Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus) novel Chapter 1

The abandoned factory was choked with weeds, its crumbling walls looming over a battered red sedan parked just outside the entrance.

Inside, Isadora Vaughan’s hands were bound tightly behind her back, and her lips—painted a deep rose—were sealed with a strip of yellow duct tape. All she could manage were muffled, desperate whimpers.

Her white dress was streaked with dirt from the grimy floor, exposing a pair of pale, slender legs.

A kidnapper, face obscured by a grotesque mask, crouched in front of her. His voice was gravelly and distorted.

“Miss Vaughan, you’re Magnus Wainwright’s fiancée. Three million dollars should be pocket change to him. All right—call him yourself.”

He tossed an old cell phone at her feet. Then, with a harsh rip, he tore the tape from her mouth and untied her wrists.

A sharp knife pressed coldly against her neck.

Ringing. The line connected after what felt like an eternity.

A man’s deep, crisp voice rang out, “Hello?”

Isadora trembled so hard she could barely keep hold of the phone.

“Magnus, I—I’ve been kidnapped. They want three million in ransom. Please… can you come save me?”

There was a pause, as if Magnus was caught off guard. But when he spoke again, his voice was even colder.

“Isadora, I told you—Elise is sick. Her dying wish was to have this wedding. Stop causing trouble!”

Only then did Isadora remember—the wedding was today.

Elise Harrison. Magnus’s one true love.

But Elise was terminally ill, and her last wish was to walk down the aisle with the man she adored.

Isadora had protested when she learned Magnus had agreed to the wedding.

Frantic, she shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her. “No, this time—I’m not making a scene. Please, you have to believe me!”

His reply was emotionless, every word like a blade of ice.

Magnus’s lips curled in a cold, dismissive smile. “No. I’m not paying.”

The kidnapper was left speechless.

If he’d known, he’d have snatched Magnus’s beloved instead—she’d have been worth far more.

Through the phone, Elise’s gentle, frail voice drifted in.

“Magnus, I’m just grateful you’re making my last wish come true. Even if this wedding isn’t real, it’s enough for me to remember for the rest of my life. If Isadora’s so upset she’d resort to something like this, maybe we shouldn’t go through with it today.”

“Elise, I promised you. I’ll see it through.”

The kidnapper, now frustrated, snapped, “Magnus, aren’t you afraid we’ll hurt your beautiful fiancée?”

Magnus’s tone was icy and disdainful. “Do what you want. If you actually go through with it, maybe I’ll throw in an extra million.”

Hearing that, Isadora forced back the tears burning at the corners of her eyes.