The Heiress Who Chose Her Kidnappers

I'm only eight years old when two men try to abduct me. A teenage boy bravely rescues me from the human traffickers. It is only after he brings me to the police station that I find out I'm the daughter of the Garner family—and that he, Shane Garner, is my adopted older brother. The Garners organize a party to officially welcome me home. On the day of the party, Cassidy Garner, the daughter they've raised in my place, runs out of the house in a fit of anger and gets run over by a car. After her death, the Garners shut me out and refuse to even look at me. Shane is the only one who stays by my side. He becomes the only person I can count on. Then, on my 18th birthday, he ships me off to a psychiatric facility to be locked up. "If you hadn't told Mom and Dad that Cassie lashed out at you, they wouldn't have scolded her, and she wouldn't have run out of the house! You're going to stay right here and atone for her death," he declares. After five grueling years of torture, I finally jump off a building to end my suffering. Suddenly, I open my eyes again and find I've returned to my eight-year-old self. I've gone back in time to the day of my kidnapping. After seeing the anxious-looking teenage boy in front of me, I grip my kidnapper's hand and say, "They're not human traffickers! They're my family." Chapter 1 As soon as I finished speaking, Shane Garner, the handsome teenager in front of me, knitted his brows even more tightly. In my previous life, he was my adopted older brother. He was not only the knight in shining armor who had rescued me from the human traffickers, but also the executioner who had shipped me off to a psychiatric hospital many years later. He'd stood there and watched as those people repeatedly tortured me with electric shocks and forced drugs down my throat for five long years. He was responsible for the suffering that had ultimately driven me to jump off a building. Shane pressed his lips together and stepped forward, reaching out to pull me toward him. "Don't be scared. I'm here to help you." The moment I saw his hand, I instinctively shrank back. In my previous life, on my 18th birthday, I had made a cake myself and waited for Shane to come home. However, two medical attendants in white uniforms showed up with him. He stood beneath the crystal chandelier in the living room, holding a cigarette and eyeing me coldly. "If you hadn't told Mom and Dad that Cassie lashed out at you, they wouldn't have scolded her, and she wouldn't have run out of the house! You're going to spend the rest of your life in the psychiatric facility to atone for her death." For the next five years, I was either chained to a cold bed and forced to consume pills that left me delirious and barely conscious most of the time, or strapped to a chair and subjected to wave after wave of electric shocks until I wet myself from the excruciating agony. Every time Shane "visited" me, he would stand outside the glass window and watch me with cold indifference. It was always clear from his expression that he thought I deserved every bit of the torture. All at once, the loathing and despair washed over me, threatening to consume me whole. I clenched my fingers tightly around the trafficker's rough hand, my knuckles turning white and my nails digging into my palm. The man was caught off guard by the sudden force. He turned his head and looked at me in surprise. But he was quick to catch on and immediately played along. After patting me on the head, he flashed Shane a pleasant smile and said, "You have no idea what kids are like these days! My niece is just throwing a tantrum. "We had a little argument just now, so she started blabbering all that nonsense. Don't worry about it, young man. We'll be taking her home now." With that, the two men each grabbed one of my arms and hurried toward the roadside, afraid Shane might keep pressing them. The farther we walked, the more desolate the surroundings became. Only after we reached an isolated area with no one around did the two men let go of me and lean against a nearby tree trunk to catch their breath. The shorter, stockier of the two human traffickers said in a low, impatient tone, "That little kid was acting rather strange just now. Do you think she's been scared witless? Has she gone mad?" The taller, lankier man snorted before squeezing my arm. "Who cares if she's gone mad or not? We've already arranged the handoff for today. Once we sell her off, we'll leave with the money, and it won't be any of our business whether she's right in the head." Keeping my eyes down, I listened to their exchange in silence. A cold sense of dread filled my heart. Obviously, I knew these people wanted to sell me off. However, I didn't want to reunite with the Garners, even though they were my biological family. I didn't want to have anything to do with them, and I certainly didn't want to cross paths with my so-called brother who'd made my life a living hell. Nevertheless, I knew I'd only be jumping out of the pan and into the fire if I got sold. Chapter 2 I couldn't just stand around and let these two human traffickers determine my fate. My eyes darted around as I secretly scanned my surroundings. The area was extremely remote, with nothing but weeds lining the roadside. The human traffickers were two muscular grown men. Even if I ran for my life, an eight-year-old child like me had no chance of outrunning them. After catching their breath, the two men grabbed me again and dragged me along, their pace quickening as the surroundings became increasingly