The CEO and the Country Wildflower chapter 11

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The CEO and the Country Wildflower


Chapter 11: Trust and Traps


The dimly lit storage room smelled of damp concrete and rusted metal, the air thick with tension. Emelly shifted against the rough ropes binding her wrists, wincing as the fibers bit into her skin. Beside her, Lucas sat rigidly, his jaw clenched so tightly she could see the muscle twitching beneath his stubble. "You’re glaring at the wall like it personally offended you," she muttered. Lucas exhaled sharply. "I’m calculating how many ways I can ruin Leo Brown when we get out of here.


" Emelly smirked. "Oh, so you do have a plan?" His gaze flicked to her, dark and assessing. "I always have a plan." "Then why are we still tied up?" Before he could retort, the door creaked open, and Leo sauntered in, his polished shoes clicking against the concrete. "Ah, the lovebirds are awake.


" Emelly rolled her eyes. "If you’re going to monologue, at least bring snacks. I’m starving." Leo’s smirk faltered. Lucas, however, let out a quiet huff—almost a laugh. "You won’t be laughing for long," Leo snapped, recovering. "York Group’s firewall will be breached within the hour, and you’ll watch as everything your family built crumbles." Lucas’s expression turned glacial. "You’re forgetting one thing." "Oh?" "I don’t lose." Leo leaned in, his breath sour with arrogance. "We’ll see." As the door slammed shut, Emelly twisted her wrists, her mind racing. "Okay, Mr. ‘I Always Have a Plan,’ what now?" Lucas shifted, his shoulder brushing hers.


"You memorized the security layout when we were brought in. How many guards?" "Four outside, two patrolling. Cameras at both ends of the hall."


"Good." His fingers brushed against hers, and suddenly, the ropes loosened. Emelly blinked as a small pocket knife slipped into her palm. She gaped. "When did you—?" "Focus, Clus." Grumbling, she sawed through the ropes, then freed Lucas. He stood, rolling his shoulders with a wince. "Headache?" she asked. "Worse than usual." Without thinking, she grabbed his hand. His fingers tensed, then relaxed as the pain visibly eased from his face. Lucas stared at their joined hands, then at her. "Weird." "Tell me about it," she muttered, pulling away. "Now, how do we get out?"


He smirked. "Distraction and timing. Think you can cause a scene?" Emelly grinned. "Oh, I’ll give them a show they’ll never forget." --- Outside, Jane and Tony paced in Tony’s car, parked a block away from Brown Group’s warehouse. Jane chewed her nails. "We should’ve called the police." Tony shook his head. "No proof. And if Leo finds out, he’ll destroy the data before they arrive." Jane’s phone buzzed—a message from Linda: Where’s Emelly? Mr. York isn’t answering his phone either. Suspicious. Jane paled. "We’re running out of time." --- Back inside, Emelly screamed bloody murder, thrashing as Lucas pretended to drag her down the hall. Guards rushed toward them—just as Lucas knocked out the first one with a well-placed elbow. Emelly ducked under a swinging fist, kicking the second guard in the shin. "Not bad for a ‘country wildflower,’" Lucas remarked, dodging a punch. "Shut up and run!" They bolted down the hall, but Leo’s voice crackled over the intercom: "Seal the exits!" Lucas cursed, pulling Emelly into a side room—a server hub. "If we can’t leave, we sabotage." Emelly’s eyes lit up. "I can crash their system." Lucas raised a brow. "You know how?" She smirked. "I read the IT manual last week. Photographic memory, remember?" As she typed furiously, Lucas guarded the door, his body tense. "Hurry." "Almost—got it!" The screens flickered, then died. Leo’s enraged roar echoed through the building. Lucas grabbed her hand. "Now we run." They burst into the parking lot—only to find Leo and armed guards blocking their path. Leo smiled coldly. "Did you really think it’d be that easy?" Emelly’s heart pounded. Lucas’s grip tightened. Then—tires screeched. Tony’s car skidded to a halt beside them, Jane yelling, "GET IN!" They dove inside just as gunshots rang out. As the car sped away, Emelly gasped for breath, her shoulder pressed against Lucas’s. His arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer. "You okay?" he murmured. She nodded, then frowned. "Wait. Linda knows something’s up." Lucas’s jaw tightened. "Then the real trouble starts now."


--- To Be Continued… - What will Linda do with her suspicions? - Leo’s revenge isn’t over—what’s his next move? - And why won’t Lucas let go of Emelly’s hand?