Page 9 of Tempted By Sin

Each time he stops by, the masked man sits and watches me eat. Once I’m done, he takes the tray and leaves, not returning until the next meal. Although it’s awkward sitting in silence while I eat, I never know what to say to him. What does one say to their kidnapper?

“So…” I begin, still cupping the noodles in my hands, “do you have any family?”

I could punch myself for the stupid question, but I had to saysomething. If I’m going to be spending time with this man, I may as well try to get him talking. The more I learn about him, the more information I can supply the police when they find me.

His body stiffens as his large hands grip the armrests. My question stunned him. But what stuns me more is his response. “No.”

It’s the first time I have heard him speak since I first woke up here. Now, I just need to keep him talking. Maybe if I can play the sympathy card and remind him that I’m a real person, he might let me walk out of here unscathed.

“I have a family.” My voice is soft but determined nonetheless. “I’m an only child. My father left my mother a few years back, and now I’m helping my mom through her second bout of cancer. She needs me.”

Silence. But I can feel his eyes piercing through my soul.

I shift slightly on the bed, my heart racing ever so slightly. “I have a fiancé, too. His name is Liam. We met at a club four years ago and have been engaged for two. I do love him, but I don’t trust him.”

I want to punch myself again for revealing such personal information, but it just slipped out without me realizing it. However, the admission seems to pique the masked man’s interest because he sits up straighter, his long fingers twisting the thick silver ring on his left hand. A design is etched into the band, but I can’t make it out from here.

The cup of noodles is now forgotten in my hands. The need to get this man talking to me is stronger than my desire to eat. Instead, I allow the cup’s warmth to spread across my body.

“I just… I have a sneaking suspicion that he’s sleeping around behind my back, but I don’t want to say anything because he helps with my mother’s medical bills. It’s just… complicated.”

The man tilts his head to the side, inky curls framing his face. If he wants to say something, he doesn’t open his mouth, let alone make a noise. He just… listens.

So, I keep going.

“But despite all that, I still care for him and hope that he’s looking for me. He will find me.” The words are filled with conviction—a warning to my kidnapper that I will be getting out of this room alive. “If I were you, I would be afraid of getting caught.”

And now I’ve just ruined it. I was supposed to be playing the sympathy card in the hopes I could tug at his heartstrings enough by telling him personal details about me, but now I’m threatening him.

You’re an idiot, Pae.

The masked man stands, his body tense with his hands fisted at his side. “I’m not scared of your fiancé, little bird. If anything, he should be afraid ofme.”

And with that, he storms out of the room, slamming the door behind him. My heart races wildly in my chest, the cup of noodles now lukewarm in my hands as I stare after him.

I need to learn when to keep my mouth shut because that interaction did not go the way I planned. Now, I just have to pray that I didn’t make my situation worse.

CHAPTERSIX

Paetyn

A deep voicebooms through the wooden door of the room, startling me awake. My heart slams into my throat as I force myself into a seated position, clutching the sheets to my chest.

What the hell is going on?

Even though I’ve only heard the masked man speak a few times, I recognize his voice. His tone is deep and unlike anything I’ve ever heard. But who is he talking to? No one responds to him, so I can only assume he’s speaking to someone on the phone.

His muffled voice filters throughout the room, but soon his words become clearer as if he’s pacing the floor outside, getting closer and closer to the door. The desire burning deep in my chest to know what he’s saying consumes me. If I want to know more about this man and potentially learn why I’m here, I need to listen in on the conversation.

Without making a noise, I slide off the creaky mattress, hold the thick chain attached to my ankle in my hand, and walk toward the rotting wooden door. The chain doesn’t allow much slack, so I have to settle for standing five feet back. But the distance is enough for me to make out my kidnapper’s next words.

“What the hell is taking so long? You told me three days.”

Silence.

“I don’t give a fuck. You told me three days, man. That’s all you get.”

Silence.

---