desolate. My heart clenched as anxiety spread through every inch of my body. Now that I'd been given a rare second chance at life, I absolutely couldn't die like this. Just as my palms began to sweat from desperation, a striking patch of blue caught my eye in the distance. It was a police kiosk. My heart leaped. This was my chance! Without another moment's hesitation, I summoned every ounce of strength I had and sank my teeth into the hand of the trafficker gripping my wrist. The sharp pain made him let out a muffled cry, and he instinctively released my hand. "Fucking hell! I'm gonna kill you, you little bitch!" I seized the opportunity to break free from the other man's grip. Putting every ounce of strength my little body could muster into my legs, I sprinted toward the police kiosk, screaming at the top of my lungs as I ran. "Help! These two men wanna sell me off! Help!" My shrill cries for help rang out through the deserted alley. The two traffickers quickly realized what was happening. Cursing furiously, they chased after me, their footsteps drawing closer and closer. Just as I felt someone behind me reach for the back of my T-shirt, the police officer inside the kiosk rushed out after hearing the commotion. Spotting the police officer, the two traffickers cursed viciously, but they didn't dare stick around any longer. They fled in the opposite direction, disappearing into the depths of the alley in no time. My legs gave way, and I collapsed straight into the police officer's warm, sturdy embrace. The tension that pumped adrenaline into my body drained out of me. My body went limp, and I started gasping for air. The officer patted my back with a warm hand as he gently comforted me. Buried in his embrace, I felt a surge of almost twisted satisfaction well up inside me. This time around, the Garners could forget about ever reuniting with their biological daughter. The officer continued to cradle me in his arms as he brought me back to the police kiosk. There was warm water on the table, along with a few packets of cookies. He crouched in front of me and asked in a soft voice, "Can you tell me what happened? You can take your time. You don't have to be scared anymore." I drooped my head and allowed my shoulders to shake a little, looking like a child who'd just been through a traumatizing ordeal. "Those people grabbed me to sell me off." "How many of them are there?" "Two." I did my best to describe the two traffickers, telling the officer their heights, builds, clothing, and other distinguishing features. I was careful not to leave anything out. After I finished, the officer furrowed his brows and asked me gently, "Where are your parents? Do you have any other family? We can tell your family to come and pick you up." My eyes reddened, and tears started to fall without warning. I vehemently shook my head, choking on my sobs as I struggled to get the words out. "My mom and dad… passed away a long time ago. I don't have any other family." I wasn't lying. My adoptive parents had been orphans themselves. They had no family of their own, and since they'd died, too, I had no family either. The Garners were related to me by blood, which technically made them my family. But in reality, they were total strangers who'd barged their way into my life and proceeded to destroy it. I wasn't going to consider them my family. The officer didn't expect to hear that. He quickly pulled out some tissues to wipe my tears before pulling up my records in the system. Once he finished reading everything, he sighed to his colleague and said, "I just confirmed it. Both her parents are gone, and she doesn't have any other relatives listed in the system. She really is alone in the world." Chapter 3 Following yet another long sigh, the officer opened a packet of cookies for me. He even got me a cup of milk. After gently comforting me, he drove me to the police station near my adoptive parents' place, so that they could follow the proper procedures to place me in an orphanage. As the car traveled down the road, we passed the old house where I had once lived with my adoptive parents. I looked through the car window and spotted a teenage boy outside the house. He stood at the side of the road, his gaze sweeping his surroundings as though searching for someone. It was Shane. This meant that, by this point in time, the Garners had already tracked me down and sent him to look for me. Gripped with panic, I shrank away and curled up in a corner of the car seat, trying to make myself as inconspicuous as possible. My heart pounded wildly. Thankfully, the car just swept right past the house and continued down the road. Not long afterward, I was taken to an orphanage. Most of the children there were only three or four years old. At eight years old, I was already past the ideal age for adoption. The couples who came to the orphanage to meet the children preferred younger ones who had fewer memories and were easier to bond with. No one showed any interest in me, and I was perfectly happy to keep to myself. I was quiet and well-behaved. I often helped Ms. White, the orphanage director, organize the picture books and feed the younger children. I also helped the other staff check on everyone at night. I never fought over toys or snacks. I was so thoughtful and sensible it almost broke Ms. White's heart. About two weeks later, a couple arrived at the orphanage. They introduced themselves as Hugo Shaw and Yvonne Adams. Mr. Shaw wore a neatly ironed outfit and gold-rimmed glasses that made him look like a refined gentleman. Mrs. Shaw