The room was pitch-dark—couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face.

A petite shadow moved stealthily around, rummaging through everything.

Charlotte Emerson wiped the sweat beading on her forehead as she kept looking for what she came here for. The minute she stepped into this room, she caught a weirdly sweet scent in the air. Now, heat was rising through her body like she was being slowly steamed alive. She could hear her breathing getting heavier.

Something was definitely off with this room. She needed to find what she wanted and get the hell out—fast.

Finally, under the desk, she found the documents.

Relieved, she grabbed them and turned to leave.

But she had barely turned around when she slammed right into a wall of muscle. Startled, she tried to step back, but strong arms wrapped around her. A hot breath brushed against her neck, paired with a deep and husky man's voice: "You smell... amazing."

Her whole body froze.

Charlotte wanted to fight back—she was a freaking black belt in both taekwondo and Sanda—but the second she pushed against him, she realized she had no strength at all. The contact lit something deep inside her, a burning desire she didn’t even know she had. Before she knew it, her arms were around his neck.

A sudden jolt of pain brought a flash of clarity—just for a second. But that flash was quickly drowned in a wave of overwhelming pleasure, sweeping her away like a tidal wave.

“Dear passengers, welcome. We’ll be landing at Nandu International Airport in about 30 minutes…”

The flight attendant's announcement snapped her back to reality.

Charlotte blinked, confused, glancing around the cabin. Thank God—no one was staring at her strangely.

What the hell was that? Why was she suddenly thinking about that night from two years ago? It wasn’t like it just happened yesterday.

She figured she hadn’t slept well last night. Could’ve been the worry—Sophia Taylor had gone radio silent out of nowhere. Maybe that’s why her mind had dragged up that memory.

Back then, she’d taken on a risky job just to buy Sophia her favorite ruby necklace. Sure, the mission went well, but she paid a heavy price—her innocence.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Charlotte turned to look out the window. Nothing but clouds and sky above thirty thousand feet. Southbound to Nandu, but her nerves were far from calm.

The moment the plane braked to a stop, passengers were already scrambling to turn on their phones.

Charlotte did the same, immediately calling Sophia again. Still unreachable. Just as she was about to get up, her ears caught something from the row ahead.

“Hey, isn’t this Sophia Taylor from the Taylor Group? She’s been kidnapped!”

“No way! Yeah, look—it really is her.”

Charlotte didn’t wait—she reached over and snatched the phone from the passenger in front of her, eyes locked on the news video.

The headline was like a slap to the face: Heiress of Taylor Group kidnapped, her fate unknown.

And right there, clear as day, was Sophia’s photo. Below it, a clip posted by the kidnapper.

Charlotte’s heart sank.

So it was true. Sophia was missing—and this whole time, she’d felt that something was off. That bond between twins? Real. She knew something was wrong yesterday, and that’s why she caught the first flight home today.

She just didn’t think things were this bad.She still wanted to keep watching, but the passenger in front snatched the phone back with a scowl, curses spilling under his breath. She didn’t even flinch.

Pulling out her own phone in a hurry, she searched for the news report and replayed the video the kidnapper had posted.

The moment she saw it, Charlotte Emerson instantly recognized the place. Without a second thought, she shoved past the crowd, forcing her way out.

When she finally got into a cab, she realized her bag and luggage were still at the airport. But she didn’t care. Nothing mattered more than getting Sophia out.

The car radio crackled with a news segment: "Alexander Blackwood, CEO of Blackwood International, has returned today..."

Charlotte immediately reached out and turned it off. "Driver, please—step on it."

Just as her cab pulled away from the curb, a tall man stepped out of the airport and got into a sleek black Bentley parked by the roadside.

He leaned back the moment he got in, eyes shut in exhaustion.

His face looked like it was carved by gods—sharp, unmistakably attractive, and radiating a quiet elegance. Right now, he seemed like a lion at rest—still, but with danger humming beneath the surface. When those eyes opened—they were cold, ruthless, terrifying.

This was Alexander Blackwood, CEO of Blackwood International. Since taking over the company three years ago, he’d expanded it tenfold, rewriting business history in Nancheng.

He had never lost a deal—except for an incident two years ago. A slip-up that almost sank the company. In retaliation, the firm that stole from him was crushed under his iron fist.

That one incident changed him. Since then, he became volatile, quick-tempered. But the one who stole the classified information? Still missing.

As soon as he opened his eyes, his assistant, Ethan Harris, in the front seat, passed him a folder.

Alexander flipped through it with his long fingers. Ethan watched his boss’s face darken and hurried to explain: "Boss, the planning department worked all night to revise this—just like you asked. Here it is."

Barely two pages in, Alexander shut the folder and tossed it back. His tone was sharp as a blade. "Tell them to redo it. And if it’s still crap, the department head can pack up and leave."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"Drive."

Half an hour later, Charlotte reached the location shown in the video.

It was an abandoned factory. Around the perimeter, guards stood at key spots. Keeping to the shadows, she circled to the back and quietly took down one of them.

After disabling two more, she slipped deeper into the factory.

Suddenly, someone burst out, shouting, “Fire! It’s on fire! Run!”

It was an old oil plant—fire here wasn’t just dangerous, it was deadly. Everyone bolted.

Charlotte covered her nose and mouth, ignoring the acrid smoke burning her lungs, pushing ahead through the chaos. Finally, in a far corner, she found Sophia trapped by flames.

Sophia was coughing so hard she could barely speak: “H-Help... help…”

“Soph! Soph!” Charlotte yelled through the fire.

Sophia stared back, eyes wide with disbelief. “Char... What are you doing here?”