Chapter 270: What a Girl Wants

A few days later, Eve had an appointment in Lotus Agency. She wore a simple tank top and fitted culottes—a pair of pants that stopped below the knee. Her crimson hair had been tied up into a bun. Flip flops wrapped around her feet.

She stood straight, facing forward and expressionless.

A camera flashed right in front of her.

Then, she relaxed her posture and folded her arms behind her. The pose emphasized her curves. Her chin tilted up to elongate her neck. The photographer captured her photo once more.

Eve kept the momentum and half-turned away from the camera. She glanced over her shoulder and exposed her side profile. The camera moved closer to take it as a headshot that displayed her facial bone structure.

Lastly, she leaned back on a white wall with one leg bent, its heel lifted off the floor. Her arms returned to her sides. The photographer dropped to one knee for a better angle that would show off her height.

"That's a wrap for you, Evangeline," he announced, scrolling through her shots. 

"Thank you." Eve stepped off the set and grabbed her belongings. She shrugged on her trench coat and tied it around the waist. Nanzie assisted and remained a step behind her.

A line of models waited for their turn outside. The sight of them made her heart pound. Could she actually outshine them? She walked beside them until she reached the end of the hallway. The eyes that followed her varied from disdain and indifference.

She let out a breath once she reached the elevator.

Mikael and Cale could have warned her how fierce the competition was.

"Hey. Will you be dropping by for dinner?" Eve said over the phone, crossing the lobby.

"Is this an invitation?" Ambryan paused from typing. He sat in his office with Riffle standing in front of him. The latter hung his mouth open slightly. He had been in the middle of explaining the schedule when the CEO received the call.

This had to be the first time he ever overheard their conversation.

Eve snorted at the subtle teasing tone. "Did an invitation ever matter to you?"

"It's always a good feeling to be invited."

"Well, sorry. It's not an invitation." Eve reached the entrance. Nanzie positioned herself between Eve and the street, strolling side by side. They headed for the car that was parked a block away. 

"Is that so?"

"Yes." Eve nodded. "It's an invasion. Can I cook at your house instead?"

Ambryan raised his eyebrows. "This is a first."

"I want to play with the cats." She pressed her lips together, seeming to wait for his response. But, as soon as she heard him open his mouth, she added, "Eri and Ede also want to play with them. I'm sure you know how hard it is to resist them."

"And there's the catch." He chuckled from the other line. Riffle nearly had a heart attack. 

It really was true that love could change people. 

Nanzie stepped ahead and opened the car door for Eve. "So?"

"As long as dinner won't be another bowl of tomato soup." From the corner of his eye, Ambryan spotted an email notification from his desktop monitor. He clicked it right away and opened the attached file. 

"Of course! I wouldn't torture you more than once."

"I'll remember that."

The call ended and Eve undid her hair. She sat in the backseat, buckling her seatbelt, while Nanzie placed the vehicle in gear. Her heart weighed heavy. The week was almost over. Ambryan should be asking her again what was the document she was reading back in the hotel.

How should she tell him about it?

'Over dinner later perhaps?' She contemplated. With her sisters around, it should be a pleasant enough atmosphere. This had to be another thing she never dreamed of doing before she joined that blasted website.

But a part of her also felt excited for what is to come.

"Ms. Evangeline, hold on!"

The tires screeched under the sedan. 

Eve screamed, grabbing onto whatever she could reach. Her body flew forward but the seat belt pulled her back. She bowed her head and closed her eyes on instinct. She lost her sense of direction as the car jerked in different directions.

Then, it jerked to a sudden stop.

"Please stay in here," Nanzie instructed. She climbed out of the driver's seat and locked the doors. A gun in her hand, she crouched beside the vehicle with its nozzle pointed to the ground. 

Eve looked up, panting. Vans blocked their path on the street. Horns blared out from other affected cars in traffic. She peeked behind her for the rest of her security team. They should be closed behind but more suspicious vehicles cut off the street.

'What was going on?'

On cue, men and women in black exited the vehicles. 

They were clearly outnumbered.

