They forced me onto a chair and I screamed as I fought to get a limb free. I struggled, but they were too strong. In a few minutes they had me secured tightly to the chair. Rope dug into my wrists and ankles and I was rendered harmless in less than five minutes.

“What do you want?!” I screamed pulling uselessly at the ropes that bound me.

“Didn’t we talk about this before? Money” Said one as he knelt to face level with me.

“I can give you money” I pleaded.

“But we can get much more on our own. Don’t worry princess” He sneered as he placed a hand on my head and ruffled my hair. I felt my throat tightened in panic and spit in his face.

“Screw you” I hissed wrenching my head from under his hand.

The smirk on his face dissolved in a split second only to be replaced with a look of hatred. He grabbed a fistful of hair too hard and his hand struck me before I could even see it move.  There was a burst of pain and I saw a burst of light. He laughed and slapped me once more, this time I tasted blood in my mouth.

“Know when to behave” He hissed in warning and fear outweighed insolence as I shut my mouth. Tears streamed down silently and I tried to swallow the sobs that built up in my chest.

He stepped back and I saw the other man had set up a tripod a few feet away. I shuddered as he set up a camera and handed a black sack to his partner. I screamed though I knew it would be useless when I saw him slip the coarse black material over his face, only his eyes and mouth visible. He pulled out his gun and walked over to me.

“What are you going to do?” I sobbed as he placed an arm around me and got down on one knee besides me.

“We need proof you’re alive of course. How else is your husband going to know that he’s paying for his wife alive?” The one behind the camera explained calmly as he stood behind the camera, turned it on and gave the other one a thumbs up.

“Say hi Hyerim!” The one besides me urged and I stared at the blinking red dot, “SAY HI!” He yelled and I screamed in surprise.

“H-hi” I stuttered as the man squeezed me tighter.

“So I found your wife. She’s a pretty thing” The man said proudly running the edge of the gun along my red cheeks. I stayed frozen just staring at the camera, “I would keep her, but I’m not nothing if not fair so I’m gonna give you one chance to get her back” He explained amicably.

“If you don’t follow my rules absolutely then I’m gonna have to keep her, but I get bored of toys easily so she probably won’t last long” He hissed as he pressed the gun to my temple. 

I choked back a sob as tears began flowing freely.

“I’m even going to let you be the good guy and offer you her boyfriend for a little extra. Yeah, we have him too. You don’t have to pay for him thought, I understand man I wouldn’t pay for my wife’s boyfriend either, but I’m giving you the chance to be charitable” He said with a small laugh and my eyes widened. Daehyun… I stared at the camera pleadingly. Kai wouldn’t leave Daehyun would he? He couldn’t do that, “Here honey, say a few words to your husband” He offered.

“Kai please help me… You have to save Daehyun too” I sobbed, the man besides me burst out laughing.

“You’re making it hard to get him to pay for you honey” He said with a sick grin of amusement.

“I love you” I whispered sincerely to the camera. He would know. Kai would know. Kai would understand.

The camera shut off and the man stood up.

“Alright time for you to go back to sleep” The other one announced as he went to a black bag and pulled out a syringe and a small glass bottle. He injected the needle to the bottle and got some of the clear liquid.

“No! Stop I’ll be quiet I won’t do anything!” I screamed as I felt my head be forcefully pulled to the side exposing my neck. I struggled to no avail.

“We can’t know that for sure” He said simply and the last thing I felt was the cold prick of the needle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kai was worried It had been a full day since he had seen Hyerim. They hadn’t had a fight. So why was she gone? He paced back and forth. Should he call the cops? His phone rang and he raced for it.

“Hyerim?!” He asked in panic.

“Check your email” A dark voice said on the other side and hung up.

Kai frowned but warily got online and loaded his email. Sitting as the first one was an email from a sender he didn’t recognize. A bad feeling came over him as the mouse hovered over it. He had to check. He clicked on it and in there were plain instructions. He stared at them in shock as he read each and every one of them over and over again. He clicked on the attachment and a video clip loaded. He opened it and his heart sank.

Hyerim was tied to a chair. Her eyes were puffed red and a small drop of blood came from the corner of her lips. Besides was a masked man holding a gun to her head and he listened all the way to the end. He sank in his chair. What was he going to do? He pushed off the chair frustrated and worried to death. His mind couldn’t help it though, it whispered the small question, why was Daehyun there too? He remembered her plead to save them both and her I love you at the end.

He felt sick.

There was only one place to go. He had no clue how to handle this. So with shaky hands he grabbed the laptop and ran out towards Hyerim’s mom’s house. The woman was ruthless, but she would know how to handle this. She would help him get Hyerim back and he would get her back no matter what.

When he got to her large mansion he didn’t wait to be announced, there was no time.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing coming in like this?!” She asked, her voice sharp as knife.

Kai didn’t say a word. A mix of emotions, all of them dominated by fear at what could happen, swirled around and his head pounded as he set his laptop down in front of the woman. She stared at him like he had gone insane and frowned as he opened it and played the video clip without a word. Kai watched as the color drained from her face and she gripped the edge of the desk for support, her nails digging into the expensive oak.

“I need my head of security and his team here immediately. I don’t care what he’s doing it’s an emergency” She spoke evenly into the phone and slammed it down, “How could you let this happen?!” She hissed at Kai.

“I didn’t let anything happen! She was gone by the time I woke up and they sure as hell didn’t take her from our house!” Kai said in raised and tense voice.

