CHAPTER 27: HELP!

Nathan was even more annoyed when he realized that the boy had never taken a bus before. He couldn’t believe someone like that existed. How could a 17-year-old not know how to ride a bus or even know the bus routes? Come on!

Nael had even been confused when he was asked to pay. He probably thought everything in this world was free.

And now, the second time Nathan let Nael ride the bus with him to the southern part of the city. He had no other choice because the boy kept following him, even though he repeatedly shooed him away or tried to avoid him.

Nael insisted on "accompanying" him, completely unaware of how annoying it was for Nathan.

Nathan glanced at Nael from time to time, wishing he could throw the boy out the bus window. Meanwhile, Nael seemed more relaxed now that he had spent his twin’s savings. He looked happy, like a kindergartener who had found a new toy.

Nathan glared when Nael pressed the "stop" button. "We’re not stopping here! What are you doing?! You can’t just press the button whenever you feel like it!"

When the bus stopped, Nathan apologized because no one was getting off.

Nael apologized over and over. "Oh, I’m sorry. I was just trying it out."

Nathan took a deep breath. "Sit still!"

Nael fell silent immediately, but his eyes wandered out the window. The atmosphere was so different from inside a car. Being on the bus felt nicer. He noticed people looking at him.

"Why are they looking at me?" Nael asked.

Nathan replied casually, "Because you look stupid."

Nael instantly pouted.

But Nathan was used to being the center of attention because of his handsome face and silver hair. And now it was even more unusual because there were two people who looked the same.

They got off at the bus stop and walked aimlessly. Nael had complained several times, asking to go home.

Nathan didn’t care. He kept walking quickly in front of Nael, not caring if his twin might lose sight of him. Without realizing it, they reached the coastal area. Nathan didn’t know what he was going to do there.

Maybe enjoy the beach in winter. Then he remembered Vale’s grandparents’ house. They were nice and very kind. Maybe he could spend the night there.

The snow in that area wasn’t too thick, so he could still see some vehicles passing by.

Nael looked around at the beautiful beach.

"Where are we going?" Nael asked.

For a moment, Nathan forgot about him. He looked annoyed. It was impossible to bring someone else to stay at someone else’s house.

"You still have your phone, right? Call your brother. I need to go somewhere. Just go home," Nathan said firmly.

Nael immediately panicked and shook his head quickly. "No, no! Don’t leave me alone! Please come back with me!" he begged. The area was so unfamiliar to him. He wasn’t sure he could find his way home.

Nathan didn’t care. He took out a twenty-euro bill and gave it to Nael. "For emergencies. Take a taxi or something."

He was still kind. Because this would be their last meeting. He didn’t want to have any regrets. Losing a bit of money was fine; he would find a new job.

He was too overwhelmed to think about what he would do next, including school. His head suddenly felt heavy. Maybe tomorrow he would try visiting Vale at his house.

Nathan walked, occasionally rubbing his runny nose. It was very cold.

Suddenly—

"Nooo! Let go of me! Nathan! Nathaaann! Heeeeelp!!!"

In the middle of his thoughts, Nathan heard Nael’s scream. He instantly turned his head.

Two big, tattooed men dressed like thugs were lifting Nael’s struggling body. Nathan’s body tensed. He was too shocked to react.

The two men carried Nael toward a van parked nearby.

Nael was being kidnapped!

What should he do?! His body shook.

What should he do?!!!

He tried to run toward them but then stopped.

In that split second, he decided to run for help. He couldn’t face them alone.

He ran as fast as he could toward the fishermen’s village. His fear grew as the van sped toward him.

"No! HEEEELP!" Nathan yelled, running as fast as possible.

But in less than a minute, a man jumped out of the van, grabbed him, and dragged him inside. Nathan struggled and kicked, but they were too fast. It all happened in seconds.

"Ah!" Nathan screamed as they threw him inside, his body hitting the hard floor.

Inside the van, Nael lay on the floor with his hands and feet tied, and his mouth gagged. His face was filled with fear.

Nathan struggled, but he ended up in the same situation. In seconds, he too was tied up. He growled in anger, glaring at the men.

They looked fierce and scary. In the middle of the snow, they wore sleeveless shirts with thin jackets. Tattoos covered their arms and chests.

Who were they? What did they want?!

Nathan glared and tried to move, but the ropes were extremely tight.

The men looked at him with mocking expressions. "Save your energy. You’ll need it when your brother pays the ransom."

Nael and Nathan both glared.

"Alexander will be very happy to see his two younger brothers. Isn’t that right?" one of them said.

"How much do you think he’ll pay for you?" the other added.

Nathan growled behind the gag. He groaned when one of them grabbed his hair.

"Shut up!" the man snapped, making Nathan flinch. He tried to stay brave, but he was terrified. Dark thoughts filled his mind. What if they killed him?

Just imagining it made his body tremble.

Nathan didn’t know where they were taken. As soon as the car stopped, the men covered their heads and dragged them out. It felt like they walked on grass, then he heard the sound of metal sheets, and he smelled mold and rust.

They stopped and uncovered their faces. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dim room. He groaned when they pushed him into a corner.

Neither Nathan nor Nael could move much with their hands tied tightly. Then the men pulled off their gags.

Nathan shouted immediately. "Who are you?! I don’t have anything! You kidnapped the wrong person!"

The men laughed. One of them took photos of the two of them. The flash made Nathan squint.

"You don’t have anything. But your family is rich," one of them said, laughing. They quickly searched them, then took Nael’s phone.

After that, they left the room.

Nathan and Nael looked at each other. They were still tied up and helpless.

"What do we do now?" Nael said, his voice hoarse with fear.

Nathan stayed silent, his mind racing. What should he do? He was used to being cornered and helpless, but he had never been kidnapped before. Thinking about scenes from movies didn’t help. It didn’t look good.

"They kidnapped us for ransom. So we just wait," Nathan said, trying to stay calm even though his heart was pounding.

Nathan looked at Nael under the dim light. His face was pale.

"We shouldn’t have run away," Nael said regretfully.

Nathan glared. "Who told you to follow me?! If you hadn’t followed me, they wouldn’t have kidnapped me!"

Nael whimpered, almost crying. "But if you ran away alone and they kidnapped you, you wouldn’t have any friends."

Nathan clicked his tongue. "Do I need to think about friends right now?! You idiot!"

Nathan turned his back toward him. "Try using your teeth to untie my hands."

Nael shifted and tried for a long time, but he couldn’t do it. His mouth was dry, and he eventually gave up. "The rope is too strong. I can’t untie it."

Nathan grumbled, but when he tried it himself, the rope really was too tight. In the end, they leaned against the wall and waited for help.

For the first time, Nathan hoped Alexander would come save them. But by the time night fell, nothing had happened.