FALLING IN LOVE WITH MY KIDNAPPER

You built an empire before thirty. How does it feel to become the youngest female billionaire in Europe? The reporter smiled at me like I was supposed to cry from happiness. I forced a calm smile instead. It feels temporary, I answered. Success only matters when you survive it. The room became quiet for half a second. Then the cameras flashed again. People loved confident answers. They loved pretending powerful people had no fears. But deep down, I had learned something years ago after losing my father, that the moment people start calling you untouchable is the exact moment danger begins looking for your address. The interview finally ended after another twenty minutes of fake smiles and business questions. The moment the cameras stopped rolling, I removed the microphone from my dress and exhaled slowly. Miss Vale, your investors are waiting upstairs, one of my assistants said nervously. Tell them five minutes. She nodded quickly and left. I walked toward the glass window overlooking the city. The lights below looked beautiful, cold, and expensive. Everything in my life looked perfect from the outside. The billion-dollar company. The magazine covers. The luxury penthouse. The interviews. The private jets. The endless headlines call me a genius. But nobody saw the pressure behind it. Nobody saw how many people secretly waited for successful women to fail. My phone vibrated. Vivian. A small smile appeared on my face immediately. Finally. Something real. I answered the call. Tell me you’re not still working, Vivian complained dramatically. I’m surviving. You promised tonight was for celebration. It is. No. Tonight is for drinking expensive champagne and reminding rich men they’ll never be as powerful as you. I laughed quietly. Vivian always knew how to pull me out of stress. I’ll be there soon, I said. You'd better. Half the city is already downstairs trying to impress you. I’m not interested in half the city. You should be. Billionaires deserve entertainment, too. You sound dangerous. I am dangerous. We both laughed before the call ended. For a few seconds, my chest felt lighter. Vivian had been my best friend since university. Before the money. Before the fame. Before people started pretending to care about me. She knew every broken part of my life. Or at least I thought she did. I left the office and entered the elevator quietly. My security team followed behind me like shadows. Ever since my company became one of the biggest tech corporations in Europe, security has become normal. At first, it felt ridiculous. Now it felt necessary. The elevator doors opened directly into the private event hall downstairs. Music filled the room instantly. The entire place glowed with wealth and power. Politicians, celebrities, investors, athletes, models, all smiling too hard and pretending not to stare when I walked in. Serena Vivian appeared immediately, wrapping her arms around me dramatically. She looked stunning in a black dress that made every camera turn toward her. You’re late, she whispered near my ear. I was working. You’re always working. And you’re always judging me. Because somebody has to. I smiled. But then something strange happened. The smile on Vivian’s face faded for one second when people started clapping for me nearby. It disappeared quickly. Too quickly. But I noticed it. A tiny flicker. Almost like irritation. Maybe exhaustion. Maybe jealousy. No. Vivian would never envy me. She was the one person I trusted completely. You okay? I asked. Of course. Her smile returned instantly. Tonight is your night. She pulled me deeper into the party while introducing me to people I barely cared about. Investors shook my hand like they wanted ownership of my future. Politicians praised me publicly while secretly wanting favors later. Normal rich people's behavior. I survived it with fake smiles. Then Vivian handed me champagne. To Serena Vale, she announced loudly. The woman who conquered Europe before thirty. Everyone raised their glasses. I laughed softly. That sounds terrifying. You are terrifying, Vivian said. Again, there was something strange in her voice. Not admiration. Something else. Before I could think deeper about it, another familiar voice interrupted. Try not to inflate her ego too much. I turned and smiled immediately. Ethan. Ethan Hale walked toward us wearing his usual calm expression. My business partner looked annoyingly perfect in his tailored black suit. Vivian rolled her eyes dramatically. Oh great. The serious one is here. I heard that, Ethan replied. You were supposed to. He shook my hand lightly before lowering his voice. You need to leave early tonight. The smile on my face faded slightly. Why? Something feels off. Vivian crossed her arms. You say that every