Chapter 353

The kidnappers were the ones who had suffered, but no one in the room would believe him.

"Shut up and stay where you are!" Evelyn didn’t even have to react—one of the officers had already kicked him hard in the back. Dmitri wanted to scream. He had never felt so utterly humiliated in his life.

"Let’s go. This place gives me the creeps. I don’t want to stay another second." Evelyn tilted her head toward Alexander, her voice soft but firm.

"Of course. Let’s get out of here." He nodded. Alexander had managed to coordinate with the police after losing contact with Evelyn, immediately reaching out to the Laurentian authorities for help.

The moment Evelyn called for assistance, they had alerted him right away. Now that she was safe, the police only needed her to answer a few routine questions about the kidnapping before she could leave. But Alexander, worried she was exhausted, spoke to the captain and arranged for her to come in another day to complete the formalities.

Once everything was settled, he escorted Evelyn and her still-unconscious assistant out.

"Are you hurt?"

Though he had already asked once, they weren’t home yet, and he couldn’t properly check her over. The anxiety gnawed at him, so he asked again.

After running background checks on the criminals they’d apprehended, the police were stunned to discover the three men were internationally wanted fugitives. It was an unexpected windfall—capturing dangerous men who had evaded authorities for years.

But Alexander was sick with worry. These were ruthless criminals. He couldn’t imagine how terrified Evelyn must have been when they took her. The thought made him pull her closer, his grip tightening protectively.

"I’m fine. Just tired," she murmured, shaking her head and leaning into his embrace.

She had fought those men with everything she had. Every muscle in her body ached as if her bones might shatter. All she wanted was to collapse into bed and not move for hours. Still, she was touched that Alexander had flown all the way here. She knew he’d be worried when she disappeared, but she hadn’t expected him to cross an ocean and join the rescue mission himself.

It hit her then—just how much she meant to him. The lengths he would go to protect her. The realization warmed her in ways she couldn’t describe.

"Just rest," he murmured, not wanting to push her further. His gaze flickered to the unconscious woman in the backseat.

They had pulled her from that wooden shack and placed her in the car ages ago. How was she still out cold? His brow furrowed. "What’s wrong with her?"

Evelyn glanced at Adrienne, torn between exasperation and sympathy. She sighed. "They drugged her. That’s why she hasn’t woken up yet."

"Drugged?" Alexander had been so focused on Evelyn’s safety that he hadn’t stopped to consider the details of the abduction. Now, hearing about the drugs, his mind raced, piecing together how it must have happened.

"Yeah," Evelyn nodded. "They pretended to be Serena’s colleagues, said she needed to speak to me urgently. Adrienne insisted on coming—worried about me—and got taken too. I think it was in the car. They used some kind of drugged air freshener, so..."

"You weren’t affected?" His eyes widened.

Given Adrienne’s condition, the drug was clearly potent. She hadn’t even stirred during the chaos in the shack, and now, she showed no signs of waking.

"Well..." Evelyn hesitated. "I was, but... I work with fragrances all the time. Maybe my body built up a resistance. I woke up quickly, but Adrienne’s still out. We should get her checked—make sure there’s nothing serious."

Alexander nodded. That made sense. "We’ll have the doctor look at you too. Just to be safe."