Chapter 15

Dawn opened her eyes slowly but she couldn’t see properly, everything felt blurry and dark, her eyes were failing her, she could see shadows but she couldn’t make sense of it, she tried to raise her hands to clean her eyes but she couldn’t, she felt paralyzed, weak and lifeless.

“Is he still coming or not? I have better things to do.” She heard a voice talking but she couldn’t see anything, why was she like this? Why couldn’t she move herself?

“I think she is awake.”

“Are you awake angel?” she felt a boot on her stomach twice as blood gushed out of her mouth, she tried to talk, to pleaded but she couldn’t, she just sobbed inwardly. Why was this happening to her? What did she do to deserve this? She hadn’t done anything wrong of late, so why? If it was money they needed, then how much? 

She wanted to ask, but her breathe was failing her, she felt someone grab her by the wrist, poking her with something, as she felt something enter her vein, they were drugging her.

“Remember the boss wants her alive, not dead. That enough, she already looks like a dead fish… we won’t get paid for a dead fish.”

“S... te...” 

“I think she is saying something.” She felt a shadow over her, moving closer. She felt something cave in as something pressed on her lips, she figured it was the person’s ear, she wanted to bite it and rip it off, but she was so weak, she felt she would die.

“Step…phan,” she whispered with all her strength as she felt blood drooling down the side of her lips, she didn’t know why but that was the only thing that was coming to her head, why was that bastard name in her head. 

“She said Stephan.”

“Who gives a fuck about what she is saying? For all we know that might be her lover?”

“He might be a wealthy lover.”

Maybe she could bargain, Stephan was one of the richest man currently.

“K….l...ar,” she muttered again with the little strength she had, she was already feeling whatever they injected her with, taking absolute control of her body as she zoned out slowly, she wasn’t going to die, but she felt like she would. She heard a voice asking her if it was Stephan Kent or Klar but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything as she went into an unconscious state.

“Sleeping beauty,” Dawn heard has a bucket of water was poured over her head continuously. She jerked up from her unconscious state immediately and this time she could see a bit, it was the girl from the van.

“Is it Stephan Kent or Klar and is it the Klar.”

“K...Lar…klar…the...Kl…ar.” 

Dawn tried to look around but she felt dizzy and didn’t bother trying anymore, all her body ached all over, like she had been beaten severely, she felt her left eyes was really heavy, she knew she was sited up on some wood like floor but that was all she could guess even her brain was messed up right now, she couldn’t think straight.

“Hey,” the lady yelled slapping her cheeks. “Stay awake, we are not done, don’t you want to get the fuck out of here.”

Of course she wanted to stay awake but the more she tried, the more she couldn’t, she felt sleepy and intoxicated. 

“I am going to try to get your phone, so you can call him, if you are lying I swear I will kill you myself.” The lady warned. “Nod, if you understand.”

It took some seconds for Dawn to be able to raise her head up and nod, she raised it slowly as it fell to the side lifeless. It wasn’t a nod but it was good enough for the lady.

“Stay here and don’t misbehave, if they move you from here, I won’t be able to reach you and that means I won’t be able to help you.”

Yes, Dawn wanted to answer but she just opened her eyes at interval and shot it back. She wasn’t Stephan’s woman but if that was what would get her out of here then she was his. It seemed they were not sent by Stephan, but by who? And Stephan seemed to be very popular for the lady to want to risk helping her, she was sure she would demand for money.

Since she already had a contract with Stephan, it was also stated that she could make any request, it was a risky decision but right now getting out of here felt more important than any stupid contract.

“Come on, stay awake.” She heard the lady voice again, didn’t she just leave, how she was back so quickly, baffled Dawn. “Where is his number?”

She didn’t have Stephan’s number but Matteo had called her once, as well as Stephan’s secretary, she prayed in her heart that it would go.

“What is your name?” she tried again to answer but felt weak as water splashed on her face again. “Stay fucking awake,” a tight slap followed, it was so hard, Dawn eyes widened but nothing. She wasn’t feeling closer to wake up.

“Dawn.”

The lady dialed the first number but nothing, then she heard another ring.

“Hello, this is Klar Company. How may I help you?”

“I would love to talk to Mr. Stephan Klar, on behalf of Miss Dawn.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, Dawn figured they were connecting the line to Stephan’s line.

“Do you have an appointment with him?”

What? She remember meeting Stephan’s secretary once in his office and the glare she had given her. This wasn’t the time for competing bitch.

“I said Miss Dawn…”

“I heard you, and I am asking if you have an appointment, if you don’t have one, stop wasting my time.”

The line disconnected and a tight slap landed on Dawn face, this time not to wake her up but from annoyance. Dawn sobbed slowly.

“What the hell are you doing?” she heard a voice say.“Bag her, we are going to throw her off the bridge.”

*********************

Stephan loosened the tie on his neck as he leaned into his couch in his office, he and Matteo had been off for a week to Las Vegas. He had told Dawn to come over today because he knew he did be back from his business trip today but he hadn’t heard from her all day, it was almost closing hours.

He had missed her sharp mouth and her feisty attitude, it was something new to him, something he hadn’t experienced before, he was looking forward to seeing her, probably even getting on her nerves a bit and listening to her call him all sort of names. For the first time, he didn’t want to sleep with a woman, he just wanted to sit down and watch her.

