Reverse: The Final Principle Of Love

By Adilcilene Ferreira

The detective and negotiator Douglas Fernandes is hired to track down the kidnapping of the daughter of a well-known businessman. In the middle of a journey full of ambition, deceit and abandonment, he will find himself falling in love with the victim, without even having met her.

Veronica is an independent, confident woman. However, she will be confronted with one of the most difficult moments of her life. While she is being held captive, she will begin to break the chains of the past and will discover that not everything that seemed to be is in fact. That love can chain a person, but also save her.

Encounters, misunderstandings, and revelations will be constant, and the other side of the story can make her even more valuable, or not.


The night was warm, and although she liked to use the air conditioning,
Veronica preferred the breeze that came with the wind. Sitting on the balcony, she
watched the horizon wondering how her father would be at that moment. Certainly he
was suffering and so was she for being away, but she needed to behave and accept the
rules of that situation. She didn't even know what was going on. Everything seemed
strange and unfounded to her. She had blindly trusted the detective and she was wrong
about him.
After the silence and night had taken over the whole place, Veronica returned to
her room, leaving the window open so that the breeze could come in and refresh the
room naturally. Then maybe she could fall asleep right away.
Sleep did not come at any cost and upset she got up to go to the toilet. As she got
out of bed and took her first steps, she saw something crawling past in front of her.
Although the clarity wasn't much, it was enough for her to see that it was a snake.
”Oh, My God!” - Veronica said, hurrying to the door. Her heart was beating
unsteadily and without thinking about what she was doing she ran into the corridor
forcing her eyes to see in the darkness. She didn't want to look scared in front of the
man in the next room, but her legs were shaking so much that she didn't act so proud
and went for help. When she opened the door and went inside she felt strong hands
taking her by the waist and squeezing her gently.
”What is it, Veronica?” - Douglas asked with heavy breathing.
”There's a huge snake in the room.” - she said, not realizing how close they were
to each other.
”But everything is quite locked. How could that happen?” - he stared at her
without letting go.
”I don't know what happened. The only thing I can tell you is that there is one
there.”
Douglas pulled her aside and reached for the light switch. When the light
dominated the place, Veronica noticed that he was wearing only underwear. The
adrenaline took over their bodies and Veronica didn't know whether to tremble because
of the shock or because she was standing in front of the sexy man.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tektime
• Release date: Nov 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9788835446576

Book preview

CHAPTER 01

Douglas stood before the door of the great mansion waiting to be greeted. His father asked him to help a friend, otherwise, he would not take this case case.

It involved the kidnapping of the only daughter of a large local businessman who, to his misfortune, asked her father for help. It had been a while since Douglas had taken his long-dreamed vacation, and just when everything was in place to get away from that world of details and great mental demands, he had been asked, or rather summoned, to work on another case.

The door was opened by a short gentleman, apparently downcast, which made him feel guilty about not wishing to take the case.

Mr. Paul Braz? - judging by his distressed appearance he didn't even need to ask. It was clear that this was the father of the kidnapped girl. I'm Douglas Fernandes. 

They shook each other's hands in greeting.

Yes. It's me! Come in, please!

The old man invited him and stepped aside to let the man in. In the large and nicely furnished room, Douglas was able to see several paintings and photographs displayed on the sideboards. In most of them, there was a young woman in her 25s, with short red hair. She looked much younger than the age he knew she was. She looked so natural in the photographs, without much beauty effect. Which seemed to make her even more beautiful. There was a glow in that smile that he couldn't explain.

Her fair skin in contrast to the immense black eyes and plump lips seemed to invite any man to a delicious moment of pleasure. Douglas looked for a few more seconds at one of the photograph that had caused him such curiosity and turned his attention away from it. "How can a simple photograph make me feel this way, not to mention that this is not a good time for such thoughts...", he blamed himself in thought before looking away to another location. However, another photograph of the girl caught his attention. She was wearing shorts, surrounded by children. Her slim and well-shaped body of approximately 5′ 5″ seemed not to show her beauty. She behaved like she was one of those children.

She loves volunteering. — the owner of the house spoke noticing the interest of the visitor.

Your daughter has an intense life! Does she work, does she do something? — "With the money her father has, she probably won't even bother spending hours locked up in an office.", Douglas thought annoyed by the fact that the young woman had drawn his attention so much.

