fresh air.

We hadn't been to Zambales in a long time because Aunt Annette's family, my mother's sister, has a house there but no one lives there because her family migrated to the United States two years ago, so I thought of using that place to put this monster who was still unconscious, still unaware that I had duped him to make him pay.

As I drove on without making any stops, I kept thinking to myself, "No one can mess with my sister and get away with it."

It had been such a long time since we went to Aunt Annette's resthouse that it was challenging for me to remember the way to their land.

Several times, I decided to stop and ask for directions. I was worried that someone might recognize Jayden, so I decided to hide his face by putting a piece of clothing I found in the car over it.

When I saw the brand of the shirt I was going to use to cover his face, I couldn't help but smirk. The price of this shirt is almost exactly the same as my monthly salary, which is something that really irritates me.

I really despised wealthy people, especially those entitled ones. I have worked in a bank for a couple of years now, so I have worked with a variety of wealthy people, and the majority of them are either snobs or self-conceited, and they act like they own everything and they are above everyone else.

I had some wealthy suitors, but I would always reject them on the spot because I don't trust them and I know that the only thing they want is to spend one night with me, which would never happen.

For me, rich people are meant for rich people, the same thing with poor people, they are meant for poor people as well.

My sister had made the fatal mistake of falling in love with a wealthy man, and I didn't want to repeat her mistakes.

"Where are you, Melchora?" I couldn't stop myself from being worried for my sister.

She's been missing for five days after she told me how her boyfriend played her for a fool.

She preferred to be called Mel, rather than Melchora, because, as she explained to me, she felt that her given name sounded too heroic.

Because her name was derived from that of one of our heroines who lived during the time of the Spaniards, Melchora Aquino, she decided to go by the name Mel instead of Melchora.

My mother was opposed to the idea of giving me the name Gabriella, which is the name of another notable woman from our past, Gabriela Silang. As a result, my name was changed to Gabrielle, which I consider to be a more contemporary form of the name than Gabriela.

Well, going back to my sister, we're both different people, in terms of preferences and choices in life.

I'm just a regular girl who isn't interested in rich people or their possessions in any way, but Mel isn't like me in that aspect at all.

As much as I hate to say this, Mel is quite ambitious and wanted to be married to someone wealthy.

Because of this, she decided to quit school and concentrate on her modeling career, where she knew she would have the opportunity to meet extremely wealthy men.

I tried to talk her out of it and show her why it wasn't a good idea, but she didn't listen and kept on her way to becoming a model anyway.

She started when she was eighteen years old, and now that she's twenty-four years old, she has become more determined to find a rich future husband.

She explained to me that being a model doesn't last very long, so to secure her financial future, she needed to find a wealthy future husband as quickly as she could.

I remembered that when she went home the previous month, she was so ecstatic because, according to her, she had finally found the man who she wanted to marry.

Even though I tried to force her to tell me the name of this man, she flatly refused, telling me that it was not yet the perfect time to ask her about him.

At that very same time, she decided to finally move out and live with her boyfriend, and since she was older than me, I had no choice but to give her my blessings.

I thought her relationship was going well because she didn't show up or call for almost two weeks. So I was very surprised when she came home very drunk and kept saying her boyfriend had played with her and cheated on her.

It was really difficult for me to understand the name that she kept mumbling, so I asked her several times to tell me the name of her boyfriend because it was really hard for me to understand the name until finally, I was able to decipher the name. At least I think that's what it was.

"Aidan... Aiden... Jayden Andrada!" She shouted, followed by a series of cries.

I couldn't help but feel bad for my sister because I'd never seen her in such a depressed state before, and it was all because of that jerk, Jayden Andrada.

"Jayden Andrada," I muttered, feeling like I heard that name before, and then it hit me.

I find it hard to believe that Mel's new boyfriend is the billionaire, Jayden Andrada since almost everyone has heard of him, especially after a well-known lifestyle magazine in the Philippines featured him in an article about eligible bachelors.

Among the individuals whose names appear on the list are Xavier Fajardo, who recently tied the knot with the stunning Ayesha Santillan, and Romano Santiago, who recently tied the knot with Atilla Cervantes, the sister of another billionaire named Henry Cervantes. 

After a while, I noticed that she had fallen asleep because of her grievance, so I just let her rest, but I was very surprised the next day when she was no longer in his bed and only left a short note saying that she would look for her boyfriend. This should not be too difficult to do because almost all of the press followed Jayden's movement wherever he went.

