Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Chapter 835
A piercing ring filled her ears, and for a brief moment, her mind went blank.
The world spun violently. Suddenly, someone had slung her over their shoulder, hauling her away upside down.
As she was taken, Aberdeen fixed her gaze on the opening in the wall. For a split second, her eyes locked with Kathleen's-she
saw panic, terror, and the shimmer of tears.
She didn't have time to think, not really. Instinct alone made her trust.
She mouthed a few words, uncertain if Kathleen could see or understand-
Get out. Call the police.
Meanwhile, the kidnappers were whispering among themselves.
"What do we do with just one girl? If the other one escapes and calls the cops, we're screwed."
"She can't have gotten far. She must be hiding nearby. Should we look again?"
"No, absolutely not. Who knows if they managed to call for help while running? If the police are onto us, we have to move now.
We can't waste any more time."

"Lucky for us, the one we caught is the rich girl. As for the maid-who cares? She's not worth anything."
"Yeah, you're right..."
But their leader wasn't so easily convinced. He ordered the others to set Aberdeen down, then roughly grabbed a fistful of her
hair and demanded to know where Kathleen had gone.
Aberdeen spat back at him, her voice shrill with rage. "That witch! She ran off and stole my diamond necklace and bracelet!
When I get home, my father will make sure she's fired! Thief! Lowlife! I'll kill her!"
Her outburst sent the kidnappers into fits of laughter.
Home? Did she really think she'd ever see home again?

If the maid had run off with stolen jewelry, she'd never risk calling the police. That
thought seemed to settle the men's nerves.
They didn't take Aberdeen back to
the old warehouse. Instead,
then after a series of twis
bundled her into a delivery van,
and

turns-loaded her onto a boat.
Afraid she might try to bolt again, they forced her to swallow something.
The drugs left her weak and limp, barely able to stand. Most days, she drifted in
and out of sleep, losing track of time and place entirely.
But she never gave up. Deep inside, a stubborn hope flickered.
I bet my sister's gone to the police by now. As long as they start searching from the warehouse, they'll trace the kidnappers' route
sooner or later. I'll be rescued. It's only a matter of time.
Madge stood beneath a flurry of snow, the streetlight casting a pale, almost translucent glow across her face. Yet her eyes
shone, fierce and bright.
She stepped closer, pinning Kathleen with the unyielding stare of a detective grilling a suspect. "So tell me, did you go to the
police after you escaped?"
Kathleen shrank back, step by step, until her back pressed against the icy wall. She was trembling, wide-eyed and speechless.
"I'm guessing you didn't," Madge breathed, her voice soft but unyielding.
"In fact, I wonder if that noise I heard was you-on purpose. You wanted the kidnappers to find me, didn't you?"

"Of course, you knew there was a risk. They might have found me, or they might have found you. They could've dragged both of
us back. Yet you gambled anyway, didn't you?"
"Tell me, sister, what did I ever do to make you hate me so much you'd rather see me dead?"
Kathleen met her stare. At first, she seemed panicked and helpless, but gradually,
a strange calm settled over her.
"So you didn't lose your memory after all."