CHAPTER 161: BEING KIDNAPPED WILLINGLY

Yara moved; she sat beside Hazel, concern etched on her face. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I am okay. You don’t need to worry," Hazel reassured her, though the collision had caught her off guard.

Yara conducted a quick check for any visible injuries, sighing in relief when she found none. Just then, a noise caught their attention, and Yara turned her head sharply, cursing under her breath.

"Shit! What are they doing?!"

Hazel quickly followed her gaze, her eyes widening as she took in the scene. Their attackers had chained the bulletproof car to theirs, attempting to tow it away with Hazel still inside.

"Wow, they are brutal," Hazel said with a mix of amusement and incredulity, watching as the audacity of her father’s men unfolded before her.

The situation had indeed spiraled into a dangerous game, and she found herself at the center of it all, feeling both amused and strangely intrigued by their brazen tactics.

From the look of it, Arthur seemed desperate enough to get Hazel. The last time she heard about her father, he had begun to uncover the betrayal of the Barlowe family.

Hazel had obtained the information from Ranon after hacking into his phone.

However, from what she gathered, Arthur had not yet fully realized the extent of the betrayal happening behind his back.

Now, considering the method her father used to reach Hazel, it was clear he was in a state of desperation. But using brute force to take her was something Hazel didn’t expect.

It was an overkill.

"Shit! We need to get out of here," Yara said, irritation evident in her voice. If they stayed inside the car, they would be captured.

Although their attacker couldn’t break into the bulletproof car, they decided to tow it away since Hazel was still inside.

Even so, being outside wasn’t safe either, with gunfire still piercing through the air. This area was quite secluded; there weren’t many cars passing through this street, and currently, they were the only ones there.

"No, we need to stay," Yara countered her own words as she watched one of their attackers go down. But soon, another car appeared, making it clear that they were outnumbered and outgunned. It wasn’t safe for them to leave.

Murmuring under her breath, Yara moved to the driver’s seat and turned on the engine. She attempted to escape this place with Hazel.

"It’s too late," Hazel said, glancing out the window and seeing their car had been chained. A hook and a heavy chain secured it, rendering their vehicle unable to outpower the truck towing them away.

Despite the dire situation, Yara kept trying.

"Just leave," Hazel suggested. "Leave and tell Ranon about this. I will be fine."

Yara held the wheel tightly as she pressed down on the accelerator. Yet, the car remained immobile, dragged away against their will.

"Yara!" Hazel raised her voice, finally getting Yara’s attention.

"No! I will not leave you here!" Yara insisted.

"They will not harm me," Hazel retorted, but Yara wasn’t willing to listen.

In desperation, she attempted to call for backup. Nolu had already done that when they realized they were being attacked, but even if help was on the way, there was no way they would arrive in time.

Gunfire still echoed around them, and Hazel could see her bodyguards being cornered. They were well-trained, but there were simply too many attackers. The outcome was bleak, and it was clear this situation would end messily.

If this standoff continued, it was hard to predict who might survive. It was impressive that Ranon’s men had managed to hold off the attackers, but it was only a matter of time before they were running out of bullets.

If Hazel remained in this dangerous spot any longer, their chances of survival would plummet.

"Yara, you need to get out of here," Hazel suggested once again.

"No! I am not going anywhere. You don’t need to worry; backup is on the way," Yara replied, her determination unwavering as she finally managed to call for help. But it was too late; their car was already being towed further away from the scene of conflict.

Yara looked around, analyzing their predicament. She considered the possibility of jumping from the car, knowing she could sustain some scrapes at this speed. However, that option was off the table; Hazel was pregnant, and making such a move could harm both her and the baby.

With urgency, Yara racked her brain for a solution as the truck carried them farther from their original position. Alongside the truck, three additional vehicles flanked them, further reducing their chances of escaping this perilous situation.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" Hazel urged, throwing the door open.

Yara’s eyes widened in terror as she realized what Hazel was about to do.