had shoulder-length hair and two dimples that appeared whenever she smiled. Each time they visited, they brought a trunk full of snacks and picture books. They spent the entire afternoon playing with the children and never seemed to favor anyone in particular. They were always more than happy to hug any child who ran into their arms. Ms. White secretly told us that Mr. and Mrs. Shaw had been married for many years but had no children of their own, so they wanted to adopt one. They were making these frequent visits to observe everyone. As a result, every time they showed up, the children at the orphanage crowded around them, eager to win their favor. Meanwhile, I stayed off to the side, tidying things up and never approaching them. I knew I was too old, and that no one would want to adopt me. I had long since prepared myself to stay at the orphanage until I came of age. But that changed one fateful afternoon. Mrs. Shaw arrived carrying a bag of cookies she'd made by herself. Just as she entered the compound, the paper bag broke, scattering the cookies all over the ground. Benny, who'd been running around, didn't see the cookies. He happened to slip and almost fell right into the small pile of them. I was watering the flowers nearby, so I rushed over to catch Benny before he fell. Then I crouched down and gathered the cookies that still looked clean. I wiped them clean and distributed them to the kids nearby. Only then did I take one of the cookies that had been crushed beyond recognition and stand off to the side to eat it myself. Once I was done, I swept up the crumbs from the ground and threw them away. I didn't think much of this incident. But later that evening, Ms. White called me into her office. She smiled and gently patted my head. "Nessa, Mr. and Mrs. Shaw want to adopt you. Would you like that?" I froze in shock, unable to wrap my head around the situation. Ms. White's smile grew even gentler as she continued, "They told me they've been observing you for quite a while now. Every time they visit, they see how you help us care for the younger children. "Remember when Dora went missing? You spent two hours searching under the blazing sun before you found her. You even suffered heatstroke because of it, but you never said a word about it. They said you were mature for your age and had a kind heart. They really like you." My nose began to sting. I quietly asked why they'd chosen me over all the other kids. I was considered old for an orphan, and it wouldn't be easy for them to bond with me. "They said they feel a special connection to you," Ms. White explained with a warm smile. "They're convinced you're the one for them." After quietly observing them over the past few days, I could also tell that Mr. and Mrs. Shaw were genuinely good people. They treated others with kindness and warmth, and they were comfortably well-off. Chapter 4 The Shaws didn't have the blatant favoritism and suffocatingly transactional attitude toward relationships that I'd felt from the Garners. That was the most important thing to me. I had already escaped the Garner family. Rather than continue drifting through the rest of my pre-adulthood in an orphanage, I might as well find myself a stable home. After a moment of silence, I nodded and agreed to be adopted. When the Shaws brought me home, the car stopped outside a heavily guarded villa. Seeing how stunned I looked, they smiled and drew me into their arms. "Our family is pretty well-off, Nessa. If there's anything you want in the future, just tell us." Only later did I learn that being "pretty well-off" was a massive understatement. The Shaws were the wealthiest family in Beldingham, although they were living elsewhere at the time. And so, I spent the next ten years living peacefully with my new family. Mom and Dad treated me well and loved me as their own. Our home was filled with warmth and bliss. As I grew up and spent many years in school, I became more outgoing. Their kindness and love led me out of the murky shadows of my past life. I threw myself into my studies, working hard until I was finally accepted into one of Beldingham's top universities. The day my admission letter arrived, Mom and Dad sat with me in the living room and brought up something important. "Nessa, you'll be attending college in Beldingham soon, and most of our business operations have always been based there, too. Once the school year starts, we'll move back to Beldingham and settle down there." When I heard that, my heart gave a sudden lurch, and I felt a sinking feeling. The Garners were from Beldingham, too. It was the city where all my nightmares had begun. My fingers curled slightly, and a strong sense of unease rose within me. Nevertheless, I tried to reassure myself. Beldingham was a huge metropolis, filled with countless wealthy and influential families. There was no guarantee we'd ever cross paths with the Garners. As long as I kept my identity hidden and avoided contact with them, I wouldn't have to see them again. Suppressing my apprehension, I nodded in agreement. Alas, never would it have occurred to me that fate had already ensured our paths would intertwine. After moving to Beldingham, I found out that the Shaws and the Garners were neighbors. To make matters worse, the two families were acquainted enough to visit each other during the holidays. Their social circles overlapped so extensively that it was practically impossible to avoid them. It wasn't long before Cassidy appeared in my life as well. After spending some time around her, I realized she wasn't actually a