Billionaire's Betrayal: My Ex Beg Me To Love Him Again novel Chapter 88

Caroline’s POV:

Generally speaking, I should have little to no sympathy for my captors. After all, that’s how Stockholm Syndrome starts, isn’t it? It would be best to detach myself away from my kidnappers as much as possible and focus solely on the survival of little George and I.

This girl, Alice, however, seemed to be well protected by her parents. She couldn’t have been no older than twelve, still in that blurred space between innocence and adulthood.

But there was no cunning or calculation to be seen anywhere on her warm, smiling face. By all means, this girl was just a regular, sweet young child, living with parents who were caught up in some unsavory dealings.

Alice glanced up at me with a bright smile, looking happy to see a new face around the village. “Hi! I haven’t seen you around here before!”

I was caught off guard, having not expected to be met with such innocence after waking up from a kidnapping. Even still, I managed a polite response. “Hello, I’m Caroline. Thank you for looking after George for me.”

“Nice ro meet you, Caroline,” Alice replied, and I could already tell her parents had raised a polite little lady. She considered the baby beside her with a curious look. “George… that’s a good name. A cute name for a cute little boy.” Glancing up at Mia, she asked, “Mom, are they done with their visit?”

Visit? Is that how Mia had explained all this to her daughter? That we were just “visiting”?

I was about to correct her, but then I caught sight of the pleading look on Mia’s face. I should have just ignored it, but my motherly instincts kicked in. It was clear Mia was just trying to protect her precious daughter from the harsh truth, and my heart went out to her for that noble goal. In the end, I kept my mouth shut and just smiled.

"Oh, sweetheart,” Mia hummed, clasping her hands together sweetly. “George and his aunt will be staying there for, hmm… three days or so. They can’t get enough of our beautiful village. Am I right, Caroline?" Mia’s gaze caught mine, and if the jerky movement of her head was anything to go by, she desperately wanted me to back up her version of the story.

I didn't have any other choice, so I just cleared my throat and nodded with a soft “Ah, yes.” Despite being trapped in an unfamiliar village by my kidnapper, I did feel an odd sense of peace. We were safe in the village, and I could finally have a small respite away from the likes of William and Sophia.

Beneath the surface, however, I knew the outside world must have been in turmoil.