"The first rule of being kidnapped is to never let the captors move you." Hazel seemed unfazed; her tone was almost lighthearted.

"No, Mrs. Leighton! Don’t!" Yara shouted, desperate to persuade her otherwise. She knew that this reckless decision wouldn’t end well.

If Yara could think of an escape plan, Hazel surely could too.

"There’s a rest area not far from here. We can ask for help there. I don’t think they will do anything reckless when we are surrounded by civilians," Hazel explained, trying to reason with Yara.

"You can’t jump from here!" Yara protested, but it was already too late. Hazel had leaped from the car, and Yara instinctively followed suit, jumping out right after her.

Hazel knew how to execute a jump like this; it wasn’t her first experience.

Although her body wasn’t as agile as River’s, she understood how to protect herself while landing. Being pregnant heightened her need for caution, but she couldn’t allow Yara to face the Lozen family.

They would likely keep Hazel alive due to her value, yet they wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate Yara.

After they jumped, the attackers quickly realized what was happening. The cars came to a stop, and their pursuers began to exit their vehicle.

Yara and Hazel landed on opposite sides of the car, separating them. As Yara started to move towards Hazel, she was forced to retreat when a gunshot grazed her cheek.

Yara ducked behind a half wall on the side of the street, raising her weapon and preparing to return fire.

But she struggled to find a clear shot, especially as the attackers unleashed a barrage of bullets her way.

From her position, she caught sight of two men seizing Hazel, and desperation surged within her, yet moving towards Hazel was out of the question; it was too risky.

Grinding her teeth in frustration, Yara focused and steadied her breath. She took aim and managed to take down one of the attackers with a lucky shot.

Even so, it wasn’t enough; there were still seven more of them, and she knew she stood no chance against such an overwhelming number.

On the other hand, as Hazel was captured by her attacker, she displayed an unsettling calmness. This was, in fact, what she had wanted.

Though she felt a scratch on her knee, she brushed it off. The first thing she did after landing was to check herself. Feeling no discomfort in her stomach, she silently expressed her gratitude for Ranon’s meticulous care.

Ranon had been taking care of her and the baby properly, and the baby in her womb was thriving.

"Come here! Don’t try to do anything stupid!" The kidnapper snarled at Hazel.

She regarded him with a cold gaze. This was a man she had once trained, an underling who had carried out her orders without question when she was River.

If Hazel had wanted to, she could have easily incapacitated him by gripping her arms too harshly. Instead, she followed his lead as he began to drag her towards the car.

"If I come willingly, you can’t count this as a kidnapping, no?"

"Shut up!"

Out of the corner of Hazel’s eye, she noticed one of the men taking aim at Yara, who stood on the opposite side of the street, blissfully unaware of the danger lurking at her.

Hazel’s expression darkened. Seizing the moment, she reacted far more quickly than her captor anticipated.

With a swift motion, Hazel redirected the gunman’s aim; she knocked the gun to the side with her palm, the bullet whizzing harmlessly into the air.

Yara screamed in pain, having been shot, though thankfully, it was only a graze to her shoulder. It was a close call, but she would survive.

Her captor yanked Hazel’s arm when he realized what she had done, trying to pull her away from the chaos towards the car while the others were trying to get to Yara.

However, Hazel’s voice was cold and steady as she glared at the men. "There is no need to kill her. You have already captured me. If you want to take me to Arthur Lozen, then take me now. There’s no need for more bloodshed."

"Shut your mouth!" one of the men shouted angrily at her, but her composure remained unwavering in the face of his hostility.

"Do you think Arthur Lozen will be pleased with this delay?" Hazel challenged, her authoritative tone leaving no room for refusal.

With that, she stepped towards the car willingly, and the men exchanged looks. This woman was far too calm for someone who had just been kidnapped.

"What are you waiting for? New year?" Hazel was being impatient now. "Leave now before the backup is here!"

Somehow, she was the one who ordered them around, leaving them with confusion.