Sentenced to Marriage by MadlainQ

Theory I was looking at Aren’s phone screen with my picture displayed in the caller ID’s place and signed “My Wife” right below the photo. What was his phone doing here? Did someone lure him outside the hotel and then abduct him, making him drop his phone? I knew that Aren knew how to fight, but he wasn’t invincible… What if those who attacked Aren were Max and his men?! What if they beat him up and locked him somewhere?! They could have done it before meeting with Haskett!

My restless mind quickly became filled with conspiracy theories and the darkest possible scenarios. I placed my hand on my chest and rubbed it, trying to soothe my frantically pounding heart. As I slightly regained composure, I looked around and then up, and noticed that I was standing right under the terrace. Could the phone fall by accident and not crash because it fell on the carpet? It was possible, but what would Aren do on that terrace in the first place? And where the hell was he?!

All those questions had only increased my anxiety. I felt absolutely helpless. I put Aren’s phone into my purse and called Neil..

“Neil… I can’t find Aren… I went to look for a toilet, but instead, I overheard my kidnapper’s voice and listened to his conversation with the man who caused Aren’s accident. I ran back to the ballroom, and I couldn’t find Aren anywhere, and now I’ve just found his phone…” I whimpered. “Calm down, Mrs. Lan,” he said, slightly yawning. “He has an emergency tracker inside his watch. I can tell you where he is in a moment.”

10

“OK,” I mumbled, trembling. “I’m sorry… I am disturbing your free time…” Neil sighed. “It’s fine. I basically don’t have a private life anyway.” Then I heard Neil typing something on the computer. “He must be someone in the ballroom. Maybe you just missed him? I bet there are a lot of guys in black tuxedos inside…” I heard that he was trying to comfort me, but my mind had already painted a vision of Aren losing his watch as well.

“Could you be a little more specific? Could you tell me the direction? How should I find him?” I mumbled frantically.

“No, but I will send him your coordinates. Stay where you are, and wait. And don’t worry,” Neil said, sounding like my panic was a highly unnecessary reaction.

“I… I’ll wait,” I muttered reluctantly.

I hated waiting. The dark visions kept poisoning my mind, and I was on the verge of bursting into tears. It was a warm night, but I trembled as if I was freezing. I knew that I could only get back to my senses after I saw Aren alive and unharmed.

Do you want to escape from the ball?” Aren’s voice disarmed the tension

him close. He was surprised by

up as he realized what kind of mental state I was in. “I was looking for

couldn’t find it… I must have taken a wrong turn in the

scare you. I lost my phone, and—” “I found your

call. She knocked the phone out of my hand. I

was calm, a faint, warm smile curving his lips as he looked at me. “I was so worried when I couldn’t find you…” I muttered, struggling not to burst into tears. “When I was walking through the corridor, I heard the voice of the guy who kidnapped me and planned your assassination at the warehouse. Then I heard someone coming, and when I hid, I saw that

eyes at me. “You saw Max?! Where?! Is he inside

to show his face there. He knew that you could have recognized him right

he owns a company, and Mr. C. is his investor. Max

We have to find out who they are. The things they were saying, and…” I paused as I realized something. “Aren, I don’t think that this situation with

you saying? Do

said that you were following someone… Who were you following?” I asked, already assuming what kind of answer

gave me a wry smile. “Lanfen. I thought I saw Lanfen, and I went after her to the terrace. Then I heard… something, and I knew

you hear?” I pushed him to

deep breath. “Those guys mentioned something about keywords and manipulation…” “Do you think that I was brainwashed?!” he snapped, adding strength to his grip on my shoulders. “Do