It's been a week since then, and I still can't reach Mel via her cellphone. Because I was so worried about her well-being, I decided to plan an abduction for her boyfriend, Jayden Andrada.

I spent two days getting ready for this plan, and it was a stroke of luck when I happened to become acquainted with Jayden's secretary, Amy, who also happened to be my client.

As soon as I learned that Jayden Andrada was dating my sister, I began questioning Amy about her boss, inquiring about his preferences and the kinds of things he typically does.

She was completely mistaken in her assumption that the reason I was asking those questions was that I was interested in her boss. However, I chose not to correct her because I was concerned that she would refuse to provide me with any information if she realized that I was conducting this questioning to carry out my plan to kidnap her boss.

It was because of Amy that I learned about the bar where I met Jayden. She told me that Jayden usually goes to that bar before leaving the country for a business trip.

My train of thought was derailed when I felt my passenger move, and I could feel my heart racing when I thought that Jayden was about to wake up and figure out what I was up to.

Fortunately, he didn't wake up, so I was able to drive in peace, but because of his sudden move, the shirt covering his face fell, which gave me a glimpse of his handsome face.

I couldn't help but keep looking at his face, and without even realizing it, I found myself reaching out to touch his face, particularly his lips, which I had only a few hours earlier had the pleasure of tasting.

It was as if I could still feel his expert lips kissing me with so much passion, and it took a great deal of self-control on my part to refrain from kissing him again.

"What are you thinking, Gabrielle," I scolded myself, and after that, I continued driving.

When we finally arrived at our destination, thirty more minutes had passed, and the area was surrounded by large trees.

It is fortunate for me that I have already been here a few times because it will be difficult for anyone else to locate this location if they are unfamiliar with it.

I picked this location because it's ideal for my scheme, and even if Jayden tried to yell for help, no one would be able to hear him here because of how secluded the place is.

We're in the middle of a forest anyway, so this is really ideal for my wicked plan for revenge.

It wasn't too difficult to get there by car, but carrying an unconscious Jayden up the stairs to the room on the second floor was probably the most challenging thing I had to go through.

I was gasping for air when I finally had him lie down in bed.

I am only five feet and six inches tall, whereas he is over six feet tall, and his body is extremely well built as a result of frequent visits to the gym.

After taking a moment to gather my composure, I eventually removed the two handcuffs that I had brought with me, placed them on both of his hands, and then placed the other ends of the handcuffs on the pole of the bed.

I also tied both of his feet to the opposing poles, just to make certain that there was no way for him to get away.

"Perfect," I silently muttered between breaths, when I finally saw my handiwork, and after that, I decided to go to the kitchen to make myself something to eat.

It is no wonder that I am so hungry because I haven't eaten anything since last night. In addition, I am aware that once my prisoner wakes up, he will most likely be hungry and want something to eat.

I gave Mel's number one more try, but the same thing happened; I was unable to get in touch with her. I couldn't find any other way to reach her.

"Where are you?" I exclaimed in frustration but decided to stop, and then my eyes moved to the still sleeping Jayden.

"Just stay there, don't go anywhere," I chuckled, knowing that even if he wanted to leave, he couldn't get away from me. 

-=Gabby's Point of View=-

I was cooking while humming a song when I heard cursing coming from the second floor of the house.

"I suppose my guest is already awake," I thought to myself.

When I thought of Jayden, the jerk who hurt my sister, I couldn't stop a smirk from forming on my lips.

I'm guessing it's about time for him to find out that I'd tricked him, that he was tricked by someone like me, and that it would hurt his enormous ego to find out that I'd tricked him.

I have just finished preparing our already late lunch, as it is already one in the afternoon.

I did not anticipate that the drug would be so effective that he would sleep for more than eight hours.

I took my time walking up to the second floor, where I could still hear the nonstop cursing from my "visitor".

When I heard the things that Jayden was saying, I couldn't help but be scandalized. For crying out loud, I'm still innocent, and when I say that, I mean that I'm inexperienced or even better, that I'm a virgin.

I heard the word "shit" when I was a foot away from the closed door.

I hadn't closed the door all the way, but it was close enough that I could kick it open all the way. Inside was a very angry Jayden Andrada, and if looks could kill, I'd be dead by now.

"It's time for lunch!" I happily announced.

