The Unveiled Rose
Chapter 31

I pushed myself up and headed toward the bedroom, my voice as cold as ice. "Then call the cops. What's that got to do with me?"

But Leander blocked my path, a look of desperation in his eyes. "It's Luna's ex-husband who's taken him."

I tried to sidestep him, my tone dropping a few more degrees. "Then you should be talking to Luna, not me!"

Yet, Leander followed, refusing to let me pass. "He thinks there's something going on between Luna and me, and he's livid. He's demanding that you spend a night with him, or he won't release Nigel." Leander looked at me, helpless and pained. "Honey..."

He didn't finish, but I already knew what he was implying.

Rage coursed through me, and I slapped him hard across the face.

"Leander, what kind of a man are you?"

"Honey, Nigel is your flesh and blood. You can't just let him die!"

After saying that, he suddenly pulled out a spray bottle from behind his back and sprayed it ruthlessly in my face.

Instantly, my body went limp, and my mind started to fog.

The bastard Leander had drugged me!

Staggering, I turned and made a dash for the nearest room.

Fumbling with the doorknob, I then realized the door wouldn't budge.

I rushed to try another door, only to replace it locked as well...

Leander's voice was calm. "I've locked all the doors."

"Including the front door."

That's when I realized I was trapped.

It was in that moment that I truly understood how ruthless the man standing before me could be!

I demanded, "You agreed to his terms?"

"I had no choice!" Leander's voice was almost a roar. "He said if you don't show up in front of him within two hours, he'll kill Nigel! Honey, we raised that kid together, day by day. Can you really stand by and watch him die?" I wanted to fight but couldn't even take a step...

So, all I could do was yell, "I can!"

"No, you can't." Leander looked down at me.

I was now showing signs of fainting, and his posture towered over me, looking cruel. "You always wanted a divorce, right? Once you return from your night with Luna's ex, we'll get it done."

...

When I woke up, my body was still weak.

The house was eerily silent. It seemed Nigel had already been taken away.

I struggled to sit up, sifting through my brain for information on Luna's ex-husband.

I remember his name was Claude Collins.

At the peak of his wealth, he had enough to make most people green with envy.

As the heir, Claude had always been seen as a gentleman, a dream catch for countless women.

But something had happened in the last few years. His family's fortune had crumbled, and he'd taken it hard, becoming unhinged and unkempt.

I cautiously looked around. The door was locked from the outside, windows sealed shut.

Without a key, I was stuck with no way out.

Panic was about to set in, but I reminded myself to stay calm! I forced myself to appear composed as I faced Claude.

Meanwhile, my mind raced, trying to figure out how to defuse this crisis.

His face was covered in stubble. He was clearly in no hurry to make a move, just focusing on the camera equipment before him. "Do you know why I took your kid?"

He didn't wait for my answer, continuing, "Because Luna wants to marry your husband. But despite everything she's done, Leander just won't divorce you. In order to replace you and become Leander's wife, she plotted this kidnapping the moment she knew I was back in town. She told me that if something happens between us, Leander would definitely leave you."

I had no immediate solution, so I played along with his narrative, hoping to buy some time. "She seems to know Leander pretty well."

Claude seemed surprised by my calmness under such circumstances.

He paused, looking at me as if to deliver a fatal blow. "Do you know how your child ended up in my hands?"