CEO's Caged Ex-wife

Chapter 4 Nowhere to Go

A ray of morning sunlight filtered in through the window.

The man slowly woke up, squinting as he stretched his sore neck. He instinctively glanced at the bed, only to freeze in shock. Nobody was in the blood-stained bed, and the door was wide open.

"Julian!"

The man shouted, rushing out and calling to the men still lying in their sleeping bags.

"She's gone!" 

The men yawned and woke up, crawling out of their sleeping bags at the man's voice. Their first thought wasn't that Florence had run away, but that if she had, she would surely die outside. 

The massive iron gate stands ajar, its rusted hinges creaking in the wind. They spill outside, squinting at the desolate landscape—mountains clawing at the horizon, fields choked with overgrowth, a river slicing through the gloom like a silver scar.

Florence was still in the blood-stained blue-striped hospital gown, her lengthy hair braided and draped over her shoulder, a bundle of firewood in her arms. 

"You are all awake."

Florence approached them, smiling as she greeted them. 

They silently looked at the woman, speechless. Her face, though pale, now carried a hint of vitality after being washed and her hair combed. She looked completely different from the disoriented woman they had seen the night before. 

"You didn't leave?!"

One of the men asked in surprise. 

Florence lowered her eyes slightly before looking up at them.

"I have nowhere to go. Can I stay here with you for a few days?" 

The men were stunned. 

This was the first time they had heard a kidnapped hostage say that crazy ask. Moreover, this woman had been the young lady of the Millers and was now the wife of the second son of the Brooks family, the CEO of the Brooks Group.

Inside the large factory, Thomas and the others were playing cards. Although it had rained, it wasn't cold, but unusually warm at the moment. 

Nearby, a fire crackled, its high flames warming the surroundings. The others kept their distance from Florence, who quietly curled up close to the fire, hugging her legs.

Julian glanced at her and walked over.

"Are you cold?"

Looking puzzled by the question, Florence looked up and stared at him blankly. 

Julian hesitated and then sat beside her despite the heat, looking at the woman beside him. 

"Aren't you adopted by the Millers? How can you have nowhere to go?" 

"Mrs. Miller accidentally lost her own child and was deeply depressed. Mr. Miller brought me home to help her heal. Now, when they have found their child, I have nowhere to go." 

Florence explained softly, her words simple but filled with sorrow. 

Julian nodded, casually saying, "So, they used you to heal their pain and discarded you, didn't they?" 

The word "used" made Florence's face pale. She shivered. 

"What about your own family?"

Julian asked again, deliberately avoiding mentioning the Brooks family. 

"Family?" Florence looked at Julian in confusion and then shook her head. "I don't have a family. I woke up in the Miller family, and my memories started there. Mr. Miller said he found me unconscious on a roadside in the countryside." 

Julian wanted to ask why Florence became mentally unstable at the sound of thunder and why she resisted hospitals, but he ultimately didn't. 

In the afternoon, Thomas handed Florence a phone. 

"Call Nathan Brooks. Tell him you've been kidnapped and ask him to come get you!" 

Florence looked at the phone and hesitantly suggested, "Can I not call? Nathan won't pay a ransom for me. How about I write you an IOU, and I'll pay you back when I earn money in the future?" 

Thomas sighed, dialled a number, put the phone on speaker, and handed it to Florence. The monotonous ringtone echoed from the phone, but after a few rings, the call was hung up. "Sorry, the number you have dialled..." 

Florence looked up at Thomas. 

"Try again!"

Thomas said.

Florence hesitated but eventually picked up the phone and redialed the number, putting it on speaker. This time, the call wasn't immediately disconnected. It rang for a while before being answered, and a familiar voice came through, making Florence nervous. 

"Hello?" 

Florence bit her lip, paused, and tentatively said, "I've been kidnapped. Can you come get me?" 

The man on the other end seemed surprised at Florence. After a moment, a cold, indifferent voice replied, "Ellie just fell asleep. I can't leave." 

Before Florence had a chance to respond, the line went dead. 

Even though she had anticipated this outcome, Florence's face turned pale instantly. With the warmth from the fire beside her, she felt as if she were submerged in an icy abyss, chilled to the bone. 

In the end, Thomas and the others felt sympathy for Florence and sent her to a bus stop. Before leaving, Julian handed her a hundred dollars. 

"Hop in a taxi! No need to fight for space on the bus." 

Tears blurred Florence's vision as she looked at the money in her hand. She never expected that, in this cold winter, the ones to offer her a shred of warmth would be the kidnappers and the place where she found temporary shelter would be the factory where she was held captive. 

Instead of returning to the Brooks family, Florence went to the Miller family. 

To the Brooks family, she had become a target of scorn. From Master Brooks and Madame Brooks to the lowliest servants, every single one of them looked at her with sheer hatred and disgust, as if they were ready to tear her apart.

A typical scholarly family, the Miller family held considerable prestige in the capital, though not as influential as the Brooks family. 

The Millers' villa was understated yet luxurious. Florence walked to the front gate and entered the code from memory. However, the gate emitted a series of beeps, and a small screen displayed "Password Error." She tried again, but the result was the same. After several attempts, she finally pressed the bell. 

The bell rang for a while before someone opened the gate. Seeing Florence standing at the door, Audrey was startled.

"Ms. Miller, why are you coming?" 

Not "Why are you coming back?" but "Why are you coming?" 

"I'm coming to see Mr. and Mrs. Miller," Florence replied stiffly, forcing a smile. Samantha didn't allow her to call them "Mom" and "Dad." 

"Samantha has a performance in Oceanland today. Mr. and Mrs. Miller accompanied her there." 

Mrs. Miller, Abigail, was a renowned violinist. Their biological daughter, Samantha, had naturally inherited their talents. At a young age, she had made a name for herself in the violin world. Now, fresh out of university, she was already performing on elite stages. 

"Ms. Miller, are you going to come in?" Audrey asked, standing at the gate. 

Florence shook her head and turned away from the Millers' villa. She hadn't gone far when the heavy gate slammed shut behind her. Florence paused for a moment, then continued walking into the distance. 

Since Samantha returned, Mr. Miller and his wife had grown distant towards her, and she had lost the right to live there. She either stayed in university or wandered between part-time jobs, rarely returning to the Miller family. However, she remembered their years of care and would bring gifts during holidays to visit them. 

After leaving the villa, Florence stopped under a large laurel tree at the intersection. The ground was covered with fallen flowers from the tree after the rain. A gentle breeze blew by. For a moment, she seemed to see two childlike figures standing under the tree on a similar cold, rainy night.