I'm trying to give off the impression that I'm not affected by his stare, but the truth is that I was already shaking due to the rage that was clearly visible in his eyes.

I really wanted to go back to the kitchen and hide there, but I had to keep my composure and remember that I was doing this for my sister. However, he does appear to be quite frightening.

I understand why he is upset with me, I mean, who wouldn't be angry if they woke up with handcuffs on both wrists and their feet tied to the opposite side of the bed, making it difficult for them to move?

"What is it that you want from me?" He calmly asked me, but I could tell that he was about to blow his top. 

I could see the rage and fury in his eyes as he looked intently at me, and it caused both of my knees to shake.

"It can wait; I'm sure you're already famished, just as I am!" I spoke in a tone that I believe irritated him.

"Great! How considerate of you, but in case you haven't noticed, I'm tied to this fucking bed!" He yelled and pulled his hands violently, as if trying to escape.

Thankfully, the bed is crafted from sturdy Burmese rosewood that can withstand Jayden's pathetic strength, so his effort was futile.

"Don't fret; as a gracious host, I will feed you myself; aren't I wonderful?" I asked, smiling sweetly, still trying to avoid meeting his eyes.

"Who is your accomplice?" I made the mistake of looking him in the eyes because of his statement, and immediately felt my legs weaken when I saw his stern stare.

"Wait...what are you trying to say?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly.

"I highly doubt that you did all of this by yourself, so tell me, what syndicate are you a part of," he asked in a threatening manner.

"What are you talking about... wait, are you really thinking that I kidnapped you so that I could get a ransom?" I asked with a tone of disbelief; however, when I gave it some thought, it wasn't surprising that he would think that way given the circumstances that he was in.

"Just tell me how much you want so I could leave. I have a flight going to Macau for a very important business meeting tomorrow and I can't afford to miss it," he said this while maintaining a businesslike attitude, as if he were speaking to one of his employees.

After hearing what he said, I had a sudden and complete loss of fear, which was replaced right away by anger.

"First of all, I am not a member of a syndicate, nor have I ever been a member of one, and second of all, I have never wanted any of your money!" I screamed, but rather than appearing startled by my unexpected outburst, he appeared amused by it. Then, all of a sudden, he smiled at me, which left me speechless because of how seductively his smile is.

"Therefore, if you're not after my money, are you after my body? Do you simply want me to make love to you?" He asked in his most seductive tone.

I could feel my body heating up simply by listening to him, and I hated that he could evoke such passion in me simply through his words. Furthermore, I'm still a virgin, so what is this man doing to my body?

Because I didn't answer, he went ahead and continued talking in his seductive voice, saying things that would make even a saint blush.

"Take off my handcuffs, and I will make sure you will experience what I promised you. You will not regret it. I am an expert when it comes to pleasuring women. I will begin with your luscious lips, and I will suck your tongue like a hungry..." I finally cut him off before he could convince me to do what he wanted me to do.

"Stop it! I would never have sex with you, even if you're the last man on earth!"  I just wanted to yell at him for making me feel this way.

He told me, "I don't believe you, because I could see that just merely my words could affect you; look in the mirror and you will know what I mean, or you can just look at those," indicating my bosoms.

"Let me get this straight, Mr. Andrada, you got it all wrong, I am not after your money, nor would I ever be after your body; you're here because of what you did to my sister," I told him, my chest heaving from the annoyance this man was causing me.

"What the heck do you mean I did to your sister?" He asked, obviously confused.

"Maybe a Mel Crisostomo can jog your memory?"As I asked, I braced myself for a guilty expression, but instead, he seemed more confused when I mentioned my sister's name.

He gives off the impression that he is seriously considering it and trying to recall the name, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he is just faking it. Either that, or he has so many victims that he has lost count of the number of women he has toyed with, including my sister.

"No!" He finally answered.

"What about a Melchora Crisostomo?" My thought was that Mel might introduce herself to this man by her real name, so I asked.

"What the eff is going on?! The only Melchora that I am familiar with is the hero, and keep in mind that we have never actually met," his tone is extremely sarcastic and mocking.

It was the shamelessness of the man in front of me, who appeared innocent despite the fact that he had hurt my sister, that caused my blood pressure to begin to rise, and I could feel it rising to dangerous levels.

"The problem with you rich people is that you enjoy abusing others, but when it comes to being accountable for your own actions, you act all innocent and clueless. Stop acting innocent because we both know what you did to my sister, and don't you dare deny that you're her boyfriend!" My chest was heaving after yelling at him.

