Chapter 3 - The Silent Escape
I was completely trapped inside my own home with a man I did not actually know.
I waited until I heard his footsteps moving toward the kitchen before I slowly pushed the closet door open.
I needed to find my cell phone and call the police immediately.
I crept quietly into Alejandro's home office, hoping he had left his keys or a weapon on his desk.
The room was completely dark, but I noticed a faint light glowing from a hidden wall safe behind a painting.
The heavy steel door of the safe had been left slightly ajar in his careless rush.
I pulled it open and gasped at the terrifying contents hidden inside.
There were thick stacks of hundred-dollar bills wrapped tightly in rubber bands.
Beside the cash was a thick manila folder completely filled with private photographs of me and Sofia.
The photographs were dated three years ago, long before I ever officially met Alejandro.
He had deliberately stalked us and perfectly orchestrated our entire romance to gain access to my daughter.
I flipped through the horrifying documents and discovered medical records detailing Sofia's incredibly rare blood type.
She was not just being kidnapped for ransom, she was being stolen for a highly specific, wealthy international buyer.
I quietly grabbed the burner phone he had left charging on his wooden desk.
I dialed emergency services, but the call immediately failed to connect.
Alejandro had installed a military-grade cellular jammer in the house to block all outgoing signals.
I realized with absolute dread that nobody was coming to save us tonight.
I walked softly to the large office window and tried to push the glass pane upward.
It was completely screwed shut from the outside with heavy metal brackets.
Every single exit in the house had been thoroughly secured and transformed into a deadly trap.
I grabbed a heavy brass letter opener from the desk to use as a makeshift weapon.
As I turned around to leave the dark office, the bright ceiling lights suddenly flickered on.
Alejandro was standing directly in the doorway with a twisted, mocking smile on his face.
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He calmly locked the office door behind him and pulled a sharp hunting knife from his belt.
He softly whispered that it was a terrible shame I had decided to come home early today.
