The Tyrant's Stolen Bride-Chapter 123: Taken

Lyra was in the middle of attending to a patient when a knock interrupted her. The door eased open, an officer peering inside.

"Close the door and wait until I’m done," she ordered, her voice firm, tinged with irritation as she noticed their eyes scrutinizing her.

The door shut again, just as she had directed.

Once the patient left the room, the door was knocked on again.

"Dr. Ashford..." the nurse called.

"Come in," she ordered. The door swung fully open, murmurs trailing in from outside the room.

The nurse stepped inside, worry etched across her face, the two officers close behind.

Lyra faced them. "What’s this about?"

One of the officers moved past the nurse and held up a warrant.

"We have instructions from our superiors to detain you for further investigation."

He raised the document higher, and Lyra took it with both hands.

She read it with a frown. The warrant concerned the funds Dante had suddenly withdrawn, and she found herself wondering who had reported her.

"And what exactly am I being detained for? What evidence suggests I’m involved?" she asked, her voice firm, her expression making it clear she would not tolerate such a mistake.

She was certain she had done nothing wrong.

"Of course we have evidence. Plenty of it points to your involvement. Sorry, but you’ll have to come with us to the station," one of the officers said, his smirk lingering as his gaze swept over her.

Lyra crossed her arms, unfazed by his mocking.

Then the officer pulled out handcuffs and reached for her hand, but Lyra swatted them away.

"Didn’t you say this is just an investigation? You have no right to treat me like a criminal," she said, raising her voice.

The nurse looked anxious, unsure why the officers had suddenly become so harsh.

"Um, sir... earlier you said you just wanted to question the doctor, so why are you trying to handcuff her? I know her very well, and I’m certain this is a mistake," the nurse said, trying to calm the situation.

"Really?" he said, crossing his arms, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"But who cares? I can say whatever I want."

The second officer simply took a seat, leaning back lazily, uninterested in getting involved.

Lyra’s eyes followed his movements, stunned that he was yawning and closing his eyes for a nap while his partner busily accused her.

She wondered if the officers in Mistvale were always so undisciplined and unmotivated.

Her gaze shifted back to the rude officer in front of her, and she held out her palm, demanding something.

"Let me see your badge," Lyra said suddenly, suspicion flashing in her eyes.

The officer didn’t flinch. With deliberate slowness, he pulled out his badge and held it before her eyes.

Lyra took the badge with both hands.

The nurse leaned closer and examined it as well. Every detail appeared real and authentic.

Lyra’s gaze flicked from the badge to the officer, then to the nurse. She handed the badge back, yet not a single inch of her resolve gave way.

She would not be handcuffed.

"I can go to the police station myself," she said.

"No. You’re coming with us. I know you’re planning to run," he insisted.

"What? I haven’t done anything. Why would I run?"

"That’s exactly what a criminal would say," he shot back.

"You have no right to call me a criminal. I’ll sue you for this," she snapped.

Their voices rose, echoing through the clinic. People began murmuring, crowding around the door to see what was happening.

The officer who had been sitting lazily suddenly looked rattled. His partner was completely unreliable. He claimed his methods were effective, but just look at the chaos he had created.

Before they arrived, Stott had given them her photo. In the image, she appeared innocent and timid. But standing in front of them now, she was confident, assertive, and unyielding.

He had no choice. Time was running out, and their car would arrive soon. He raised his gun and fired a shot at a different target—a warning.

Screams erupted throughout the clinic. People scattered in panic.

The nurse and Lyra ducked instinctively.

"Idiot!" he shouted, slapping his partner’s head.

He grabbed Lyra’s hand forcefully, pointing the gun at the nurse as a silent threat—any resistance, and he would put a bullet in her.

"You’re not real cops! Impostors!" Lyra spat, and immediately, she was slapped across the face.

"Come on! Don’t even think about fighting!" he shouted.

They dragged Lyra out of the clinic, a gun pressed firmly against her head as they moved.

The security guards rushed in immediately, and gunfire erupted. Some were shot in the leg, while others escaped unharmed and retreated. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The sound of gunshots threw the hospital into chaos.

"Lyra!" Alex shouted from a distance, frozen in shock as he saw his daughter being dragged away.

"No—don’t come!" Lyra breathed, silently shaping the words with her lips, signaling him to stay back.

But it was too late. From afar, someone had already noticed Alex and decided it would be a good idea to drag him along as well.

"Got it..." One of the men suddenly said, complying.

Only then did Lyra realize he had been communicating through a Bluetooth earpiece the entire time.

He raised his gun and fired at Alex without hesitation, the shot grazing his leg as a warning. Alex collapsed, wincing in pain, and was dragged toward a separate car.

As the door slammed shut, a black hood was pulled over her head, her mouth sealed, and her hands and feet bound without delay.

Lyra had no idea what happened next. All she could do was listen.

The vehicle lurched violently, throwing her around with every turn.

She could hear shouting, police sirens, and the crack of gunfire throughout the journey.

After the long, tense chase, cheers erupted. One of them yelled, "The police are all down!"

Lyra felt a pang of frustration.

She had activated the tracker earlier and now wondered if Rowan had been involved in the chase.

In a split second, she regretted pressing the tracker. Her heart felt heavy with worry, terrified that something might have happened to him because of her.

In their haste, the car didn’t slow as it reached the destination. It stopped abruptly, jerking Lyra forward.

She could hear the unmistakable hum of a helicopter, and a strong gust of wind hit her as the car door was opened.

With her legs still bound, she was hoisted over the shoulder of one of her captors.

As they ascended, a sharp sting pierced her arm. Someone injected her with something.

A deep, rough voice whispered, "Rest until we reach paradise."

He chuckled, and then several more voices joined in, their laughter echoing ominously around her.

Lyra barely had time to shiver before darkness swallowed her whole.