"How many times must I repeat this to penetrate your thick skull? I don't know your sister, and I don't know anyone by that name, so please release me before I lose a very important business deal, or you won't like the result of your stupid mistake" he said in a threatening tone.

I was astonished when I sensed that he was telling the truth, but because I am aware of how adept he is at manipulating and deceiving others, I remind myself not to fall for his trick, or I won't be able to help my sister.

Once you've met with my sister, I'll let you go, but you'll pay for what you did to her, and I'll make sure your lies are exposed." 

I was getting more and more frustrated with him, so I ended up leaving.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" When he saw me leaving with the food I had prepared for him, he immediately asked.

"I don't think you're hungry, so I will just put it back in the kitchen," I said.

I paid no attention to his cussing and shouting as I made my way back to the kitchen.

As soon as I got back to the kitchen, I yelled angrily, "The nerve of him to lie in my face that he didn't know my sister!"

"However, what if..." It did cross my mind that perhaps he was telling the truth, but then again, I had Mel repeat the name of his boyfriend, and that is how I found out about Jayden Andrada. Therefore, I immediately dismiss that thought.

I reached for my phone, which was sitting on the table, and dialed Mel's number again, but the same thing happened; I was unable to get through to her.

"Please, Mel..." I silently muttered when my call still didn't go through after several tries.

-=Jayden's Point of View=-

I didn't know what I'd gotten myself into. If it weren't for my friend's advice for me to relax since it was still two days away before my flight going to Macau, then I wouldn't be in this mess.

I couldn't stop myself from feeling aggrieved when I thought that I was tricked by a girl. Who would have thought that she could pull this kind of stunt? I mean, for crying out loud, I'm Jayden Andrada!

People are afraid of me, not just because of the power I possess; they are afraid of me because of my personality, and I still cannot accept that I was duped by someone like her!

Honestly, I was surprised when a waiter approached me and handed me a glass of liquor, and I was about to tell him to back off since I didn't need someone to buy me a drink, but I stopped when he pointed to the person who bought me the drink.

I felt like I was being hypnotized when I finally saw the alluring woman, sitting by herself.

The word pretty is such a lame adjective to describe her, the word gorgeous would be more fitting for a woman like herself, so it was no wonder that I found myself walking to her table, and introducing myself as I thanked her for the drink.

I thought everything was going smoothly since we already had an agreement to go somewhere more private, and to be honest, for some reason, I couldn't wait to taste her, which resulted in me kissing her on her cherry-red lips, and I was surprised by the sensation I felt when I tasted her lips.

I could tell that she was also being affected by the kiss, but she pushed me and told me that we had a lot of time, but before leaving she said that she was thirsty, so she went back to the bar, or so I thought.

I wanted to stop her, but she seemed to be persistent, so I finally let her go, but it seemed I could not take my eyes off her, so I followed her movement until I was no longer able to see her.

She returned holding two bottled water. She handed me one, and since I wanted to return to where we left, I drank it without giving it much thought, which was a really big mistake and the reason why I was in this situation.

"Melchora Crisostomo," I tried to remember if I knew someone with that name, but I've been thinking about that name ever since my abductor left, but I still couldn't remember anyone with that name.

"What if she's Amanda?" I suddenly thought.

I met Amanda in a bar more than a month ago, and if my memory serves me right, I believe she is a model, so it crossed my mind that maybe Amanda was my abductor's sister.

I admit we had a sexual relationship, but that's it. We had sex, we enjoyed each other's company, but that's all there is to it. So when I told her that we should stop seeing each other, she agreed to it, and she doesn't seem upset about it. Knowing how liberated she is, it wouldn't be a problem for her to find another bed partner, so why is her sister now blaming me for hurting her?

It just doesn't make sense!

I suddenly felt my stomach rumbling, and then I realized that I hadn't had a proper meal since last night, and it was as if my abductor was messing with me when she didn't even check on me after our shouting match earlier, leaving me hungry for the rest of the night.

Something that I haven't experienced before, and to be honest, it's not a good feeling, so I made a mental note not to skip any of my meals in the future.

I was awoken the following morning by the sudden opening of the door, and when I discovered the time, I realized that I really needed to leave this place. My flight to Macau was scheduled for this afternoon, while my business meeting would be at night, and I couldn't afford to miss this meeting.