Hyerim’s mom gave him a resentful stare and looked back at the screen. Her daughter was kidnapped. She stared at her red cheeks and the small amount of blood, those bastards had touched her. She thought hard, money shouldn’t be a problem, the only issue was making sure those low lives would keep their words.

“Ma’am you called?” A big burly man asked as the entrance to the studio, four other men standing behind him.

“Come inside, close the doors. We have an emergency” She ordered as she handed over the laptop, “You can leave now” She said to Kai.

“I’m not leaving” He said stubbornly.

“I said get out!” Her mother screamed impatiently as she had him dragged away and shut the door to her study, his laptop, and her team of security.

Kai banged on the door.

“She’s my wife! I’m allowed to have a say in this!” He screamed.

“Listen I don’t care if you’re the love of her life” She began as she came up to the door again, “You are useless in this situation got it kid? You know nothing about how to handle this I have professionals here! So unless you don’t want my daughter back, your best bet would be to go home and stay put until I tell you otherwise!” She yelled slamming the door in Kai’s face.

Kai swore loudly as he punched the door and turned around. Damn it, he was dying inside. His chest contracted painfully every time he thought about Hyerim. She was in danger and he couldn’t even help get her back?! He turned and paced outside the study resisting the urge to try to kick down those damn doors. Finally they swung open and the man who had gone inside came out. He closed the door behind him and glanced at the torn up man leaning hopelessly against the wall.

“Go home kid. She’s being tough about it, but she’s right. You can’t do anything right now. I’ll call if we have any news” He said taking pity on Kai, “She’ll never let you in and if she sees you stuck around she’s capable of shutting you out completely from any news”

Kai’s throat went dry and he nodded reluctantly.

The drive home was a whole new type of hell. That feeling of uselessness festered inside him and it drove him insane. He felt angry and weak at the same time. A millions questions and worried buzzed around in his head all at the same time, none taking a break from their harassment. He pulled into his house with a screech and stayed in the car for a moment trying to collect himself. Finally, he got out and dragged his feet up to his house.

Maybe there was a clue in the house. A note from Hyerim maybe?

“What are you doing here?” Kai asked, not up for any of her tantrums when he saw her knocking on his front door with a puzzled look on her face.

“I’m sorry, I just came to apologize to Hyerim” Da Hae said softly.

“What do you mean?” Kai asked wearily.

“I… She didn’t tell you?” Da Hae asked.

“Didn’t tell me what?” He asked a bit worried.

“I called her out angrily and we fought. I was going to keep going, but she told me… she was getting tired of all the problems I brought along with you, I just… before she did anything she would regret I figure I’d come make things right” She said looking down.

“She’s not home. You should go” Kai said sharply. Pushing up to the front door.

“Is something wrong?” Da Hae asked cautiously, making sure she looked lost.

“Not at all” Kai said as he unlocked the front door and stepped in.

“If you want to talk… I’m here” She offered suddenly.

Kai hesitated as he looked at her innocent eyes. He thought back on her words. Other options, was that why she was with Daehyun the night she was taken? Was she leaving him?

“Do you want to come in?” He asked suddenly. Da Hae had seen her, maybe she noticed someone following Hyerim.

“Sure” Da Hae said with a small smile as she walked into the large house, “You look like you need a drink” she joked as she put her purse down.

“I don’t” Kai snapped and immediately regretted it when she stared at him with wide eyes, “I’m sorry, none of this is your fault. I shouldn’t take anything out on you”

“That’s fine, but are you sure you’re alright? Did you guys fight?” She asked internally practicing her face of surprise for when he told her news she already knew.

“No I’m just stressed” He said quietly and tensed when she placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner, “Can I trust you with something? I know Hyerim wasn’t your favorite person, but still. I… need to talk with someone”

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“She’s been kidnapped. Along with Daehyun, that was her ex. I just woke up one morning and she was gone” Kai explained in a rush, the worries he had fighting to be spoken.

“What was she doing with her ex?” Da Hae asked immediately and regretted that as her first question from the strange look Kai shot her.

“I don’t know” He said with a shrug, regretting he had said anything in the first place.

“You don’t think she was still seeing him right?” She asked, pushing on, "Maybe it was too much for her, I'm sure she must still have feelings for him otherwise... what was she doing out with him so late right?"

“…No I know she wasn’t and what are you talking about she was out with him so late?" Kai asked suddenly.

"Well you said that uh, when you woke up she was gone right? I just assumed" Da Hae said carelessly.

"Listen, maybe you should go. When Hyerim gets backs god knows the she’s going to give me for knowing you were around. You understand right?” Kai explained as he stood up suddenly. Something was off, he couldn’t place it, but something was wrong here.

“What if she doesn’t come back?” Da Hae asked suddenly, her eyes completely serious.

“She’s going to come back” Kai insisted forcefully suddenly angry and pressured. There was something about the look in her eyes that scared him a bit.

“I’m just saying… things don’t always work out how we want them to, but don’t worry I’m here if you need me” She said softly.

Kai kept his mouth shut as he walked her to the door and without another word just shut the door closed. He stayed in front of the door until he heard her heels walk way then locked it shut. He frowned as he thought about her words. Maybe Hyerim really was leaving him, but still Da Hae’s words struck him deep. She had seemed genuine when he let her in, but as the seconds ticked by it was like all of the sympathy he had seen was melting away.

It was unnerving.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I made a longer udpate this time I didn't like how my updates seemed to be getting shorter so here it is! Thanks for commenting and subscribing ^^

p.s. I made the chapter font a little bigger since it seemed to shrink with this new font. If it makes it hard to read or something feel free to leave behind a comment and I'll turn the size down like my author's note :)