Dominate Showbiz: Media Tycoon Discovered My Talent-Chapter 28: Stay Here and Behave

The curtain had been shut the entire time. She had no idea whether they’d arrived or if the chauffeur had just stopped to refuel.

"Mister, are you there?" She knocked on the divider again. "Have we arrived?"

No answer came. If they were at a gas station, then she couldn’t hear any sounds of cars or people outside. She started hoping the soundproofing wasn’t that good, but truthfully, she could already feel a cold chill creeping up her spine.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself, straining her ears to catch even the faintest sound.

There it was... A muffled sound of footsteps. Not high heels. The cadence felt like men’s footsteps. And not just one pair — many of them.

She knocked harder on the divider. "Mister! Are you there?"

Suddenly, the door slid open in one swift motion that made her jump. A group of men stood outside, all dressed in black suits, their expressions cold and menacing as their eyes fell on her.

"Kaija Sepala?" the huge man at the front asked, his voice deep like a growl.

At that point, Kaija already knew something had gone very, very wrong. "Kaija who?" she asked, keeping her voice calm though her brain was already screaming at her to run. "I don’t know who you’re talking about. Who are you people?"

"Oooh, this chick’s got jokes," the big guy sneered. "We’re here to send you to heaven, little angel. Now, are you gonna step out nice and easy, or do you want me to get persuasive?"

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a pocket knife, just enough for her to see the blade glint. "Can’t promise I’ll be gentle, though. Even for a pretty thing like you."

Her throat went dry. Running didn’t seem like the best plan anymore. She slowly raised both hands, trying to keep her tone light. "Easy there, mister. You want me out? I’ll get out. Let’s stay gentle, yeah?"

"Gentle it is, then." He laughed, the sound grating and unhinged. "Move your ass, sweetheart. We don’t have all day."

She grabbed her bag and stepped out.

The place they’d brought her to was, unexpectedly, a ridiculously spacious garage. Around this limousine were dozens of more limousines and vehicles of all sizes and models, all looking black and modest.

There were about thirty men in total, their eyes tracking her every move. That alone told her she’d better listen to whatever they had to say for now. She’d watched enough movies to know what happened to idiots who tried to run when the odds were clearly stacked against them.

They asked for her bag. She handed it over without protest. Then they led her upstairs without laying a finger on her, thankfully. At least they spared her some dignity, though it was obvious she’d walked straight into a kidnapping scheme.

Surprisingly, the place they took her to wasn’t some dingy underground mob den, but... someone’s house? And not just any house either. It was a massive, luxurious mansion with eccentric vintage interiors, chandeliers hanging from high ceilings, floral carpets, and ornate carvings covering the walls and ceiling.

A few men escorted her up to the third floor, while others split off, probably to inform their boss or whoever was behind this. Soon, she found herself standing inside a grand bedroom straight out of a fairy tale.

"Stay here and behave, Kaija Sepala," the big guy said before closing the door behind him.

She immediately went to check the door. Of course, it was locked. There was a balcony, but that too was shut tight.

From the limited view she could get, she could tell this was a massive estate, and whoever owned it had to be rich. Filthy rich. Maybe lunatic and powerful enough to send thirty men just to abduct someone as ordinary as her.

She flopped down on the bed, rubbing my face. Strange enough, she felt... calm. Maybe it was because the mansion was so breathtaking that she’d gotten distracted admiring everything.

Besides, during flight attendant training, she’d been taught how to deal with hijackers and all kinds of emergency scenarios, some involving the plane literally disintegrating midair. So if she could survive a ditching simulation, she could probably handle... whatever this was.

Kaija had only one question, though: Did any of this have anything to do with Charles Kosonen?

If yes, then she’d definitely ask for a raise, right after debuting — assuming she lived long enough to see that day.

For two days, she stayed locked in that room. Everything was provided — food, water, fresh clothes, even some books for entertainment — all delivered by a maid.

The quality was exquisite, almost like hotel room service, making her feel more like she was on a strange staycation than being imprisoned. Though the clothes they gave were just minimal black long-sleeved pajamas, the silk felt expensive.

No one came to question or torture her. She didn’t have any valuable information to offer them anyway. She barely touched the books, just spent all day pressing her ear to the door.

The first time she did, she realized one thing: the kidnappers had made a terrible mistake giving her this room. This wooden door, being vintage and beautiful and all, had one horrible weakness. She could hear almost everything outside when she pressed her ear to it.

However, both days went by and she heard nothing but the maid’s muffled footsteps, their trolley carts, and sometimes their gossip, which didn’t contain any useful information.

On the third day, someone finally came. A man in his sixties entered without knocking. He dressed and walked like a butler, with his back straight and his face stern.

He handed her a phone and said, "There will be a phone call for you in a minute, Miss. Please answer when it rings."

She took the phone from him with a skeptical look. A minute later, it actually rang.

"Hello?" Kaija answered.

The steely yet urgent male voice that came through was one she’d grown too familiar with. "Kaija, are you safe?"

Her breath hitched. It was Charles.