Chapter 1
The Lovette's Gala*
Malcolm Lovette, the head of the Lovette family stands with his wife, Natalie, at the front of the ceremony. They greet guest as more and more people come in. Suddenly, Ian, Mr. Lovette's assistant runs in with a panicked look. "Mr. Lovette, there is an urgent matter!"
The guest around them looked in confusion as Ian pulled out a tablet. Malcolm smiled reassuringly at the guest as he walked up to Ian, placing a hand on his shoulder and speaking low. "Ian... What's all this about?"
"It's Miriam and Annabelle! They've been taken for ransom." Ian held up the live video footage of the Lovette girls. On split screen, it showed Miriam at Northgate Bridge and Annabelle and Kingston Bridge.
The guest all over the banquet hall went quiet at the commotion. Natalie took the tablet, staring in disbelief before looking to her husband. "What do they want?" Malcolm asked.
"They want you to step down from your position."
"What? Step down?" A few guests gasped, shocked. After all, if Malcolm stepped down from.beinf head of the Lovette group, instead of passing it to whomever he chooses, the board could sell it to any buyer.
"Who could be behind this? The Chung's? Williams's? The Jameson's?" They gossiped. "Whoever it is, they have both daughters. They must be serious if they are bargaining using both."
Malcolm stood there with a troubled look, furrowed brows as he stared at the screen. "Malcolm, do something!" Natalie urged.
"Ian..." Malcolm spoke up. "Send men to go get Miriam from Northgate. Send boats, planes, cars, and a medic team. Make sure she gets home with not a scratch on her body."
"And...what's about Miss Annabelle?" Ian asked concerned.
Malcolm turned away from Ian towards the crowd. "Ethan, come here." He waved over Ethan Roberts, Annabelle's husband.
"Mr. Lovette, what's going on?" He asked as he stepped up. "I need you to go save my daughter. I'll go try to find out which a**hole is behind this."
Ethan nodded and walking off as he started a phone call. "Ben, send whoever we got to Northgate Bridge. Miriam is in danger."
Annabelle pov*
I stand handcuffed to the rail, standing on the side of the bridge. My body shivers in the cold wind. About five men stand near me, all wearing masks. They talk amongst themselves and occasionally into their radios.
They took me and Miriam from our car pn the way to the gala, killing our driver. They had tied my waist to a couple bricks they sat on the edge...
I'm scared. I know I'm a hostage, so they'll keep me alive to get what they want. What I'm afraid of, is if I'm worth as much to my father as what they're willing to take. Even if not, Miriam was taken too. Father and Natalie would do anything to bring her home safely.*
One of the men walk up to me, I look at him over my shoulder. He's wearinf an all white mask with just eye holes. "Don't look so scared, Lovette Princess." He mocks me. "As long as your father complies with our demands, you'll be back to your silk sheets and designer clothes in no time."
Bzzz-cth! His radio went off. "Northgate has been compromised." "The Lovettes and Roberts are here!" "We're out numbered!" Multiple voices came in over the radio.
One of the masked men with a phone up to his ear spoke up. "They've retrieved the Lovette brat. Boss said to take it as a refusal of the ransom and toss the girl as punishment."
They've already saved Miriam? So, they must be coming for me too! They said the Robert's as well, so Ethan is also on his way! They'll come to save me!
The white masked man began unlocking the handcuffs keeping my hands attached to the rail. "No, wait! Please, don't do this! My father will make you regret this!" I screamed and cried, gripping onto the rail as he removed the handcuffs
"Oh, yeah? Then where is he?" The man scoffed before shoving the bricks off the edge. I screamed as the weight of the bricks pulled me off the side of the bridge.
I hit the water hard, my body sinking deep. As I sunk deeper I saw blood from my head floating above me.
Father? Natalie? Ethan? Where is everyone? They all rushed to Miriam's side. Is she on the way home now? Safe in their arms and their love? Is there truly no one coming to save me?
In my last moments, my life flashed before my eyes. The times I'd be hurt or sick, and they wouldn't believe me, thinking I was lying. The times they'd celebrate Miriam and her achievements, while even getting everyone together to have dinner on my birthday was a challenge.
Those moments between Ethan and Miriam. The lingering glances and small acts of kindness. I knew he loved her, but I believed if I tried hard enough, he'd eventually would love me back.
All the way back to the day my mother was thrown out. Her yelling and cursing angrily, getting dragged out as I stood there crying.
"Useless" was the last thing she said to me.
But am I so useless that I deserve such an end? Even know, I hear no sirens or commotion... It's as if no one even bothered to come... Was I even on their minds? All those years of chasing everyone's love, just to end up forgotten...
As my consciousness began to fade, I swore to myself, I will never forgive them... For all my pain and suffering, I'll take them all down with me. Every. Last. One.
