Middle Child Syndrome - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Ch 35: But she needs me more
Mark felt a little guilty when he confessed to his mother about what happened. But in his defence, Rika was a very forgetful person.

No, Mark had no excuse for what had happened. He had forgotten about Rika, and that was the truth.

*sigh*

“I cannot believe my oldest Alpha son is so unreliable. I asked you to do one thing, and you even screwed that up.”

Mark knew it was his fault, but his alpha pride did not want to hear such things spoken against him. He needed to clear his name to make himself feel better.

“Hey! What’s the big deal anyway? It’s not like Rika is someone people will look for actively. Even those who know her do not bother finding out more about her. What could go wrong-”

“Someone kidnapped Rika. We do not know what that person intends to do with Rika, but this is an emergency. Just come to my office quickly, and we can talk more.”

That news felt like a bucket of cold water on Mark’s head.

He was hearing words, but they did not seem to register in his mind. It all felt like a dream to him.

“W-Wait! What happened? Mom, tell me more! Hey, did you cut the phone? Fuck! What did that call even mean?”

Marked cursed out loud, and Suzie’s touch and her concerned gaze brought him back to the present.

“Brother, are you alright? You look a little lost in your thoughts. Are you sure you are feeling okay? Are you going somewhere? Do you want me to come as well?”

Suzie asked in a worried voice. She looked at Mark with an expression that made him calm down.

Something about Suzie made Mark calm down and think about what he was doing. That was why he could never abandon her. She was the only sister Mark cared about.

‘Then what about Rika? She is your sister as well. And she might be in trouble because of your incompetence. What can you do for her?’

Mark was startled by the sudden question that popped into his mind, and he knew that he needed to help.

“Suzie, brother needs to go out and help mother for some time. Can you go to Daddy’s room and spend the night there? I am sure you are tired as well.”

Mark pleaded with Suzie as he got ready to go out.

But Suzie’s defiant look made Mark nervous. He felt he would not get what he wanted from her.

“No way! I will not head back out. I want to spend the night with you, brother. Can you not wait with me? Please! I promise I will be good and behave.”

Mark felt caught between a rock and a hard place when Suzie opened her mouth to plead with him.

“Suzie, this is important. I promise you that I will make it up to you later. Just let me head out for now. It is repeated to Rika. I will come back soon.”

Mark promised, but Suzie’s expression fell when she heard his words. Tears also filled her eyes, making her feel bad.

“Don’t go! Rika can take care of herself. You said that to me before, right? Then she can take care of herself this time as well. A-And you told me that Mother was also there to help Rika. There is no need for you to go as well. You are the only one I have.”

Suzie begged Mark while holding on to his clothes. It made her look small and helpless in Mark’s arms.

That further made Mark feel bitter and regretful for leaving Suzie behind.

‘Ah, I cannot leave Suzie behind now. She is crying, and it is too much for me. Besides, she is right! Our mother will be able to take care of Rika’s situation herself. For now, Suzie needs me the most.’

Mark made up his mind and instantly messaged his mother about his decision. He could not help but search for Rika because Suzie needed him then.

…

“Had the medicine finally worked its way out of your system? It took almost three hours, which was faster than usual. Usually, that medicine should have lasted you for six hours.”

Rika looked at her kidnapper from the position she was lying down from. It made her look intimidating, and she wanted to portray that feeling.

Unfortunately, Rika was still bound and helpless, so her impression did not come out as strong as she wanted.

“What? Do you no longer have anything to say to me? It’s such a pity! Do you know that no search warrant has been issued for you for the past four hours? It seems no one is interested in where you are at the moment.

“That makes me wonder. Are you part of the Goodwill family? Surely, they would care enough to keep tabs on you even if they don’t like you?”

Rika tried not to get upset when she heard what her kidnapper said to her. She would not let this man make fun of her or upset her.

Besides, nothing he said had been wrong. Her family would notice that Rika was gone when Emily saw it.

That should take a little time.

“Where are you taking me? Are we driving out of the city?”

Rika needed to recognise the area she was being taken toward. She vaguely recognised it as the city’s outskirts but needed to know where specifically.

The driver let out a laugh as soon as he heard Rika speak.

“Ah, so you finally decided to open your mouth and ask questions? Good! That means that you are not entirely far gone. It would be even better if I sold it to you. You are becoming more and more valuable by the second.”

The kidnapper laughed as he drove around faster.

Rika felt a shiver go down her spine, and her insides felt chilled. She was sure that this man was not playing around now. He intended to sell Rika, and nothing could be done about it.