The police said the kidnappers had been after Ethan all along. They knew he knew how to fight, and not just a little—he was seriously tough. So they watched him for days, waiting for the perfect moment. Last night, they finally made their move, forcing Ethan’s car off the road, hoping to snatch him and squeeze the Adams family for a huge ransom.
But things didn’t go as planned. Ethan and Isabella fought back hard. Isabella didn’t know any martial arts, but the way she fought—wild and desperate, like she’d snapped—scared even those hardened criminals. They had never seen anything like it.
“Isabella, Isabella.” Cynthia stumbled into the hospital room, clutching Zachary’s arm for support.
Ethan hadn’t thought to call Cynthia right away. He waited until the doctors said Isabella wasn’t in any real danger. But then he saw her, still unconscious, crying and shaking in her sleep, lost in some nightmare he couldn’t pull her out of. That’s when he finally picked up the phone.
When Cynthia got the news, her legs went weak. She couldn’t even drive, so Amelia took the wheel, while Zachary kept whispering that Isabella would be okay. But Cynthia was terrified. What if something really happened to Isabella? After everything, Jackson had finally agreed to the divorce, and with the settlement money, she and Isabella could have started over. No more putting up with Jordan and Natalie. Their future was just starting to look bright.
And now this.
Ethan and Isabella’s attack was all over the news. Reporters crowded the hospital, but the Adams family shut them out, only telling the world that Isabella’s life wasn’t in danger. The crazy part? The kidnappers Isabella rammed with the car ended up worse off than she did. People everywhere were talking about how Isabella had fought back and even helped the police stop the gang from escaping. Overnight, she was a sensation in Cabinda. The city’s upper crust couldn’t believe it. To them, Isabella was still the quiet, timid adopted daughter from the Lane family.

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