Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus) novel Chapter 182

These days, kidnappers were getting ridiculous—not only did they want money, now they wanted to force you into impossible choices.

“So, who are you going to ransom?” Gideon asked quietly.

Magnus gripped his phone, refusing to answer.

“Elise is so fragile—she must be terrified. Isadora’s tougher, she can hang on longer. Let’s get Elise out first, then we’ll go back for Isadora,” Gideon pressed.

Magnus’s jaw clenched, his face like stone. “Neither of them is going to get hurt. I won’t allow it.”

“Magnus, the kidnappers are making the rules. If you don’t pick, you could lose them both. Don’t hesitate—choose Elise!” Gideon urged.

Memories of Isadora’s past kidnapping flashed through Magnus’s mind. He hadn’t believed her then—and he’d nearly lost her because of it. He swore he’d never let go of her again.

But then there was Elise…

For a moment, Magnus found himself paralyzed, unable to choose.

“I’ll give them five million,” he said at last, his voice low and hard. “I want both women back. I’ll arrange security to be stationed nearby, ready to intervene.”

Without so much as a flicker of emotion, Gideon sent an audio recording from his phone to a number he’d prepared.

* * *

The next morning.

Magnus and Gideon climbed into the car, a hefty duffel bag of cash stashed in the back seat. Following the kidnappers’ instructions, they drove out of the city and up into the hills.

But as they neared the agreed drop-off, Magnus’s phone buzzed with a new message: the location had changed.

He frowned. He’d positioned bodyguards all around this area—now, with the switch, his plan was unraveling.

Gideon spun the car around, heading for the new address without hesitation.

“These kidnappers aren’t stupid,” Gideon said, voice tight. “If you can save them both, do it. But if it comes down to it, save Elise. Do you understand?”

They soon arrived at the base of a rocky ridge—the kidnappers’ final destination.

There was no way to drive up. The two men abandoned the car and scrambled up the rough path, climbing toward the summit.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain, the kidnappers had gagged both Isadora and Elise with strips of cloth. Each woman was dragged by a different kidnapper up the winding trail toward the cliff’s edge.

Magnus and Gideon reached the top—hearts pounding, nerves stretched to the breaking point—just as the kidnappers emerged, hauling their hostages to the brink.

If Magnus chose Elise, Isadora was as good as dead. If he chose Isadora, the kidnappers might kill them both.

But Isadora wasn’t ready to die. She locked eyes with Magnus, silently begging him to do the right thing, just this once.

Magnus’s fists trembled, veins bulging along his arms.

Gideon pleaded, “Magnus, there’s no time! Elise is about to faint! Only you can save her!”

Magnus clenched his jaw so hard he thought his teeth might crack. For a long moment, he couldn’t speak. Then, finally, a hoarse sound escaped his throat: “Isa—”

Gideon suddenly blurted, “Elise is pregnant!”

Magnus’s eyes widened in shock, his whole body jolting as if he’d been struck.

Gideon leaned in, whispering, “She’s carrying your child.”

The kidnapper’s voice was cold and sharp. “Our patience is gone, Mr. Wainwright. Choose now, or both women die.”

To punctuate his threat, he dragged both women closer to the cliff’s edge.

Magnus’s eyes burned red, rage and fear warring in his face. His voice was ragged, barely more than a whisper. “Elise. I choose Elise.”