Chapter 4: The Kidnapping Attempt
## Chapter 4: The Kidnapping Attempt
The first rays of sunlight crept through the curtains of Sofía's apartment.
For the first time in days, Elena had slept without nightmares.
She woke to the gentle flutter of movement inside her womb.
Her son kicked softly.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"Good morning," she whispered, resting both hands on her belly. "It's just you and me now."
The baby kicked again, as if answering.
For one precious moment, everything felt peaceful.
She didn't know that someone outside had been watching the apartment all night.
---
Across the street, inside the black luxury sedan, the mysterious man lowered his binoculars.
"She's awake."
The voice on the phone replied immediately.
"Is she alone?"
"One other woman. No security."
"Good."
The caller's tone remained calm.
"Bring Elena in quietly."
"And if she refuses?"
A brief silence.
"Then don't give her a choice."
The line went dead.
The man slipped the phone into his pocket.
He nodded toward the two men sitting beside him.
"It's time."
---
Inside the apartment, Sofía placed a cup of tea in front of Elena.
"You should stay here for a few more days."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"I have to find somewhere permanent before the baby comes."
Sofía sighed.
"You don't have to carry everything alone."
Elena smiled sadly.
"I know."
A knock interrupted them.
Three short taps.
Sofía frowned.
"I'm not expecting anyone."
She walked toward the door.
"Who is it?"
A polite male voice answered.
"Package delivery."
"I didn't order anything."
"It's for Miss Elena Vargas."
Elena looked confused.
"I didn't order anything either."
Something about the silence that followed made Sofía uneasy.
She walked to the peephole.
Her face immediately lost its color.
"There are three men."
"What?"
"They're not delivery drivers."
At that exact second...
The doorknob began to turn.
One of the men had inserted a tool into the lock.
Click.
The lock released.
"They're breaking in!" Sofía shouted.
---
The apartment door burst open.
Three men rushed inside.
The leader raised both hands.
"Miss Vargas, please come with us."
Elena stepped backward instinctively.
"Who are you?"
"No one wants to hurt you."
"Then leave."
"I'm afraid we can't."
The tallest man moved toward her.
Before he could reach her, Sofía grabbed a ceramic flowerpot from a nearby shelf and smashed it against his shoulder.
The pot exploded into pieces.
"You'll have to go through me first!"
The man stumbled backward.
Another cursed loudly.
"Grab them!"
The apartment erupted into chaos.
Elena struggled to shield her stomach as one of the men reached for her arm.
"No!"
She pulled away.
Another man blocked the hallway.
"There is nowhere to run."
Sofía seized a kitchen chair and hurled it across the room.
It crashed into the second attacker, giving Elena just enough time to reach the bedroom.
She slammed the door shut.
Locked it.
Her hands trembled as she searched for her phone.
Please...
Please answer...
She dialed the first number she saw.
Adrián.
---
Miles away, Adrián was driving toward another property owned by the Luján family when his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
Elena Calling.
His heart skipped.
He answered instantly.
"Elena?"
All he heard was screaming.
Furniture crashing.
A man shouting.
Then Elena's terrified voice.
"Adrián..."
"They're trying to take me!"
The call cut off.
For two seconds...
The world stopped.
Then Adrián slammed on the accelerator.
His sports car shot forward.
Ignoring every traffic light.
Every speed limit.
Every warning.
He had already failed her once.
He refused to fail her again.
---
Back inside the apartment...
The bedroom door splintered under repeated blows.
Crack.
Crack.
CRASH.
The wood gave way.
Elena backed into the corner, one hand protecting her belly.
"Please..."
"I'm pregnant."
The leader stopped a few feet away.
His expression softened for only a second.
"We know."
"Then why are you doing this?"
"We're only following orders."
He reached toward her.
Suddenly—
BANG!
The apartment's front door slammed open again.
"Police!"
Everyone froze.
The kidnappers looked at one another.
"What?"
Several uniformed officers rushed inside.
"Nobody move!"
The leader cursed.
"It's a setup!"
The three men bolted toward the fire escape.
Police officers chased after them.
Within seconds, the apartment fell eerily quiet.
Elena slid down the wall, shaking uncontrollably.
A female officer knelt beside her.
"Miss Vargas?"
"Are you hurt?"
Elena could barely speak.
"My baby..."
The officer looked at her gently.
"We're calling an ambulance."
---
Twenty minutes later...
Adrián arrived outside the apartment building.
Red and blue lights flashed across the narrow street.
Police vehicles.
An ambulance.
Neighbors gathered behind the barriers.
His chest tightened.
He pushed through the crowd.
"I'm Adrián Luján."
"I need to see Elena."
A police officer blocked his path.
"She's receiving medical attention."
"I'm the baby's father."
The officer hesitated.
Before he could respond, Elena emerged from the ambulance.
She looked exhausted.
Pale.
Fragile.
But alive.
Their eyes met.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Adrián slowly walked toward her.
"I'm so sorry."
She stared at him.
"You answered."
His voice cracked.
"I should have answered yesterday."
Tears filled Elena's eyes.
"They tried to take our son."
"Our son..."
The words struck Adrián harder than anything else.
He carefully looked at her stomach.
"Is he okay?"
Before Elena could answer, the paramedic smiled.
"The baby's heartbeat is strong."
Adrián closed his eyes in relief.
A tear escaped despite his efforts to hide it.
He had almost lost his son...
Without ever holding him.
---
At that moment, a black SUV stopped at the end of the street.
A distinguished man in his early sixties stepped out.
Silver hair.
Tailored charcoal suit.
Sharp blue eyes.
Every police officer nearby immediately recognized him.
One detective approached respectfully.
"Good morning, Mr. Navarro."
Adrián looked up.
His expression changed instantly.
"What are you doing here?"
The older man ignored him.
Instead...
He looked directly at Elena.
There was unmistakable emotion in his eyes.
Not anger.
Not triumph.
Recognition.
He took one slow step forward.
Then another.
Finally, he spoke.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"She has her mother's eyes..."
Elena frowned.
"I'm sorry..."
"Do I know you?"
The older man's eyes filled with tears.
"You don't remember me."
He swallowed hard.
"But I've spent twenty-six years searching for you."
The street fell completely silent.
Adrián stared in disbelief.
"What... did you just say?"
The silver-haired stranger looked at Elena with a mixture of joy and regret.
"My name is Alejandro Navarro."
He paused.
"And I believe..."
"...I'm your father."
The words hung in the air like thunder.
Neither Elena...
May you like
Nor Adrián...
Had any idea that the truth about Elena's past was far more shocking than anything the Luján family had ever imagined.
