The President's Captive Love

Chapter 8: The Hidden Self

The young woman's unconscious body was shoved into the back seat of the car, and the young man stepped in to sit beside her. His handsome, tense face glanced at the person next to him, his eyes reflecting a turmoil of emotions.

Her head, covered, unknowingly leaned against his broad shoulder. The closeness caused her familiar sweet scent to drift into Onyx's nose once more.

He exhaled, turning his face away in hopes of avoiding the alluring scent, yet he did not push her away, allowing her to continue leaning on him.

"How's the wound?" Taipei spoke up, breaking the silence.

Onyx looked down at the back of his hand, which had been scratched by the young woman, leaving a trail of oozing blood. He began to feel a bit of stinging and itching.

"Damn, she's got some fight."

"Do you want to treat the wound first?"

"Forget it, just head back to the penthouse."

Another subordinate nodded in agreement and drove straight back to the penthouse.

Onyx's Penthouse

"Mmm~"

The young woman made a soft sound in her throat as she began to regain consciousness. The first sensation she felt was a sharp pain at the back of her neck. She was about to raise her hand to touch it but her eyes flew open in shock, her heart plummeting as she realized her wrists were tied with ropes. As she retraced the previous events, she began to panic upon realizing she had been kidnapped.

Praewa struggled to free herself from the bonds, but the ropes held her tightly. She was tied to a chair, with thick ropes around her wrists and ankles. The bag covering her head prevented her from knowing where she was.

"Help! Is anyone there? Let me go now!"

Her shouts echoed, and the more she struggled, the more the ropes cut into her delicate skin, turning it red.

The rustling sound made her aware she wasn't alone, prompting her to quickly plead for mercy.

"Who's there? Please, let's talk this out calmly. If you want money, I'll transfer it to you. Please let me go."

"Go get the boss, she's awake."

"Yes."

The guard standing watch turned to speak before another walked out to fetch the boss.

"Wait! Where am I? Let's talk this out calmly."

"Wait a moment, the boss will come to talk to you."

"..."

Her thin lips pressed tightly together, her heart pounding with fear, petrified to her core. She never expected to be kidnapped while at a company with excellent security. The stress caused hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

She cried silently for a while until she heard the heavy door open.

Suddenly!

The abrupt burst of light caused her eyes to squint and blur. She blinked several times, trying to focus on the scene in front of her.

"P-President Onyx!"

Praewa gasped in surprise when she finally saw Onyx's face clearly. The tall figure stood with arms crossed, his gaze fixed on her. His expression was cold and indifferent, as usual, but his eyes were fierce and serious.

"W-what's happening... w-why?" Her sweet voice stammered in confusion.

"Who do you work for?"

"Huh? What? I work for you, President."

"..."

Onyx sighed, casting an annoyed glance at his secretary's pale face.

"Earlier... what were you doing in my office?"

"I went in to review the documents. I felt that the budget figures received in the evening were different from the documents given to you in the afternoon, so I went in to check again."

"..."

"Please, let me go. I don't understand why the president has detained me," she said, tears flowing from fear.

Onyx looked at her steadily, then turned to signal to his subordinate behind him. The other quickly nodded in understanding and went to pick up the laptop placed on the table in the corner of the room.

During that time, she began to regain her composure and observe her surroundings. The room was bare, with no furniture, only a sofa and a small table in the corner. The dark walls had a musty, nauseating smell, with no ventilation. A single light bulb above provided the room's illumination.

The atmosphere was reminiscent of a movie scene where criminals are interrogated and tortured. Being tied to the chair, Praewa couldn't see that behind her was a dark, iron-barred cell, exuding a chilling aura of death.

Onyx picked up the laptop and turned the screen towards her.

"Explain," he said calmly.

Praewa peered through her tears at the video footage, seeing herself entering the man's room a week ago and disappearing into a corner that the camera couldn't capture. After a while, she walked out empty-handed.

"I-I just went in to check old documents, uh, to compare prices."

"..."

"I swear, I don't know what the president wants."

The young mafia boss crossed his arms, scrutinizing her suspiciously, trying to find any hint of deceit on her face. Her explanation was somewhat plausible, but something inside him suggested there was a discrepancy in this matter.

His sharp eyes narrowed when he noticed a striking red strand peeking out from the roots of her dark brown hair.

Praewa could barely breathe as his large hand reached towards her face, her heart pounding. She had never felt such fear before, praying silently that he would believe her and let her go.

Whoosh!

Her small frame shut her eyes tightly as the wig was yanked off, her heart felt like it had stopped.

Onyx's face shifted from shock to rage when he discovered the secret his secretary had concealed.

Grab!

"Ugh," she whimpered in pain as his large hand squeezed her chin, forcing her to look up.

