Rebirth to take revenge
Chapter 88: Kidnapped again

Chapter 88: Kidnapped again

"Claire, please don’t do anything foolish," Alex murmured, concealing his worries and sorrow. Then he turned around and looked at the bodyguards behind him with a serious expression, ordering, "Close the mountain. From now on, not even a fly can leave this place! Search for her and find her at all costs! Also, send someone to investigate who this Cole is and capture him!"

"Yes!" The bodyguards immediately responded.

In the darkness, Claire ran through the woods, heading downhill. The cold wind howled, but she only had on the pajamas she wore at home. Her body was already stiff from the cold, but she kept moving forward with sheer willpower.

Looking around, everything was pitch black, and she couldn’t even tell which way was which. She gritted her teeth and continued to run, finally stopping in front of a patch of grass. Her knees gave out, and she fell to the ground, her chest heaving.

Claire leaned against a tree trunk, struggling to stand up. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and slowly crouched down, reaching out to touch her stomach. Perhaps because she was pregnant, her body was weaker than before.

She was exhausted after running for such a short distance. But she knew that now was not the time to stop. If she stopped here, not only would Cole catch up to her quickly, but the temperature in the woods at night could also kill her.

Taking a few deep breaths, Claire forced her tired body to keep moving forward. Luckily, she didn’t have to go far before she saw a small estate nestled in the woods. In the dim moonlight, she could vaguely see lights shining in the courtyard and occasionally hear dogs barking.

Claire’s heart skipped a beat, her eyes filled with hope, and she quickened her pace towards the village. In the dead of night, Claire’s arrival caused the dogs in the courtyard to bark loudly.

Upon hearing the barking of a dog, the mansion lights flickered on. Soon, a tall and sturdy man emerged from the house, holding a lantern in one hand and a wooden stick in the other, his eyes alert.

"Who’s there?" the man shouted sternly.

Claire tightened her robe and poked her head out, saying, "Sorry to disturb you so late, but I got lost. Can I stay here for the night?"

The man shone the lantern in Claire’s direction and, upon seeing her face, shuddered. Before he could answer, a woman came out from behind him and whispered something in his ear, her gaze wary. Then, she looked at Claire and smiled kindly, saying, "Of course, come in quickly. It’s cold outside."

"Thank you!" Claire breathed a sigh of relief and nodded gratefully. The woman led Claire into the courtyard and arranged a room for her.

"Miss, you don’t look like someone from our mountain. Did something happen for you to come out so late?" the woman asked with concern.

Claire hesitated before speaking, "I was brought here by someone, but when I tried to leave, I got lost."

The woman nodded knowingly. "I’ve seen many girls like you over the years. In the end, they all stayed here obediently."

Claire was startled, and her eyes became alert. She asked, "What do you mean?"

The woman didn’t beat around the bush and said straightforwardly, "There are many wolves in our mountains, but not much food. In order to continue our family line, we marry women from the foothills. When those girls come to the mountains and see the environment, they can’t accept it," the woman continued. "They try to run and escape, but none of them can run away. In the end, they are all caught and brought back."

Claire’s face turned pale, and she couldn’t stop trembling. No wonder she always felt that the atmosphere here was strange. The woman seemed to see through Claire’s thoughts and patted her shoulder to comfort her, "Don’t be afraid. The men in our mountains are very pure-hearted. You’ll like them after spending some time with them."

"When the time comes, you won’t want to leave even if you’re allowed to."

Claire’s mouth twitched, and she forced a smile. "You misunderstood me, I—"

Before she could finish, the woman waved her hand and said, "Alright, it’s getting late.

You should rest here tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll send you back to avoid unnecessary trouble." After saying this, the woman turned and walked into the house, extinguishing the oil lamp.

Claire looked at the dim candlelight inside and stood still. She thought she had been saved by coming here, but it turned out to be a place full of troubles, not suitable for long stays.

Claire glanced at the water cup on the table beside her, suppressed her thirst, and didn’t reach for it. She grabbed a blanket from behind the bed and draped it over her shoulders before leaving the room.

It had been almost two hours since she left, and without a doubt, Cole would have woken up by now. Claire couldn’t afford to delay and hurried towards the mountain path.

As expected, not long after she left, Cole found the small estate. He kicked the door open and held a knife to the sturdy man, demanding, "Did you see a woman pass by here just now?"

The sudden intrusion frightened everyone inside. The woman quickly stepped forward and said, "Yes, I saw her. I arranged for her to stay in the guest room. She should be asleep by now."

Upon hearing this, Cole’s expression softened slightly. He pushed the man away and sheathed his knife, saying, "Lead the way."

The woman breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I knew she must have escaped. As someone from this mountain, I naturally have to look out for the people here. Don’t worry, I put something in her water. Once she drinks it, she’ll be unconscious."

She led Cole to a room, knocked on the door, but there was no response. Her eyes lit up. "See? I told you."

Cole, losing patience, simply opened the door and walked in. However, the room was empty.

"Where is she?" Cole’s eyes narrowed as he growled.

The woman was startled and pointed to the bed, stuttering, "She was just here."

Cole snorted coldly, his sharp gaze sweeping toward the open window. "How long ago did she come here?"

"About half an hour ago," the woman replied, trembling. Cole squinted, moved quickly, and leaped through the window, chasing after Claire’s departing figure.

Meanwhile, Claire had run all the way down the mountain and now stood by the roadside, looking around helplessly. It was late, and the place was remote—there would be no passing vehicles. She walked along the road, constantly looking back, afraid that Cole would catch up with her.

Suddenly, a strong light shone on her, making Claire instinctively squint. Overjoyed, she raised her arms and waved them frantically. The car’s headlights flashed twice but didn’t slow down, speeding past her. Claire felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, dropping her arms in disappointment.

Just then, a familiar voice sounded behind her, causing her body to stiffen and her eyes to widen in disbelief.

"You can run pretty fast. Looks like I underestimated you," Cole’s voice came from behind, making Claire feel cold all over.

She bit her lip and turned around in dread. In her line of sight, Cole was approaching with light steps, like the arrival of the Grim Reaper.

Claire swallowed hard, her face as white as paper, and said, "You—"

"Bang." The response was a chop to the neck. Cole showed no mercy, knocking Claire out and slinging her over his shoulder.

Although he had found her, the situation wasn’t ideal. Without transportation and carrying a woman, it would be difficult to get down the mountain. After some thought, Cole impatiently pulled a face and disappeared into the darkness.

When Claire woke up again, she found herself lying on a wooden bed in an unfamiliar room, feeling uneasy. She struggled to sit up, the bed creaking beneath her.

The door opened, and the figure that appeared made Claire’s pupils shrink. "Why is it you?"

"You’re awake?" they both said at the same time.

Claire frowned, looking at the woman in front of her, her head spinning. She remembered clearly that she had left the wooden house last night. The woman’s eyes flickered as she approached, pulling Claire back onto the bed and asking in a low voice, "I have to ask, who is your man? Is he someone important?"

"Last night, he brought you here and took us back to the village. The village chief didn’t dare ask any questions..."

Listening to the woman’s words, Claire gradually recalled what had happened. She hadn’t escaped; she had been knocked out by Cole and brought back.

"Where am I? Who are you? I want to go home."

She pushed the woman away and tried to leave the house, but her legs buckled, and she collapsed. The woman quickly helped her up. "Don’t waste your energy. Your man said you can’t leave the village without his permission. I’ll be watching over you."