bad person. She was simply spoiled rotten from having grown up with a family who doted on her like nobody's business. She liked having everyone's attention on her, loved cajoling others into doing what she wanted, and was prone to throwing little tantrums. I didn't see Frank Garner and Maureen Hill, my biological parents, very often. Whenever we happened to cross paths, their gazes would linger on my face, and they would momentarily lose themselves in thought. Their eyes clouded over with a strange, inexplicable emotion. I knew it was the pull of the blood that we shared. They saw traces of their biological daughter in me. But what caught my attention the most was Shane. When I saw him again, he had shed the awkwardness of adolescence and grown into a tall young man with an imposing demeanor. The way he looked at me was particularly strange. Sometimes, he would instinctively put his guard up around me, his frosty gaze brimming with hostility, as though I were some kind of terrifying beast. Yet at other times, he would inexplicably treat me well, quietly stepping in to help me out of difficult situations. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but I didn't care enough to figure him out. In my previous life, he had sent me to a psychiatric hospital without the slightest hesitation. In this life, I would never trust a single word out of his mouth. Life continued in this quiet manner, and soon, it was the height of summer. One day, Mom and Dad spontaneously decided to ditch me and enjoy some time alone together. I was all alone in the enormous villa. It was late at night, and darkness hung thick in the air. I had just finished showering and was about to turn in when my bedroom door was suddenly flung open. Shane stood in the doorway, emanating a murderous air. His face was frighteningly dark, and fury churned in his eyes. Everything about him screamed danger. Chapter 5 My heart clenched. Before I could say a word, Shane marched over and clamped his large hand around my throat. Instantly, I couldn't breathe. His voice was low and vicious as he snarled through clenched teeth, "Where's Cassie?" I felt pressure intensify around my throat. The lack of oxygen made my vision darken, and the hatred I harbored for the person who'd destroyed my life surged up within me. Enduring the pain coming from my throat, I hooked my fingers around Shane's wrist and yanked with all my strength to wrench myself free. The instant his grip loosened, I bent forward, twisted sideways, and drove a vicious kick into his abdomen. A dull thud rang out. He staggered backward in pain and instinctively released me. I gasped for air, clutching my throat as I coughed violently. A distinct ring of red marks had already appeared around my neck. A year after Mom and Dad adopted me, I signed up for self-defense classes. I knew I was going to keep my distance from the Garner family, especially Shane, but I also had to make sure I could defend myself if needed. I trained relentlessly, day and night, to prepare for an unexpected danger like the one that had just befallen me. Glaring at Shane, I growled, "If you've got a problem, go get your head checked. Don't come running here to go berserk in front of me!" Shane clutched his stomach, his expression still dark and his fury unabated. He stared at me intently, sounding perfectly convinced as he declared accusatorily, "You must've said something to Cassie! How else do you explain why she hasn't come home yet!" Upon hearing that, I couldn't help but scoff. "I haven't even seen Cassidy all day, let alone spoken a single word to her. What could I possibly have said to her?" At that moment, Shane's phone rang. Cassidy's name appeared on the screen. He froze for a moment before taking the call. I couldn't hear what was said on the other end, but his brows instantly relaxed, and the hostility in his eyes gave way to confusion. "Then why aren't you home yet?" he asked. Cassidy's playful voice came through the phone, tinged with an apologetic note. "I was hanging out with my classmates, and my phone was on silent, so I didn't hear it ringing. I'm already at the front door!" Everything was cleared up in just a few short lines. After hanging up, Shane looked at me with a sheepish expression. He awkwardly lowered his gaze, pressed his lips together, and apologized. "I'm sorry. I was wrong about you. I'll make it up to you tomorrow." With that, he turned around and hurried out of my room. After the door closed, I clutched my throat, which was still red and stinging, and snorted in outrage. The next day, I told Mom and Dad what had happened. Once they heard what I said, their expressions turned stormy. The two families had previously maintained a friendly relationship, but after this incident, Mom and Dad practically cut off all contact with the Garners. The rest of the summer was pretty relaxing and enjoyable. I split my time between traveling with Mom and Dad and immersing myself in Shaw Group's day-to-day operations, learning the ropes from senior executives and gaining hands-on experience. I no longer allowed the Garners and their existence to shackle me. All I wanted was to make myself stronger and live a peaceful life. Time flew by, and before I knew it, only one week remained before the college semester began. One day, on my way back from the office, a car passed the Garner residence, and I spotted an unfamiliar-looking middle-aged man. He was standing at their front gate, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Open up! I have information about your missing daughter!"