Sweet Revenge: Jace & Emerald

Emerald’s head pounded as she slowly came to feel the cold, damp air filling her lungs. Her eyes blinked open, adjusting to the dim light of a single bulb swaying overhead. She found herself in a grimy, windowless room, the walls stained and bare. Panic surged through her as she realized she was tied to a wooden chair, her wrists and ankles bound tightly with rough, cutting rope.

She struggled against her restraints, but the rope dug painfully into her skin, making her efforts futile. Her mind raced, trying to put back together the pieces of memories of her abduction-the sudden yank as she stepped out of the Uber at the grocery main office, the rough hands dragging her into a van, and the oppressive darkness that followed after the man beside her gave her a hard slap on her cheeks after trying to fight them when she heard the men talking about Ace.

Young Morgan’s heart pounded as she looked around the room and felt more scared. The only exit was a heavy steel door, and there was no sign of her captors. Just as her eyes began to water with fear and frustration, the door creaked open, and a man stepped inside.

He was tall, with broad shoulders and a rugged face etched with a cruel smirk. His cold eyes locked onto Emerald’s, and he stepped closer, his presence filling the small room with menacing energy.

“Ah, you’re awake,” the man said, his voice dripping with malicious satisfaction. “I was thinking you’d sleep through the whole thing.”

“Who are you? Why are you doing this?” Emerald’s voice trembled, but she forced herself to meet the man’s gaze with fear and defiance.

“The name’s Hubert,” he said, taking another step forward. Young Morgan thought that the man was crazy for answering her question. Still, the realization that he was doing it because he had no intention of making her leave the room alive scared her. “And as for why-let’s just say you’ve irritated someone close to you.”

“I don’t understand,” Emerald stammered. “What do you want with me?” Hubert’s smirk widened.

“It’s not about what I want; it’s about what your dear sister Emerose wants.”

“Emerose?” Emerald’s voice was barely a whisper, her mind reeling. “What does she have to do with this?”

“Everything,” Hubert said, a cruel laugh escaping his lips. “You see, Emerose has always hated you. That’s why she convinced your parents to make your life miserable. When she discovered that you were your father’s bastard to your nanny, she decided it was time for you to vanish.”

Emerald’s world spun. “I don’t believe you. Emerose wouldn’t-” she said, giving the older Morgan the benefit of the doubt.

“Believe it,” Hubert interrupted, his voice harsh. “She’s the one who planned all of this. And once we get the ransom from your dear husband, Jace, we will ensure you never cause any more trouble.”

Emerald was overwhelmed by terror and disbelief. She thought of Jace and his reassuring presence, which sparked hope in her heart. He would be there for her-he had to. “My husband will surely catch you,” she said.

“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” he hissed, taking a step towards her. “You think your husband’s going to save you?”

“He will,” Emerald said, her voice trembling but defiant. “Jace will find me, and you’ll regret this.”

Hubert’s face contorted with rage. He backhanded her across the face, the force of the blow whipping her head to the side. Pain exploded in her cheek, and she tasted blood as she bit down on her lip.

“Keep your mouth shut!” he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. “You’re nothing but a worthless piece of trash, and your husband’s money is the only thing keeping you alive right now.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Emerald spat out a mouthful of blood, her eyes blazing with defiance. “You’re a coward,” she said, her voice low and fierce. “Hiding behind threats and lies. You and Emerose are both pathetic.”

Another slap, harder this time, sent her head snapping back. Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of crying. “You don’t know anything,” Hubert snarled, grabbing her by the hair and yanking her head back so she was forced to look up at him. “You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

“You’re just doing Emerose’s dirty work because she can’t face me herself,” Emerald shot back, her voice filled with fierce courage despite the pain.

Hubert’s face twisted in fury. He tightened his grip on her hair, making her wince. “You keep talking, and I’ll make sure you regret it,” he hissed. “Do you want to know what will happen to your precious son if you don’t shut up?”

Emerald’s heart froze, her blood running cold. “Leave my son out of this,” she pleaded, her voice breaking. “He’s just a child. He’s innocent.”

“Innocent?” Hubert sneered. “I wonder how innocent he’ll be after he sees what happens to his mother. One wrong move and I’ll make sure he’s next. You wouldn’t want little Ace to grow up without a mother, right?”

Emerald’s eyes filled with tears, the thought of her son in danger almost more than she could bear. “Please,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Don’t hurt him. I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t hurt my son.”

Hubert released her hair, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “That’s more like it,” he said, stepping back. “Now, sit tight and behave. Your husband should be here any minute, and we wouldn’t want to make things difficult for him, now would we?” Emerald’s mind was a whirlwind of fear and confusion.

Meanwhile, Hubert had no idea that their hideout was surrounded by the police with Liam and Jace’s men. Cade, who followed them, carefully assessed the situation while waiting for them to arrive.

