He had to dissipate the situation soon. He shouted at Adrianna, "Go back to your room! Now!"
Adrianna backed off a little and walked to her room. Ed watched her leave and close the door behind her. He turned to Kuro and said, "Do you know who Niiya is?"
---
The next morning, while Adrianna was preparing to go to college, she received a text from Ookashi.
[Niiya has been kidnapped.]
Adrianna was startled. Without eating her breakfast, she ran out of the house. Ed shouted behind her, "Adri! Stop! Have your breakfast! Why are you running so fast?"
But Adrianna was in such a hurry that she jumped over the railings and dashed to her motorbike. While on her way to Ookashi's home, she wondered if Kuro had kidnapped Niiya. Was he going to stoop to this level to force her into marrying the supreme alpha? She was so angry at him that she wanted to lash out her anger at him right there and then, but she was currently helpless. It wasn't a certainty that he had been kidnapped. Even if he had been kidnapped, it could be anyone since Niiya's father was a popular doctor and was very rich. It could be for ransom or it could be a grudge. All those thoughts were bouncing within her head, making her increase her.
Ookashi's place was swarmed with police. Ookashi's father was answering question after question that was being hurled at him by the police, and her mother, who was sitting on the sofa in Ookashi's embrace, was crying softly.
When Ookashi saw Adrianna, she came right up to her and took her to her bedroom. The policemen watched Adrianna intently as she walked inside with Ookashi.
"Ookashi! How did this happen?" she asked as soon as Ookashi had closed the door and only the two of them were within listening range.
Ookashi shook her head and said, "I don't know Adrianna…" She started sniffling. She wondered how her twin brother might be being treated right now. "He went out for his morning jog at 6AM, and after that he didn't return."
Adrianna opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped. She had to investigate this on her own. She was scared that if she asked questions, unnecessary suspicions would rise. She moved closer to Ookashi to calm her down.
In between the sniffles, she said, "I have been trying to talk to Nate, but his phone is not connecting…"
---
Niiya had gone for a jog at 6AM in the morning, precise as always. He would take the same route at the same time every day. Just before exiting the gate surrounding his house, he checked the mailbox. He saw that it was swarmed with letters for his father, so he closed it and went out. It hadn't even been ten minutes when someone jumped behind him and pressed a cloth onto his face. Within a few seconds, he was unconscious.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a wooden floor that looked dilapidated. The doors and windows of the room were tightly closed. He could smell the damp earth combined with old fallen leaves. Was he deep in the jungle? He pounded against the walls and cried out, but the only reply was the sound of his thumping against the wooden walls. No help came. His fate depended on the kidnapper. How did this happen? Was he kidnapped? Why would anyone kidnap him?
He became angry at first, yelling at the unknown. "Get me out of here! What do you want?" He pounded on all the walls of the room but to no avail.
Within a few hours, his anger converted into helplessness. He huddled and sat down in one corner, awaiting his fate.
---
Adrianna left Ookashi after an hour, but instead of going to the college, she went back home. Her grandfather was surprised to see her come home so early.
"Adri, no classes today?" he asked out of curiosity.
"Grandfather, I need to talk about something very urgent with you," she said, holding his hand and pulling him to the living room.
"What is it Adri? You are behaving strangely…" he remarked.
"Do you remember the guy I was talking about yesterday? Niiya?" she asked.
How could Ed ever forget that name? He was scared of that family. When he had heard that Adrianna was exploring a relationship with Niiya, he knew that there would be more trouble coming.
"Yes, I remember," he said, becoming desperate to hear more.