"Good morning, did you have a good night's sleep?" She asked, acting like she was talking to a guest and not a prisoner.

I know I should be mad at her, but seeing the smile on her face helps me to calm down for some reason, and when I gazed at her lips, I immediately remembered the kiss we shared in the parking lot, remembering the feeling of her soft, luscious lips.

"Shit!" I thought to myself when I realized my ramrod was already reacting, so I tried to clear my mind and stayed focused on what I had to say.

I told her, "We need to talk," but she just shook her head.

"We can talk later, but first you have to eat, I know you're already starving," she said, which reminded me of my empty stomach.

I fought the urge to tell her that it was her fault in the first place that I was starving.

My stomach rumbled again when I had a snip at the food she prepared. It smelled delicious, but somehow foreign to my nostrils.

Considering my position, it wasn't easy to see what food she had made, but I managed to sneak a peek. I was surprised to see some strange food.

"What are these?" I asked.

Ever since I was a kid, my usual breakfast usually consists of pancakes, sausage, eggs, and slices of bacon, and this is the first time I saw something like this.

It's like a dried small fish.

"Are you serious? Haven't you tried danggit from Cebu?" She was surprised.

"Is that what it is? I've heard about it, but I haven't tried it yet, because I think it doesn't taste good," I answered defensively.

I'm the type of person who would not eat something weird or exotic that may have traumatized my taste buds.

"How will you know if it's delicious or not, if you haven't tried it yet," she said, laughing, which sounded so pleasant to my ears.

She positioned herself near my head, and just to be sure that I wouldn't gag when I started eating, he inclined my head.

The first thing I noticed was her bare face. She wasn't wearing any make-up, so I could see her fresh and refreshing look, far from the sophisticated look she had that night, and I preferred her like this.

"What are you thinking, Jayden? You need to remember, this woman kidnapped you," I reminded myself.

I was deep in my thoughts when she suddenly stood up, and before I could ask, she walked out of the room I was in, making me think if I did anything wrong again.

I was still thinking if I did or said something offensive when she finally returned, and to my surprise, she went ahead and removed the ties from both my feet, and after that, she released my right hand from the handcuff.

"You missed the other one," I said when she forgot to take off the handcuff on my left hand.

"I didn't have any intention of removing that," she said, looking straight into my eyes.

"What do you mean? I thought you were already letting me go?" I asked, confused.

"I removed your handcuff, so you could feed yourself," she answered, and before I could rebut she immediately exited the room.

"Come back! You need to let me go, or else I'm going to miss my flight!" I yelled in panic, but it was as if I was yelling for nothing since she didn't return.

I tried to free my left hand, but when I tried to pull it, it still didn't budge.

I sighed in frustration when I sat on the bed when, after minutes of trying, I still didn't manage to free my left hand.

"At least this is more comfortable," I thought to myself.

I looked at the food she prepared for me and saw the dried fish on the plate, I was hesitant to taste it at first, but I was really hungry, so I forced myself to eat whatever food she brought.

"Wow," I couldn't stop myself from muttering when I finally tasted what she called danggit, because it was actually delicious, especially if you're going to dip it in vinegar with crushed garlic.

I ate with so much gusto, and before I realized I finished everything, I made a mental note to include this meal in my morning diet.

Hours had passed, and I was still hoping for her to return, but she didn't return until night, which means that I already missed my flight and probably lost my billion-dollar business deal.

"I brought you your dinner," she said without looking at me.

She looked apprehensive as if she was expecting me to do something to her, but it was not something she expected.

"Do you know what you just did?" I asked in a calm voice, but anyone who knows me knows that I am most dangerous when I act calm.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her voice quivering.

"You just made me lose a billion-dollar account, and I promise you that you will pay for this," I said.

She finally looked at me, so our eyes finally met, and I could see the guilt and fear in her eyes, which made me sneer, but even though she looked scared, she didn't avoid my gaze and tried to stand her ground.

"You're the one who's going to pay for what you did to Mel," she said stubbornly, and after saying those words, she decided to leave with my dinner.

A long sigh passed my lips when I remembered the loss of my business deal.

I worked hard to have that business meeting, and just because of that woman, I lost the account that I worked for almost a year now.

My threat earlier was not just an empty threat, because once I escaped here, I would make sure she would pay for the damage she caused me, something that she wouldn't forget for the rest of her life.