Kidnapped

Lydia was awakened by hunger. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything for a day and a night, and her stomach had been rumbling for a while.

She slowly opened her eyes, finding the surroundings dim. As she adjusted to the light, she realized she was in what seemed to be a warehouse.

Some sunlight filtered in through the skylight, providing just enough warmth to keep Lydia from feeling too cold.

Where was she? She remembered being on the street, with the sound of waves faintly echoing in her ears. Could this be a warehouse near the beach?

The door suddenly swung open, and the glaring light made Lydia shield her face with her hand. As she adjusted to the brightness, she couldn't help but widen her eyes.

"Awake, are you? How do you feel? Surprised to see us?" Maggie's face carried a mocking smile, ridiculing Lydia's naivety and foolishness. Why didn't she just sign the agreement? Instead, she had to make things so complicated, only to end up in their hands anyway?

Ron stood next to Maggie, his gaze cold and unfamiliar to Lydia, making her feel like she was facing a venomous snake.

"Did you kidnap me?" Lydia asked.

Maggie clicked her tongue twice. "Darling sister, don't be so harsh! How could this be a kidnapping? We simply wanted to invite you back for a nice chat. Besides, we rescued you from the busy street. Otherwise, wouldn't you have been run over by passing cars?"

Lydia stared at them, eyes wide. "What do you want? I won't give you my grandfather's inheritance!"

"Lydia! I don't think you've realized your situation yet. Do you think you have a choice?" Ron sneered and took out an agreement. "Sign it obediently; it's beneficial for both you and us."

Filled with grief and anger, Lydia spat at Ron, "You beast! Bastard! This is illegal! I'll call the police and have you arrested!"

"Haha, that's if you can get out first. At this point, do you think you can leave if you don't sign this agreement?" Ron's mocking smile irritated Lydia's nerves. She clenched her fists, her mind unexpectedly clear.

She surveyed the warehouse, considering her escape options. With her hands and feet weak, even if she wanted to run, she didn't have the strength.

Lydia suddenly quieted down, surprising Maggie and Ron.

After a moment of silence, Lydia spoke again, "Fine, bring me some food first. I'm hungry now, too weak to sign anything!"

Maggie frowned. "Don't try to play tricks!"

"What? Can't you even fulfill such a small request? Or are you afraid that if I eat, I'll escape?" Lydia knew in her heart that whether she signed or not, she would die. These despicable people wouldn't let her go!

She hated it! Hated the injustice of fate! Hated herself for being so blind, falling for such a heartless man! And hated the cruelty of these scoundrels!

She couldn't die; she had to live. She had to get revenge! She would make sure these scoundrels had no place to bury themselves!

"You're not capable of that!" Ron sneered and signaled Maggie to prepare some food for Lydia. Maggie grumbled but went out anyway. After a while, she brought Lydia a bowl of noodles and a bowl of water.

Hungry, Lydia ate quickly without saying much. When she finished the noodles, she poured the water onto the ground, "The water's cold! I want hot water!"

Ron signaled to Maggie, and she reluctantly went out again. When she returned, she brought Lydia a bowl of hot water, steaming gently.

Gritting her teeth, Lydia stepped forward and grabbed the hot water from Maggie's hand, then swiftly threw it at Ron's face.

Caught off guard, Ron was scalded by the boiling water, which also broke the skin on his scalp as the bowl shattered on his head. Blood mixed with water dripped down his face, making him look somewhat miserable.

"Ahh!"

Ron cried out in pain, and Maggie rushed forward to check on him. Seizing the opportunity, Lydia dashed for the door.

"Don't worry about me! That bit*h has run away!"

Ron, his face twisted in pain, covered the wound on his head with one hand and hurriedly chased after Lydia, with Maggie following closely behind.

Cliff Jumping

Lydia didn't know if it was lucky or unlucky, but there wasn't a soul outside the warehouse. However, not far away seemed to be a cliff, with the deep blue sea below.

Ron and Maggie caught up with her. Despite her desperation, Lydia ran without considering anything else. Betrayal and pain filled her mind with only one thought: she mustn't let Ron and Maggie succeed. She couldn't let them capture her again.