“You look like a lost puppy.”

He had totally forgotten that Matteo was in his office eating his life away.

“I could call her,” Matteo suggested bringing out his phone from his pocket.

“Don’t!” Stephan warned, he wasn’t used to calling women but then again Matteo was a pain in his ass.

“Seemed she called me,” Matteo said going through his phone, as Stephan also brought his phone out as well, he had kept his phone on silent and he was sure Matteo did the same as well, but she didn’t call him. Why did she call Matteo not him? Oh right, she didn’t have his direct line.

He dialed Elizabeth’s number while Matteo busied himself by calling Dawn’s number, but the number was just ringing, why wasn’t she picking?

“Get in my office now.” Stephan ordered cutting the call.

“Why isn’t she picking? Maybe she is in bed with her lawyer.”

“Do not get on my nerves.”

“You should see your face right now,” Matteo busted out laughing, he hadn’t seen Stephan like this before. He wished he could snap his face right now. He took a sip from his orange juice as Elizabeth rushed in.

“Sir.”

“Did Miss Hemlocks call?”

“No.” Elizabeth had gotten a call earlier in the day on behalf of Dawn and she remembered she was the one she met in Stephan’s office earlier, she had rejected the call.

Although Stephan had told her to redirect any calls from miss hemlocks but it was unusual for Stephan to redirect people calls. She felt Dawn was a threat to her, and had to get rid of her.

“You are fired,” she heard Matteo voice as he waved his head like he was shushing a fly away from the office.

“Sir.” She stared at Stephan who was already dialing a number on his phone.

“Get out of my office right now.” Stephan barked while they were busy talking Matteo was checking through the callers list at the receptionist desk through his phone, Elizabeth had been stupid enough to not delete it, she was unaware of the fact that Stephan and Matteo could easily hack into it without stress.

Elizabeth knelt down instantly as Stephan glared at her.

“Get out of my office before I blow your fucking brains out.” Stephan barked as Elizabeth stood up in fear and dashed out.

The voice of Elizabeth was instantly heard on Matteo’s phone and the conversation between she and a lady, Stephan listened closely. 

‘Step…phan’

Matteo eyes and Stephan’s met at the last inaudible sound of Dawn’s voice.

Matteo pressed the other recorded audio.

‘If you don’t pick up the call, I swear I will rip her throats out.’

Stephan instantly stood up from his seat alongside Matteo. Where the bloody hell was Dawn? 

“Locate her phone, I will go and check if she is home.” Stephan informed Matteo as he stepped into his private elevator immediately.

“Dawn’s house now,” he told his guard as he walked into the park, he didn’t even wait for the driver to open the door as usual, he opened it himself immediately and got in dialing Olivia number. It was also ringing.

Were they both in trouble? How did this happen? His placed the phone into his pocket as it vibrated instantly, he thought it was Olivia as he placed it to his ear without checking the caller.

“Olivia, where are you?”

“Are you now on drugs?” he heard his annoying brother’s voice. “I was able to call back the number on the phone, she claims they have Dawn but she is willing to negotiate and get Dawn to us safely, I think someone was trying to scare her but the kidnappers got greedy.”

“I will pay anything she is demanding, just get the damn location right now.” Stephan yelled.

“Obviously I have my men on it, so don’t fucking yell at me.”

“Get off my phone,” Stephan was pissed off he wondered how long she had been there, he got a message from Matteo, it was a video.

He downloaded it instantly and played it, as image of Dawn came up, he couldn’t see her face properly but from her body, he could tell they had kidnapped her the day of their last meeting, thou the cloth was a bit stain with blood and dirt he could tell. He gritted his teeth in annoyance, she looked lifeless and there were marks of shoe print on her body as well as cuts.

This imbeciles, how could they beat her up to this point, the person recording her touched her thigh chuckling.

‘Wonder what she would taste like, I am thinking honey.’ He heard the voice laughing as he switched off the screen placing his hand through his head trying to control the burning urge in him. He had been patient with Dawn, he had not touched her not once and then this idiot did not only beat shit out of her, he had the audacity to touch her.

He was definitely going to blow off his hands, he texted Matteo to fucking send him the location right this minute. Any deals was deadly with people like this, greedy bastards like this could kill if they got bored and realize their catch is not fruitful. 

“We are here Sir.” The driver informed him as he stepped out of the car, he approached their door and before he knocked, the door flared opened as Olivia stared at him with tearing eyes. She hugged Stephan instantly.

“Stephan,” she sobbed. “Dawn… Dawn…” she sobbed some more.

“Where is Dawn?”

“I… I don’t know,” Olivia sobbed letting go of Stephan and blowing her nose into her handkerchief. “Please come inside, I don’t know what to do, I wanted to call you but you weren’t so nice to me the last time we met.”

Stephan didn’t have time for this nonsense but he knew Olivia might also have some vital information that might be useful to locate Dawn, he didn’t trust the person that spoke to Matteo over the phone, what was the guarantee that they would pay and they won’t still kill Dawn.

He followed Olivia inside as she closed the door behind him motioning him into the living room.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Stephan heard as he stared at Damien, his head was bandaged all around.