week. This time, I mean it. What happened? I asked carefully. Ethan looked around briefly before answering. There was another breach attempt this morning. My stomach tightened. What? I stopped it before it reached the main servers. Vivian scoffed lightly. Probably another obsessed competitor. No, Ethan said quietly. This one came from inside. My heartbeat slowed dangerously. Inside. Someone inside my company tried accessing restricted files? What files? I asked. Your personal records. A cold feeling crawled into my chest. Vivian immediately touched my arm. Serena, look at me. Don’t start overthinking tonight. But Ethan wasn’t finished. Whoever did it knew internal security patterns. You think it’s an employee? I asked. I think somebody close to you is feeding information outside. The music around us suddenly felt distant. I built my company from nothing. Every employee signed loyalty agreements. Every executive passed background investigations. Who would betray me? And why? Vivian forced a laugh. Can we not discuss corporate paranoia during a billion-dollar celebration? Ethan looked at her calmly. I’m serious. So am I, Vivian snapped. She deserves one peaceful night. The tension between them became noticeable immediately. That wasn’t new. Vivian and Ethan tolerated each other because of me, but they never truly liked each other. I placed my glass down slowly. We’ll discuss it tomorrow. Ethan didn’t argue. But his eyes remained serious. You need to be careful, Serena. Something about the way he said my name made me uneasy. Not fear. Warning. Before I could respond, another group approached for photos. The next hour became exhausting. More conversations. More congratulations. More fake admiration. I smiled through all of it while my thoughts kept returning to Ethan’s warning. Someone close to me. Watching me. Leaking information. At some point, I stepped away from the crowd and walked toward the quieter balcony area for air. The cold wind hit my skin gently. Finally. Silence. Almost. You look unhappy for someone worth billions. I turned immediately. A man stood near the darker side of the balcony. Tall. Black suit. Sharp features. Calm eyes. I had never seen him before. And yet something about him felt strangely familiar. I could say the same about you, I replied carefully. One corner of his mouth lifted slightly. Fair point. How did you get past security? I was invited. By who? He looked directly into my eyes. That’s a dangerous question. My heartbeat shifted strangely. Not fear. Awareness. The kind that makes you feel someone entered your life for a reason. Before I could respond, Vivian suddenly appeared beside me. There you are. The moment she saw the man, her expression changed very slightly. Again. That strange look. Only for a second. You disappeared, she continued while holding my arm possessively. I needed air. Her eyes moved toward him again. Have you met? Not officially, he answered calmly. Vivian smiled quickly. Too quickly. Serena, they’re waiting for you downstairs. I looked between both of them carefully. Something felt strange. The man remained calm while Vivian suddenly looked tense. As if she didn’t expect him there. You should go, the stranger said quietly. His voice was controlled, deep, unreadable. I frowned slightly. Do I know you? No. But we’ve met before, I said without thinking. For the first time, something shifted in his expression. Almost surprise. Then it vanished. You have a good memory, he replied softly. Before I could ask another question, Vivian pulled me away. Come on. I looked back once more. The stranger was still watching me. Not smiling. Not moving. Just watching. And for reasons I could not explain, the coldest feeling settled in my stomach. Like my life had just changed direction without warning. The moment we entered the crowd again, I turned toward Vivian immediately. Who is he? Her face remained calm. Just another businessman. No. You know him. Serena, you reacted the moment you saw him. Vivian forced another smile. You’re imagining things. I stared at her carefully. For the first time in years, I felt distance between us. Tiny. Almost invisible. But there. Then my phone vibrated again. Unknown number. I answered cautiously. Hello? Heavy silence answered first. Then a distorted male voice spoke quietly. You should stop trusting the people closest to you. My blood turned cold. Who is this? You’re already surrounded by enemies, Serena. The line disconnected. I froze completely. Who was that? Vivian asked immediately. I looked up slowly. Across the crowded room, the mysterious man still stood near the balcony entrance. Watching me. Then he lifted his glass slightly before disappearing into the crowd. And somehow, deep inside me, I knew this was only the beginning of something terrible.