Running frantically, Lydia failed to notice that the direction of her escape was flawed. Her strength waned, and her steps gradually lost their initial lightness. Gasping for air, her lungs felt as if they were stuffed with sponges, making it hard to breathe.

In contrast, despite his injury, Ron, being a man, quickly caught up with Lydia's pace. Maggie followed closely behind.

As Lydia ran, she realized there was no path ahead anymore. The surging waves crashed against the cliffs, roaring menacingly.

Lydia froze in her tracks, despair filling her eyes.

"Why aren't you running, you bitch?" Ron walked up to Lydia from behind. Although his head wound had stopped bleeding, he still looked battered and fierce, like a demon from hell.

Gritting her teeth, Ron approached and grabbed Lydia's arm, delivering a harsh slap to her face.

Maggie, gasping for breath, also stopped and muttered, "This bitch can run alright, but it's useless. Even if she can run, it won't help. Not even heaven's on her side!"

Ron used considerable force, causing Lydia's face to swell instantly. The searing pain, accompanied by the ringing in her ears, made Lydia's mind foggy. Then, Ron flung her to the ground.

The sharp stones cut into her skin, and blood stained the rocks. Lydia's disheveled hair fell around her face, hiding her expression.

Lydia's sorry state pleased Ron and Maggie, somewhat easing their earlier anger.

Stepping forward, Ron grabbed Lydia by her hair, forcing her to look up.

After the sorrow and despair, hatred surged in Lydia's bright eyes like a burning flame, waiting for an opportunity to consume everything in its path.

"Bitch! How dare you hit me!" Ron yelled as he delivered another slap, causing blood to flow from Lydia's mouth, a chilling sight.

Maggie stepped forward and grabbed Ron's hand, "Enough! Don't beat her to death; we're still waiting for her to sign!"

Hatred filled Lydia's eyes as she stared directly at the couple before her. "Aren't you afraid of retribution for what you're doing?"

Maggie sneered, "Retribution? What's that? Just something useless people make up to scare themselves. If there were such a thing as retribution in this world, your dad and my mom would have already experienced it!"

Lydia's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Her father? Her mother? A bad feeling crept over her.

Maggie's smile turned more sinister. "Oh, you still don't know? Since you look so pitiful, I'll tell you. Your mom's accident wasn't just an accident. It was your dad and my mom who killed her! So don't talk to me about retribution! I don't believe in it!"

Lydia's mind went blank, as if something had exploded inside her, tearing her apart. Her heart seemed to stop beating, and she couldn't find the words to speak. Tears streamed down her face, tasting bitter and salty.

"Mom..." Lydia murmured softly, her eyes filled with despair and confusion.

How could there be such malicious people in the world?

Her own father actually committed such a despicable act?!

He didn't love her, was cold to her, and though she was saddened by it, she never blamed him because he was her biological father!

But who would have thought that there was such a shocking secret hidden beneath it all?

She had always thought her mother's death was just an accident. So even when her stepmother entered their lives, Lydia didn't show much hostility, and even took good care of her stepsister, Lydia's half-sister.

But in the end, the woman she had always addressed as "aunt" turned out to be her mother's murderer! And now, she was forced into such a situation!

It was ridiculous and tragic!

The whistling wind mixed with the crashing waves woke Lydia from her stupor, igniting a determined gleam in her eyes. Even if she died, she wouldn't let these scoundrels take away her grandfather's inheritance.

They weren't worthy!

Slowly, Lydia stood up from the ground, her slender figure straight and proud, like a snow lotus blooming on the edge of despair.

The wind lifted her long hair, which danced in the air as she took steps back. Yet, she still smiled mockingly at Ron and Maggie. "You won't get anything! One day, you'll face your comeuppance! I curse you, may you never obtain your heart's desires! May you destroy yourselves, fall into poverty, and live a wretched life! Death is better than you!"

Ron crawled to the edge of the cliff, watching as the waves carried Lydia's disappearing figure away. Frustrated, he pounded the ground and shouted at Maggie, "Didn't I tell you to catch her?"

Maggie was initially stunned by Ron's outburst, then she retorted in frustration, "Why are you yelling at me! Her dying isn't that bad! Saves you from worrying about her all the time!"

