Finally, the Bentley slowed and came to a stop. Sophie's heart slammed against her ribs, each beat echoing in her skull. Ahead of her was the edge of a cliff, dark and endless.
The two black jeeps that had been following also came to a halt. Immediately, two burly men stepped out from each vehicle, their movements coordinated and terrifying as they drew closer.
Sophie's stomach twisted, and bile rose in her throat. "Oh God… what is happening? "she muttered under her breath.
Before she could react or realize what was going on, she was pulled out from the car. Her hands were instantly pinned roughly behind her back, and she was forced to her knees on the cold, jagged ground.
Her chest heaved. She kicked, twisted, and fought like a cornered animal but the men didn't flinch a bit.
"Please… please don't kill me," Sophie's voice cracked, as she trembled in panic. "I'll give you whatever you want, money, cars, houses, just don't kill me. Please… whatever they're paying you, I'll double it. No triple it! Just let me go, and you'll walk away richer than you've ever dreamed." Her words tumbled out in a broken whisper, desperate and shaking.
From one of the black jeeps, a taller, broader man emerged in a black suit. Smoke curled from the thick tobacco clenched between his fingers, the orange glow tracing the sharp angles of his ruthless face. The three men standing turned their backs to Sophie and bowed to the man as soon as he stepped out.
From his look, it was clear he was the boss.
Meanwhile, the other two burly men kept Sophie pinned down on her knees.
However, the man in dark suit exhaled slowly. His gaze on her was like a predator savoring its prey. Sophie's chest tightened even further, nausea and dread pooled together.
He walked closer, lifted her chin with a single hand, forcing her face up before letting it drop again. He continued smoking, expression unreadable, as if her existence were nothing more than a passing thought.
He faced one of the men and asked, "Identity confirmed?"
"Yes, sir. She's the chairwoman of LBH," the man replied, barely looking up.
"Good." He nodded and continued puffing his smoke.
Sophie grabbed his leg desperately. "I'm the heir of LBH. I have money, gold, jewelry, and riches! I will pay you triple what you were paid in triple! Houses, cars, millions of dollars, anything you want, just keep me alive. Please, I will pay more than what you're offering! Please." she begged in a shaky and trembling voice.
The man crouched to meet her panicked eyes and let a sly grin curl across his lips.
"Triple the cash? Houses? Cars? That's tempting… a very good deal." He chuckled darkly, then leaned closer to her. "But I'm a loyal businessman. A loyal dog, to be precise." He said before turning away to leave.
As he took few steps away, Sophie shouted desperately, "I know I'm going to die I know this is my end! But at least can I know who sent you?"
The man didn't look back. He kept walking towards his car as he replied audibly.
"No point in knowing. By tomorrow morning, it'll be all over the news that the poor little heiress of LBH, too young and too broken to carry the weight of an empire, chose to end her life by leaping off a cliff. The world will say you smiled in public, but on the inside, you're crumbling. They will say you were too weak to bear the heavy crown. Too broken to live.. And when they find your body at the bottom of this cliff tomorrow, no one will question it. Don't panic your suicide and farewell letter is already written."
He turned his back on her, puffing hard on his tobacco, the smoke curling and shrouding his face as he walked away further.
Desperation clawed its way out of Sophie's chest. "I am the heiress of LBH, the only chairwoman! One of the richest women in Eastbridge! Do you really think this little scheme of yours can erase the truth? My death will be investigated you'll be caught and face justice! There's still a chance for you to set me free now, and I'll pretend this never happened. I'll even compensate you richly. But if you don't, you'll regret it forever and spend your whole life in jail!"
The boss froze mid-step. Slowly, he turned back, his shoes crunching against the gravel. He closed the distance in a few strides and crouched down until his face was inches from hers. For a fleeting second, his gaze softened as if her words had struck a nerve.
Sophie's heart leapt with fragile hope that maybe he would come into his senses and find truth in what she said.
Then, with a cruel grin, he exhaled a heavy stream of smoke straight into her face. She coughed violently, her relief shattering as his laughter echoed in the night. "Do you think I don't know who you are? It's because you're the heiress and the almighty chairwoman of LBH, that's why you're here tonight."
"So, don't fool yourself. Everything is planned and out there; no one is willing to seek justice for you. You're only rich in money, Sophie. In every other way, you're pitifully poor. Even a beggar has a higher chance of getting justice after death than you do."
He stood tall again, flicking the last of his tobacco away. "Boys, finish it. Push her off the cliff. No bruises, no marks, no struggle. Make it clean. Make it perfect. And looks like a perfect suicide."
He gave one last smirk before walking away. "Let her join her father with a complete body."
Sophie's blood ran cold. Her vision blurred as hot tears spilled down her cheeks, streaking her face. Her chest heaved as if it might collapse, her lungs strangled by terror.
"Nooooo!" she screamed, her voice raw and jagged, clawing at the men's arms with every ounce of strength left in her. The gravel cut into her knees as she thrashed violently, her voice shaking, trembling, terrifying even to her own ears.
"Please! Don't! I don't want to die! I'll do anything anything you want!" Her words tumbled out in broken gasps. "I'll vanish… disappear from Eastbridge no, from the world if you want. You'll never see me again, never hear from me again. Just don't kill me, please!!!"
Her plea ripped through the night desperate and wild