Love Contract

Chapter 229 Suspected Kidnapping (Part Two)

"Mmhmm, yes." Selah confirmed. The question had brought about memories of when she had been so young and naive, and it brought a bitter smile to her face.

"Some say you became famous overnight," Felicia said softly. "However, as far as we are aware, after the release of "Wang Zhaojun", all of the TV shows and movies you had planned to shoot ended up being cancelled. And then you disappeared for a year and a half."

Selah's mind was suddenly bombarded with memories of her past, and it felt rather unreal to her.

Noting the loneliness spreading across Selah's face, Barry couldn't help but think of that one year and a half that had been long enough for her to become a mother.

"I... After I finished shooting the movie," Selah whispered, her eyes empty. "I ended up falling pregnant... I didn't have a choice..."

'So it's true,' thought Barry.

Selah sucked in a wobbly breath trying to choke back her sobs.

Felicia exchanged a brief look with Jaime before tentatively asking, "Can you tell us more? Who the child's father is? You are not married, are you?"

Those questions piqued Barry's curiosity.

"No, I'm not married..." Selah knew that if she wanted to be successful once more in this career, she would have to dig up her past and lay it bear before everyone. For the sake of her son, she could do this!

"And the child's father?"

"I don't know," Selah said with a shake of her head.

Barry was shocked by this revelation.

"Okay. Do you think you can tell us more?" Felicia asked as delicately as she could.

"Hmm... I suppose I could," Selah answered. "When I had started my career in this industry, it had gone so smoothly. After I won the award, I had appointments lining up. Too many to count. My agent at one point had told me that a boss wanted to meet with me. I didn't suspect anything at the time, or know any better, so I went to dinner with him... It was in a private club, and that night..."

"Framed?" Felicia interrupted, her tone one of absolute certainty. She knew such things as these were common in the industry.

"Yes." Selah nodded, her voice filled with pain. "I didn't even know who the man was, let alone what he looked like."

"When did you find out you were pregnant?" asked Jaime.

"My menstruation didn't come the next month. So I made an appointment with the hospital to have a check-up to confirm my suspicions." Her words were simple, but the bitter, angry emotions behind them were not.

After she had her worst fears proven true, she hid away in her apartment for days. She had felt as if she wanted to die. Her nights were plagued with terrible nightmares. So much so that it had been hard for her to find sleep.

She had always believed she could achieve her dreams by her own efforts, but the reality of it was so different. She was just too naive!

"And why didn't you have an abortion?" Felicia asked. "I know how hard of a decision that can be, but gathering from your situation at the time, it would have been the wisest choice."

"When I found out, I was in California. And my agent fled with all of the money..." Selah bit her lower lip. "Besides, the doctor told me that it wouldn't be easy for me to get pregnant again. If I had an abortion it could lead to infertility."

When she finished speaking, silence fell over the small group of people.

"Where is the child now, then?" asked Jaime after a long moment.

"At my cousin's house. She also has a child, so she watches them together. I... I do not want my child to appear in front of the media," Selah stated firmly.

Barry suppressed a sigh. He felt that this little woman in front of him was more pitiful than Mary had been.

"Where were you in California? Do you still remember the club?"

"The club was in Los Angeles."

Barry's eyebrows rose in surprise. They had been in the same city at the same time.

"The club," Selah said slowly, trying hard to recall any details, "had been decorated in an oriental style. My agent had told me that the boss had been working incredibly hard in America for a long time, and that he missed his hometown. It was summer at the time."

A sudden thought came to Barry. "Mr. Gu, our company will provide you with a very special 'gift' tonight. It is a virgin... Please remember to take good care of us in the next movie!"

The memory disappeared as quickly as it had come, but the feeling that there was something important of this didn't leave Barry's mind.

A sharp, shrill ring echoed throughout the room. The sound had all of them jumping. Startled, Barry came back to his senses and looked at his phone.

"Excuse me. I have to take this call. Please, carry on." Barry stood with his phone in his hand and walked out of the office. He looked at the caller ID before answering, "William? What's the matter?"

"Where's Mary? Did you take her?!" William roared on the other end of the line.

"Did I take her? I'm in the company. What nonsense are you talking about?" Barry frowned.

"Truly? You didn't take her?" William asked in obvious disbelief.

"What do I have to gain by lying to you? Have you tried calling Mary?" Barry's tone was rather unfriendly. Was William Lan attempting to show off in some way right now?

"Why would I call you if she had answered her phone?" William snarled furiously. "I've called many times, but she didn't answer!"

At that information, Barry couldn't help but feel a little nervous. "What about the others? Surely they've seen Mary?"

"Mary had already left the set when I called, and no one had any idea of where she went."

"Did..." he started to ask, but had to pause and swallow the lump in his throat. A terrible, unsettling feeling filled Barry's chest. "Could it be like last time...?" Had the people who had kidnapped Alick and Elissa not given up, and had planned to kidnap Mary?