The hair tie holding her hair was ripped away, letting her true hair color cascade down her back. Tears streamed down her cheeks, knowing that no matter what excuse she gave, he would never believe her again.

He tossed her thick glasses aside without care, revealing the striking beauty that had been hidden for years. Even without makeup, he could see her beauty.

"Hmm, so it was you who bumped into me," he sneered, both angry and resentful, feeling foolish for the first time. He had never suspected that his close secretary, whom he saw nearly every day, was hiding her true self behind a plain facade.

"Please, it's not what you think," she pleaded.

"With evidence like this, do you really expect me to listen to your explanation?"

"No, please, I don't know why you had to capture me... but I can explain this," she sobbed.

"..."

His rough fingers squeezed her jaw tighter, causing her face to contort in pain. Her large eyes, no longer hidden by glasses, looked at him pleadingly through tears.

"I... I just wanted to use my skills at work," she explained.

"What do you mean?" Onyx frowned, not understanding.

"In school, whenever I represented the university, people gossiped that it was only because of my looks. When I scored well on exams, they said I traded favors," she explained.

"..."

"After graduating, I didn't want people to see me that way anymore, so I chose to dress plainly and rely solely on my skills at work," she continued.

"..."

"Please believe me, I haven't done anything wrong. I don't even know why I was captured," she pleaded.

"Do you really think spinning a tale will make me believe you? Tell me! Who are you working for?"

Her small frame jolted as he shouted, and she shook her head in denial, tears streaming down her face.

"I... I don't know what you mean... I've already told you everything I know," she said.

"There's a listening device in my office! Right where you said you went to get the documents! Tell the truth now, Praewa. Don't make me be cruel to you!"

The shout echoed through the empty room. She could only shake her head, pleading with her eyes as her body trembled with fear. Onyx seemed like a man on the brink of madness. She never knew that a quiet man could display such terrifying rage.

The subordinates stood stiffly, barely daring to breathe. They had worked with Onyx for a long time, but none had ever seen their boss lose his composure like this. They glanced at the captive woman with sympathetic eyes, thinking that soon they would have to watch her be tortured to death for sure.

Swish!

Onyx flung his hand away forcefully, making her head turn. He raised his hand to his face, suppressing the anger that was ready to explode, and glanced at the small figure again. Her lips pressed together to hold back sobs, hot tears streaming continuously. The pressure made her pale skin turn red.

He hated being betrayed, especially when the traitor was someone he trusted. It made him even more furious!

Her explanation seemed absurd and implausible, and all the evidence pointed to her. Even if it wasn't completely certain, he was convinced she was the spy who infiltrated to steal information.

"Let's see how long you can keep your mouth shut..."

"...Bring me the knife."

Praewa turned pale upon hearing the young leader's words, trying to struggle and plead through her tears.

"No, don't kill me... Please, I really don't know. Let me go."

The subordinates exchanged looks but had to comply, pulling a shiny short knife from their pocket and handing it to their boss, turning their faces away to avoid the brutal scene.

She screamed loudly as Onyx approached, the gleam of the knife in his hand squeezing her heart. The cold, cruel gaze made her body tremble, and she shut her eyes tightly, not daring to look anymore.

Slash, s***h, s***h!

She opened her eyes in shock. What was cut wasn't her body but the thick rope. Before she could relax, she was already hoisted over the tall figure's shoulder.

"Scream! Let me go! What are you going to do? Someone help me!"

She struggled with all her might, pounding on the muscular back with full force, shouting for help all the way. She hoped someone would notice, but was disappointed once more, as everywhere she looked, she saw only burly men dressed similarly. It seemed this place was filled only with Onyx's subordinates.

"If you hurt me again, you won't meet a good end."

A menacing voice slipped through gritted teeth, indicating an unstable emotional state. His threat was effective; Praewa no longer dared to resist, biting her lip until it bled, lowering her head and sobbing in fear. She didn't know where he was taking her or what horrors lay ahead.

Onyx reached for the elevator control panel to scan his fingerprint and pressed the button for the top floor with his slender finger.

Inside the elevator, silence prevailed, broken only by her sobs. Her pitiful state did not stir any sympathy in the cold-hearted man. As the elevator rose, her heart sank deeper.

He stepped out as they reached their destination, and Praewa's eyes widened as she took in the surroundings, realizing they were in a luxurious penthouse. Her heart raced, adrenaline surged through her, and her hands turned cold as ice. She prayed the young man would see her years of dedication and relent, but hope dwindled as he ascended the stairs to the second floor.

Thud!

Her body was tossed onto the bed with such force, as if she were just an object, causing a sharp pain in her abdomen that made her wince. She tried to rise to escape, but the president's solid frame pinned her down before she could, pressing his heated body tightly against hers, leaving no space for air.

Praewa's face went pale as she realized what was about to happen. Though she tried to resist once more, it seemed it was already too late.