Nanzie stepped back until she stood next to Eve's side of the car. Unconsciously, Eve clung to the door between them. Her senses heightened. She needed a plan but what? 

One guy reached Nanzie's side. She immediately elbowed him in the ribs and flipped him over her shoulder. Then, another one came and raised a punch in her direction. She ducked and executed a roundhouse kick. 

More of them flocked over her. 

She gnashed her teeth together.

She knew exactly what they were doing. Her cyan eyes snapped towards Eve. Hazel ones stared back at her in alarm. She couldn't help but find it comical. It was obvious that Eve was the one in most danger but her client acted like it was her who was in deep peril.

The sounds of a fight reached her ears.

It seemed like the rest of her team were trying to break through. 

Nanzie knew at least one thing. These people weren't here to kill them. They had guns like she did but none of them were used. The best she could do was keep as many of them away from the car—even if it meant taking the first shot.

Eve yelped and pressed her hands against her ears when a gunshot sounded.

The person on the other side of the car dropped to the ground. 

Nanzie pulled the trigger three more times. Each shot found its mark—not enough to kill but hopefully enough to immobilize the enemies. She thrusted a kick behind her and changed directions. 

The others also started to surround the car.

Her arm swung in a half circle, opting for speed instead of precision. 

Then, she ran out of bullets.

The guy she flipped over her shoulder earlier seized her wrist, forcing the gun to point up. He slowly made his way up until he could crush her hand. Her grip on the gun tightened. Nazie wouldn't allow him to force her into dropping it.

She lifted her free arm for another jab to his ribs.

But someone else twisted it to stop her.

A painful grunt escaped her lips. Nanzie bent forward. Using her whole weight, she rammed her back towards them and pushed. The three of them stumbled backwards and landed on the ground. 

"Nanzie!"

The shriek of her name caused Nanzie to scramble to her feet.

Two guys held Eve's upper arms. The latter steeled her legs in resistance but they possessed strength that she didn't have. Her legs gave in until the enemies practically dragged her across the ground. The asphalt scratched her exposed skin. 

She hissed and kicked, yanking her arms—anything that could loosen their grip.

But the attempts were fruitless.

"NO!" Nanzie cried. She ran for it.

A hand snatched her elbow and her feet elevated off the ground. She landed on her back, grunting in pain. Hands held her down before she could even try to get up. Their faces were shadows against the orange sky.

She spat at a random face, making the person close their eyes.

"What? You think there aren't many of us?" One of the enemies threatened breathily. He rose to his feet and wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. He was the only one who didn't touch her. "There's twice of us on the other side, stopping your backup."

Dread washed over Nanzie. 

They had been well-prepared, knowing that it would only be here with Eve inside the car. To call for this much force meant they were dealing with a powerful person. Her gaze darted in different directions, pretending to be vulnerable and confused.

Then, she jolted up as a surprise.

But the grip on her pushed her back down. 

"Thinking about how to escape?" The same guy grinned. "I'm afraid you're too late."

Eve continued to trash around.

Then, they shoved her at the back of a van.

Her first instinct was to lunge for the doors. She met a solid resistance as they shut close. Her fists banged on the window. The van should leave the premises soon. Others would be able to see her. She needed to catch their attention and call the authorities.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP! I'M BEING KIDNAPPED!" Eve shouted at the top of her lungs.

"BE QUIET!" Someone barked from behind her. 

She whirled her head around to give them a piece of her mind. Whatever words that lingered in her mouth went back down. Her throat clogged up and prevented her from uttering a single sound. She gulped.

"Go ahead," the person mocked her from his seat, unlatching the gun's stopper. The van started moving. "I dare you to say something."

The events gradually sank in as her body trembled from cold fear. Eve dropped to the floor and raised her hands in surrender. She kept eye contact with the kidnapper, watching the gun. Her sudden silence amused him. It both sickened her and terrified her at the same time.

In this vehicle, they held the power. 

One wrong move and it could be game over.

That was when she noticed that she wasn't alone.

A wide grin spread across the stranger's face. "Hey, cutie."