William remained quiet. He was concerned that, that was what had happened as well.

"Where are you now? I'll come right away!" Barry went back to his office quickly.

"The set," William answered.

"Okay."

The door banged off the wall as Barry barged into his office. "You all continue," he said. "I have something I must deal with."

"Okay," someone answered but he didn't look to see who.

The van that carried Mary was speeding down the road, making the car sway and a queasy feeling fill her stomach. The atmosphere was heavy and weighed down on her in the silence.

Mary refused to cry. This way, maybe she'd be able to save up some energy for later. Even if she cried, it was not like they'd let her go anyway.

The van suddenly lurched making Mary squeak softly in surprise.

The car had come to a screeching halt.

Not being able to grab anything with her hands tied, Mary was nearly tossed forward into the front seat.

Unlike when she had been shoved into the car, she was gently helped out of the van.

Mary was stunned by the difference in treatment. Were hostages always treated this well?

There was no other sound but their footsteps, and the air was cold against her skin.

Mary couldn't help but feel like a piece of meat being led to the chopping block.

But then the rope around her wrists loosened and was removed, freeing her hands.

There was a soft, rustling noise and the sound of a door snapping closed. The sound of an engine starting was muffled by the door. It must be the car leaving...

Mary remained still, not daring to move.

Were they gone? What did they expect her to do now?

What could they possibly want? Maybe there was a steep cliff in front of her and if she walked forward she'd fall. Or perhaps there was a bomb somewhere that would go off and reduce her to nothing but ash. If she removed her blindfold, would she see nothing but her imminent death?

The ever growing fear in her current darkness made her skin grow colder.

Steeling her resolve, Mary decided to take off the blind fold. No matter what awaited her on the other side.

With a trembling hand, Mary slowly pulled down the blindfold.

She blinked her eyes a few times, and her sight took a moment to correct itself. When she could see clearly, her fear was overshadowed by confusion.

There was no cliff or bomb, but an ice rink before her!

The ice rink seemed to have been specially made. There were hundreds of colorful, heart-shaped balloons, and soft lights glowing all around the ring.

At the entrance of the rink, where Mary stood, there was a golden arrow.

Even more confused, she slowly stepped forward to follow where the arrow pointed.

The sound of her heels echoed throughout the empty rink as she came to a corner. Mary felt that she should probably make a run for it, but her curiosity got the better of her.

The soft clicks of her heels still echoed all around her.

With the blind fold still clutched tightly in her hand, Mary cautiously walked around the corner.

The rink was rectangular in shape, and in the center stood a man with his back to her and flowers in his hand. Beside the man was a large arrangement of red candles in the shape of a heart.

Mary's steps faltered. 'Isn't this a kidnapping? It is looking to be more like a proposal...' That couldn't be it, could it?

"Why did you stop?"

a pleasant male voice asked. Mary watched as the man slowly turned to face her with a wide smile.

Mary gasped sharply. "Archer Song?" Mary's mouth hung open in surprise.

"What? Am I not who you expected?" Archer was dressed smartly in a neat, pristine tailored suit and his hair was styled simply. His smile turned to a grin as he asked, "Why are you still standing there? Do you want me to come to you instead?"

"You..." Mary swallowed back the lump in her throat and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I thought it would be obvious!" Archer walked over and took her hand to lead her to the center of the heart.

"You..." Mary tried but was stopped by Archer's index finger on her lips. "Mary, do you believe in fate?" asked Archer.

"Fate? Yes, I suppose so," Mary answered hesitantly.

"Hmm... Good. So do I." Archer smiled and continued to say, "Three years ago, on a street of New York City, in Times Square. Do you remember what happened?" Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Mary looked at him with a confused expression. "No... I don't know what you're talking about..."

"That's alright. I remember." Archer's eyes softened, his expression gentle, which was something Mary had never seen before. "That day," he started, "you wore a peaked cap and bumped into me while I was taking photographs in the street. Your cap had fallen off and your beautiful black hair was all mussed... I'd never seen a woman with such beautiful hair before..."

He'd been taking photographs in the street? A cap?

Mary found herself even more confused now.

"Still doesn't ring any bells?" Archer raised his eyebrows in question.

"No, it doesn't..." Mary shook her head slowly. "I think you've mistaken me for someone else!"

"No!" Archer said firmly, "Have you also forgotten the gentle kiss we shared?"

Archer remembered it as clear as day. She had been looking back at something, and when she'd looked forward she had bumped into Archer. Their lips had pressed together for the slightest of moments. She had then bent down and snatched up her cap, leaving before Archer could say anything. He had pined for her since then.

Seeing that Mary still seemed confused, Archer hooked the back of her neck and shoved her lips against his.

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