“They are inside that abandoned warehouse. I found out that it was owned by Mr. Morgan and had not been used for many years,” the detective reported when he faced both Liam and Jace.

“How about Emerald?” Jace asked, and Liam waited for the answer because he worried about his friend.

“I haven’t heard anything that may cause us to worry. But a man arrived, and I think he was the mastermind.” Cade replied.

“We can’t just wait here,” Young Higginson said in a panic, thinking about Emerald.

“It’s not advisable to just barge in; we need to eliminate everyone surrounding the warehouse, or the one holding Ms. Emerald might do drastic action that may harm her,” Detective Santos’ police friend said.

“And what are we going to do?” It was Liam.

“You can follow us, but be careful and never leave our side. We will get in the warehouse while the others eliminate and suppress those on the lookout.” Jace and Liam nodded and prepared themselves.

The police took down all the guards one by one, starting from the back of the warehouse, with Liam. In contrast, the other police and Jace’s team moved forward in front until they finally got inside unnoticed.

Hubert’s smirk faded as he looked toward the door. A harsh sound of voices and the unmistakable click of firearms being ready shattered the oppressive silence. But one of the goons saw them and started firing his gun, making the police exchange gunshots until none were seen standing.

Inside the room, Hubert turned back to Emerald, his eyes flashing with panic. “It looks like your husband’s here earlier than expected,” he snarled. He pulled out a gun, aiming it at her, but the door burst open before he could make a move.

Loud shouts filled the room as the door flew open, and a dozen police officers stormed in, their weapons drawn and aimed at Hubert. In the chaos, Jace was the first through the door, his eyes blazing with fear and fury.

“Get away from her!” Jace shouted, his voice echoing through the small room. He advanced on Hubert with speed, unbothered by the danger he was going into, leaving the kidnapper no time to react.

Hubert fired a shot, but Jace was faster. He tackled Hubert to the ground, the gun skidding across the floor as they grappled. The room erupted in chaos as more officers poured in, subduing the remaining goons guarding the hideout.

Emerald watched in stunned disbelief as the scene unfolded. Hubert fought back with desperate fury, punching Jace’s jaw. Still, Jace, fueled by adrenaline and rage, overpowered him. He pinned Hubert to the ground, twisting his arm behind his back and holding him there with a knee pressed into his spine.

“Jace!” Emerald cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks. Relief flooded her voice as she saw her husband, his face grim and determined.

“Emerald, dear wife,” Jace called back, his voice filled with fierce protectiveness. “I’m here. You’re safe now.”

Liam quickly moved to untie Emerald, his hands working deftly to free her from the ropes. “It’s okay now, M,” he said. “You’re safe. We’ve got you.”

As soon as the ropes fell away, Emerald stumbled into Jace’s arms. He held her tightly in his embrace, a fortress against the fear and trauma of the past hours. The police secured the room around them, detaining Hubert’s goons and ensuring there were no further threats.

“You came for me,” Emerald whispered, her voice choked with emotion. “I knew you would.”

“I will always come for you,” Jace replied, his voice steady despite the turmoil in his eyes. “You’re everything to me. I would never let anything happen to you.”

Emerald clung to him, her body trembling with relief and exhaustion. The nightmare was over. She was safe in Jace’s arms, and nothing else mattered.

As the police led Hubert away in handcuffs, he spat at Jace, his eyes filled with venom. “This isn’t over. You’ll never be free of her!”

Jace ignored him, focusing solely on Emerald. “Let’s get you home,” he said gently, guiding her towards the exit, where a waiting ambulance stood ready. “You’ve been through enough.”

Outside, the night was cool and clear, a stark contrast to the horror of the hideout. Police lights started flashing blue and red against the dark sky, casting eerie shadows across the scene. Emerald took a deep breath, the crisp air filling her lungs and washing away the last trace of fear.

As they reached the ambulance, Jace helped her inside, his hand never leaving hers. “You’re safe now,” he said again, his voice soothingly balming her ravel nerves. “We’re going to be okay.”

Despite the tears, Emerald nodded a small smile on her lips. She looked up at Jace, her heart swelling with gratitude and love. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice filled with a depth of emotion that words could never fully capture.

Jace squeezed her hand, his eyes softening with tenderness. “Nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for you, dear wife. You’re my everything.”

Young Morgan’s eyes widened when she remembered their son, “What about Ace? Where is he?” she asked fearfully.

“Shh… Our son is fine. He’s at home with Sonny and Keng, so you don’t have to worry,” young Higginson answered as he gently tapped her back.

Young Morgan nodded and slowly told Jace what Hubert had told her about being Emerose as the mastermind of her kidnapping.

“I promise we will put her in jail,” Young Higginson assures her so she doesn’t need to feel scared anymore. The last thing he wanted was for his wife to feel threatened, so he decided to make Emerose pay for what she did.