Ron's eyes blazed with anger. "You know nothing! According to the will, if Lydia dies unexpectedly, all the money will be donated to charity. Now we won't get a penny! Damn it! We've been wasting our time for nothing!"

Maggie's expression shifted from annoyance to realization. "Oh... Then we need to find her body before anyone else does. We have to make sure there's no chance of her being rescued."

Ron nodded vigorously. "Exactly! Let's search the area and make sure there's no trace of her left. We can't risk her being found alive!"

With a grim determination, they began scouring the surroundings for any sign of Lydia's presence, driven by their desire to ensure that their plans wouldn't be thwarted by her potential survival.

Maggie looked at the empty ocean with wide eyes and a little disbelief in her ears. "What are we going to do?"

In the end, the two cursed and left each other, the lingering wind blew away all the sins, and this seaside was as calm as if nothing had ever happened before.

She's Back.

Six years later—

Nova City Airport, just landed from Paris.

Among the crowd, a woman slowly walked out from the exit passage. She had long, golden hair, so silky and shiny that it could rival those models in shampoo commercials.

The woman had slender wrists, and delicate fingers were holding onto a soft and adorable Wythe. Wythe was about five years old, with a round face that looked serious at the moment, only his eyes were darting around mischievously, making him look particularly cute and clever.

Since landing from the plane and setting foot on the land of Nova City again, Wythe noticed that his mother's mood seemed somewhat off. Therefore, he behaved very well along the way, not causing any trouble.

Lydia's heart was filled with mixed emotions. She was back!

After jumping into the sea years ago, she miraculously survived, rescued by a kind person and taken out of the country. It was the lowest point in her life, being alone in a foreign land with no family, no friends, and no job.

She almost couldn't make it.

Ironically, it was during that time she was found to be pregnant. Wythe's arrival was truly unexpected, but it also became her motivation to stand up again.

So step by step, she started from being a seamstress and gradually reached where she was today!

All the events of six years ago were buried deep in Lydia's heart, never to be forgotten. Ron and Maggie's framing and betrayal, the truth about her mother's unjust death—everything felt like a nightmare buried deep within her, constantly reminding her to stay strong.

One day, she would come back for revenge! And now, she had returned!

"Mama, you're hurting me!"

Wythe's voice brought Lydia back from those sad memories. Lydia then realized that she had accidentally applied too much force on Wythe's little hand, making it red.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Let mama massage it for you."

Lydia felt both heartache and guilt, gently kissing Wythe's little hand before carefully massaging it.

Wythe, with a serious face, rolled his eyes. It hurt more when she massaged it, but this was his mother's loving care. Even though it hurt a bit, as a little man, he couldn't show it.

"Okay, Mama, we can continue walking now! This is the exit, staying here will cause congestion, and we shouldn't trouble the airport staff uncles and aunties."

Watching her son earnestly educating her, Lydia found it amusing yet exasperating. Many times, she even doubted whether she was the adult or if the child was.

"Got it, I'm back!"

A low, sexy voice came from beside her, causing Lydia to freeze in place. Her gaze involuntarily followed that figure.

It was an extremely tall man, dressed in a perfectly fitted smoke-gray suit. From her designer's perspective, it was definitely tailor-made, most likely by a master craftsman. His well-defined fingers held a cellphone to his ear, occasionally uttering a word or two. He exuded a certain aura and aloofness that kept people at a distance.

That figure overlapped with someone from Lydia's memory, causing her steps to involuntarily pause, then she averted her eyes, self-mockingly shaking her head. After so many years, even if this person was that person, so what?

Since the man she had a one-night stand with six years ago left no messages or clues, Wythe belonged to her alone now!

During Lydia's momentary distraction, Wythe followed her gaze and saw the man's figure. He tilted his head curiously, wondering if Mama had finally come to her senses and was planning to find him a dad as soon as possible?

Wythe shook his head. Mama wasn't that self-aware! It seemed like he would have to take matters into his own hands if he wanted to find a dad!

The mother and son walked a little further. Lydia felt the urge to use the restroom, so she asked Wythe to wait outside while she went in.

Walking through the long corridor, Lydia unexpectedly saw the familiar figure again.

The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace.

Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do.

Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself.

The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!"

Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes.

Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir.

It was her!