THE BILLIONAIRE'S VENGEFUL WIFE RETURNS-Chapter 305: CAUGHT

This Chapter is dedicated to Pbnjs4me and Sissi_. Thanks for the golden ticket.

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While Lia found peace with her family, somewhere far from the heart of Halkhalls, life looked very different.

In the outskirts, where the city lights didn’t shine and the streets were rough, a familiar figure stepped out of a cramped apartment. She had been hiding there for weeks.

A hooded sweatshirt hung loose over her body, but her baby bump still showed. With a black face mask and dark sunglasses, she looked like a shadow. But she wasn’t dressed like this to avoid fans. She wasn’t famous anymore. She was dressed like this because someone wanted her dead.

Life had beaten Claudia down in just a little time.

Once praised, now mocked. Once feared, now forgotten. Everyone knew her name, but not for anything good. A thief. A whore. That’s what people whispered when they spoke of Claudia and her mother Elisa, who was now enjoying her time in prison since her accomplice was there to keep her company.

But Claudia was tougher than she looked. The shame didn’t bother her. What really haunted her was the mountain of debt she owed to the loan sharks. If not for that, she’d walk these streets proudly.

Her father, Bodhi, had helped her find this hidden place. He didn’t know how to pay off her debt either, but he was trying. At least he cared.

Claudia walked up to a street food stall, craving the roasted potatoes she’d been dreaming about all morning. The thought of it made her mouth watery.

"Two roasted potatoes, please," she said to the vendor, who was packing food for another customer.

"Mask girl!" a little voice called out.

Claudia turned and saw a small girl waving. The kids in this neighborhood had gotten used to her strange look, always covered, never a glimpse of her face. It has made a lot of people curious and many more wary.

"How are you doing, Kiki?" Claudia asked with a faint smile.

"I’m fine," the girl replied shyly running to her mother’s side as she peeped at Claudia again.

The street food woman finally turned to Claudia. "How many, dear?"

"Two, please."

The woman nodded and began packing the potatoes. Claudia’s stomach grumbled as she imagined biting into them, the salty, warm and soft food satisfying her taste buds as she ate them.

She was too lost in her imagination that she didn’t noticed the people that suddenly stood next to her.

Two men in black suits appeared beside her. "Here you go." The vendor suddenly said handing the wrapped potatoes to Claudia and it was only then she noticed the two strange yet familiar faces staring back at her.

While the one grinned at her, another took a puff of his cigarette. The strong smell suffocating her.

"How long do you think you can run from the boss?" one of them said coldly his smile expanding.

Claudia froze. Her blood turned ice. The freshly wrapped potato sack in her hands fell to the floor as she stared at them.

No. No. No. They found her.

She turned to run, but the men grabbed her arms.

"Where do you think you’re going, little brat?" one of them hissed.

"Hey! Let go of her! She’s pregnant, for God’s sake!" the street food woman yelled. Her voice cut through the air, and heads turned. A small crowd began to gather.

Claudia’s heart leapt with hope. They wouldn’t drag her away in front of all these people. She’d scream. Cry for help. Accuse them of kidnapping. Surely someone would stop them, right?

But one of the men reached into his coat.

He pulled out a gun.

"If you don’t shut up and mind your business, I’ll blow your head off," he snarled at the vendor.

The woman raised her hands in fear, backing away. The crowd gasped and began to scatter. Even a police officer nearby quietly slipped away. No one wanted to die.

This seems like a little mafia case, or better still gang fight. Maybe the girl in question could even be pregnant for their gang leader.

"Let anyone try to stop us, and they’ll end up dead," the second man said, waving his gun as they dragged Claudia toward a black car.

"Let me go!" Claudia screamed, kicking and struggling. "Please, where are you taking me? I’ll pay! Just give me time, please!"

"Help me!" she shouted again, locking eyes with the cowardly officer who turned his back. "You’re a police officer! How can you let them take me?"

But no one moved. The fear was stronger than their sense of justice.

"She’s probably a bad person. That’s why they’re after her," someone muttered.

"Trouble, I told you from day one," another agreed. "That one came here with secrets."

People who had looked ready to help moments ago now walked away. Claudia’s final hope vanished.

The men shoved her into the back of their car and slammed the doors. In seconds, they were gone, speeding out of town, away from the last safe place she knew.

Claudia trembled, tears blurring her vision.

They’d found her.

Again.

The last time they had shown no mercy to her child. She should have stayed at the Hamilton’s villa. Maybe they wouldn’t have reached her there. Maybe she and her baby would have been safe.

"Please," she whispered, "Don’t hurt my baby."

"Please what?" one man sneered.

"You should’ve thought of that before crossing the boss," the other said.

"I’ll pay, anything you want, I’ll do whatever, but please don’t hurt my child." Claudia begged.

They laughed. Loud and cruel.

"You think we’re stupid?" one of them said. "You can’t even pay the money you owe the boss, so how will you settle us?" He asked.

"Let me tell you now, you child is as good as dead. The life of the bastard you’re carrying is not even enough to pay what you owe."

Claudia shook her head gently at his words. This couldn’t be the end of her life. She wouldn’t let this people hurt her child, never.

"Timothy, shut her up."

Claudia’s eyes widened in horror as the man reached for something in his pocket.

"Wait, no, please!"

But no one was listening anymore. He brought out two black scarfs, placing one on her eyes and on her lips to stop her from speaking anymore.