The Queen's Back

Mona snapped back to reality just in time to see a burly man in black mask holding bread, bringing it to her lips. Uncertain whether the bread contained any drugs, she turned her head away.

You won't eat it? Then just stay hungry," he replied.

With that, the four men turned back, completely dismissing Moria's awakening as if it were insignificant.

Confused. Mona wondered if they had brought her here just to sit idly.

a moment, she couldn't help but ask, "Why did you kidnap me? What do you

After a

want?

If Gordon was behind this, he would have shown up by now, but the mastermind was still missing, making Mona increasingly anxious. "Nothing. You just need to stay here until tomorrow night," one of the men replied.

After saying that, the four of them ignored Mona. She sat there in a daze, thinking that if she stayed until tomorrow night, the Design Competition would already be over. The person who didn't want her to compete was definitely not Gordon. If Mona didn't participate in the competition, it would only benefit enefit other designers s or models. As she pondered this, the names Barbara and Lydia emerged in her mind.

Time passed slowly, and no one spoke to her, leaving her isolated in her chair, unable to move.

The four men contínued playing cards, seemingly indifferent to Mona.

It appeared the mastermind had trapped her here not for ransom or as leverage against someone, but merely to prevent her from attending the competition.

Mona r

realized she couldn't just sit and wait. She needed to bide her time and look for a chance to escape before the competition began the next day.

Having lived this life before, Mona valued her life even more. Therefore, she had to ensure her safety first

Before she knew it, time had slipped away, and she was drowsy in her chair, half-listening to the men's conversation. "Are you guys hungry? The dry bread doesn't have flavor," one complained.

"I am starving! It's all because we were in such a hurry to tie her up that we didn't even have time to grab something to eat," another added.

not send two of us to buy some? It's late, and that woman is almost asleep. Two can should be enough. She looks weak and won't run away," suggested one of them.

idea."

go, and two can keep watch It

"agree.

Let's hurry. I'm

dying of hunger, another man said.

Mona's ears perked up at the mention of two men leaving to buy food. This could be her best opportunity.

Once the two men departed, only two remained in the warehouse, idly playing cards without paying any attention to her.

Mona turned her gaze to the two men, feigning weakness as she said, "Hey, can you guys give me a bottle of water? I'm really thirsty."

She played the role of vulnerable woman perfectly, her eyes wide with feigned fear.

Perhaps it was because Mona had been calm and not throwing a lit earlier that both of them had relaxed their guard. Plus, with Mona's good looks, the men were naturally drawn to her. It was hard not to feel sympathy for someone like her. They walked over with a bottle of water, one of them holding a cigarette in his mouth. He unscrewed the cap and brought the bottle to her lips.

Whether he raised the bottle too high or it was intentional on Mona's part, water spilled out, soaking her neck.

She coughed and turned her head to the side, repeatedly coughing until her face turned red.

The man beside her scolded the other, "Can't you feed her without making a mess?"

The weather had already shifted to a chilly autumn, especially with the rain outside making it feel even colder.

Mona, dressed in a turtleneck sweater, felt the cold water trickle down her neck, chilling her to the bone, but it also made her feel more alert. "You do it, then. I've never fed anyone before," the man retorted, frustrated.

Mona quickly interjected, "Could you please untie my hands? I can drink myself, and since you're both here, I won't run

away She sounded pitiful, and upon seeing their hesitation, Mona continued, "I just have to stay here until tomorrow night. I don't have anything particularly important going on, and with the rain outside, I wouldn't want to get soaked. It could make me sick They had never encountered someone as obedient as Mona. The two exchanged glances and nodded. Then, the man who had been giving her water crouched down beside her and used one hand to untie the rope binding her hands. Once the ropes were off, she cautiously accepted the water he handed her, remembering to thank him politely. The two men stood there in shock. They were the kidnappers, and her gratitude made them feel oddly embarrassed. After a moment of stunned silence, they returned to their cards at a distance.

Mona raised the bottle to her lips and took a few sips.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

The scene was perfectly timed as the two men in the distance caught sight of her bright, delicate face, her turtleneck accentuating her slender neck, seemingly delicate enough to be grasped with one hand. Mona was both beautiful and and alluring, dressed like a refined lady Fearing they would be mesmerized if they kept watching, one of the men quickly turned and bolted outside.

As kidnappers, they had to follow their boss's orders, which were simply to keep her until tomorrow night, so they couldn't do anything reckless. Otherwise, they might end up with nothing if the deal fell through. Mona watched the man leave in a panic, a smile creeping onto her lips.

She thought, "The schemes truly work. I have never thought I would one day employ such tactics"

At that moment, only Mona and the man who had fed her remained in the warehouse.

The man had his back to her. Mona glanced the door. To escape, she would need to get past him. There was no way she could outrun him, so a direct escape was not an option. She couldn't take that risk. Sir, I'm I'm done drinking," she said.

"You can just leave the water bottle beside you," the man said.

"Can I just confirm? I can leave tomorrow night, right? You're not tricking me?" Mona asked with wide, innocent eyes, her expression filled with concern.