Chapter 297 Recovered After Being Lost
Colin's throat was dry, and he struggled to speak. After a long silence, he managed to say, "I'm sorry. I'm here now. I'm taking you home. I'm sorry I was late."
Anna nodded, gathering the strength to stand up from the foot of the bed and throw herself into his arms.
Despite her usual discomfort with being touched by men, she felt no fear of him at this moment.
After all, they had shared a bed many times before, and he had never acted inappropriately towards her. She trusted he would never do such a thing.
Colin held Anna's frail body tightly, as if he wanted to merge her into his own, never to be separated. He now understood the two most beautiful phrases in the world.
Lost and found. A false alarm.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Colin repeated over and over. Anna, as if finally releasing a held breath, went limp and fainted in his arms.
Colin panicked and immediately carried her to the car.
"To the hospital, now!" Colin shouted at the driver.
The car sped away from the secluded villa area. Colin held Anna the entire way, feeling so guilty he wanted to slap himself.
Colin had thought Caleb wouldn't harm Anna, given she was his ex-girlfriend. But that beast had tortured her.
"Where are we going?" Anna woke up halfway.
Colin hugged her tightly, his voice gentle and soothing. "Don't be afraid. You're safe now. I'm taking you to the hospital."
Anna suddenly remembered Caleb's warning, and panic surged within her. She shook her head, trying to calm herself.
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and said, "I don't want to go to the hospital. I'm fine. It's not as complicated as you think. Caleb has been holding a grudge against Sterling and wanted revenge. He teamed up with Debra, who planned the kidnapping. Caleb funded it, and Debra carried it out. But Debra grabbed the wrong person. I was wearing Bella's clothes when I went out, so she mistakenly took me instead of Bella."
Anna paused before continuing, "Debra tortured me, but Caleb's conscience wasn't completely gone. When he realized the mistake, he stopped Debra. I was only held for two days. Though it was scary, I'm safe now. Let's just let this go. I believe Caleb won't bother me again. His plan was to release me in two weeks, but you found me sooner. Don't tell Bella about the mix-up; she'll feel guilty, and I don't want her to blame herself."
Listening to Anna, Colin finally understood the situation. Caleb had kidnapped Anna by mistake.
Anna avoided Colin's eyes as she spoke, fearing he would see through her emotions. She tried to appear relaxed, but inside, she was in agony.
The videotape was still in Caleb's possession, and she couldn't act rashly or say too much. She knew she couldn't completely sever ties with Caleb.
Colin's doubts were finally resolved, but it was clear Caleb's mistake was unintentional.
So, Caleb had focused all his energy on Anna these past few days instead of Bella.
Despite Anna's casual mention of her ordeal, Colin knew it had been severe. But he didn't have the energy to probe further. He softly said, "Alright, no more talking. I understand."
Respecting Anna's choice not to reveal more, he asked, "Do you want to go home now, or do you have other plans?"
Anna felt anxious, unsure if she would break down upon seeing Qiana at home. She thought for a moment before saying, "Can I stay at your place tonight? I'll go home tomorrow."
Colin nodded gently, relieved. With a warm smile, he said, "Sure. Bella's been staying with me, worried about you. She'll be glad you're back."
Anna felt a wave of warmth and nodded slightly, discreetly wiping away a tear in the darkness, hoping Colin wouldn't see.
But Colin saw her tears.
Back at the Whitewater Bay villa, Bella's eyes filled with pain when she saw Anna. She rushed to hug her tightly, her voice trembling, "Anna, are you okay? Did Caleb hurt you?"
Anna forced a smile and replied, "No, he didn't. I'm fine. It's late, and you must be exhausted. Get some rest. Everything will be better tomorrow."
'Will everything really be better?' Anna thought bitterly. She just didn't want her friend to worry.
Colin watched them, feeling a pang of sadness. He pointed to the guest room and said gently, "I prepared a guest room for Bella. You two can stay there and take care of each other."
Anna smiled and nodded, leading the way into the room and then the bathroom. She removed the black silk nightgown with a look of disgust and tossed it into the trash.
Her smile vanished, and alone, she let her sorrow flow freely, tears streaming down her face.
In the bathroom, Anna scrubbed her skin until it turned red.
After her shower, she put on a soft robe and went to the guest room to rest. Bella gently turned off the light and asked softly, "Anna, can you tell me what happened?"
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