Yes. She always enjoyed her independence. The only reason she hasn't left this house yet is because of me. Veronica is very active and after she became an adult she no longer depended on me for anything, and this autonomy made her an easy prey to be taken. The man commented, running a trembling hand over his head, making his distress even clearer.

Your suffering will not help you, Mr. Paul. We need as much calm and care as possible in dealing with this matter. Douglas asked politely, aware that he was almost never attended by his clients. The main purpose of this type of extortionist is to leave the family emotionally shaken so that they have full power over the case. he concluded.

I asked your father for help because I was at a loss. They made a first contact with me last night to inform me of what had happened to my daughter and also to threaten me in case I went to the police. This morning they called again and this time they were more aggressive. I was very distressed by such circumstances. I have no habit of dealing with blackmail and criminality. I could deal with any other subject but this one. Especially when it comes to the most important thing to me, my daughter.

It would not be at all hard to understand what that father was going through, but Douglas could not sympathize with his suffering, that would only disturb the process.

Is it possible for us to take a look at her car and see if there are any fingerprints, or any other clues to the kidnapping? Douglas asked in the hope that something could serve as help to start the work.

Unfortunately the car was taken to be washed the next day. Officials believed that she left him there for this purpose. That's the way she used to do it. — he said sadly.

All right. We will look for other means then. Are there cameras in the company's parking lot, Mr. Paul? — He was pretty sure the cameras didn't exist, but he needed to confirm.

Unfortunately we did not take this precaution, detective. Although we have a good share of the textile market, we always keep it simple and do not worry too much about safety. Which is a big mistake.

Douglas reflected on his statement. In fact, he did not know the Braz Textile Industry well, but his father had assured him that it was a good capital generator.

Nowadays security should be a basic need of every citizen, especially those of good earnings like you. Kidnappings are no longer the privilege of millionaires only. There are some cases when they even take an ordinary person and ask for values ranging from five thousand to millions. They want money no matter from whom. — he explained respectfully. You should invest in it as soon as possible. - He knew what he was talking about. Did she used to flaunt things and possessions on social media? - Douglas questioned.

My daughter has never done such foolish things, Detective. She is a simple woman.

It was just an assumption, Mr. Paul. Many people fall into temptation and allow themselves to be exposed too much. As companies keep an eye on these medias as a way to analyze their employees, so do criminals. Does she usually go out alone? Does she have any friends, boyfriend? — He continued.

She was very private. She had few childhood friendships, but no big deal, the kind that went out two to three times a week to a party. In fact, She was dedicated to the foundation that we created to serve children in need of affection, food, and respect. There weren't many things other than that she was interested in, not that I knew about!

That last sentence made Douglas curious.

Why do you say that? Do you believe that she may have someone or anything other than what she mentions to you? — "A secret perhaps behind this angelic face and fragility she shows", Douglas imagined.

That's not what I meant. My intention was only to clarify that she was very independent and had her own life. I always believed in my daughter's choices — he replied with a serious look on his face.

All right. I got it.

Douglas noticed that even when he was broken, the man possessed a certain authority worthy of good leaders. "I wonder what the beautiful woman who stubbornly stares at me with these bright eyes through the photo while I am in this room looks like.", he thought.

Did they say when they would return contact? - Douglas wanted to know when he looked away from one of the photos.

No details. They just told me that they are not willing to have much communication, they want to solve the kidnapping right away. They will contact again tomorrow or in two days, I believe!

The man's stress was not helping much.

Were they aggressive during the contact? - Douglas questioned.

I'd say they were straightforward, detective.

"One more little piece of information". Douglas reflected.

Could you talk to your daughter? - He needed to ask this question to be sure the girl was alive.

Yes. - The man's voice was overwhelmed by emotion. She told me to be calm that everything was fine. Then they took her phone. - Douglas realized that if it was someone else in Mr. Paul’s shoes this person would be more heartbroken by all of , but his life experience made him strong, the detective could notice the man was shaking due to the strong bond he had with his daughter. Just as Douglas's father had mentioned and which he could increasingly confirm.

Did you notice any change in her voice? Any evidence of mistreatment or anything? Through some information it is possible to know the degree of aggressiveness and the likely reaction of criminals such as these ones.

No! I got nothing. She is not the kind that gets altered, although she has a strong personality.

Douglas already knew she takes after her father.

It's a good thing. They may in fact be only interested in the money and do not want further trouble.

While they were both talking, Douglas kept forming in his mind the probable characteristics of the criminals.

I pray to God that's all! - Mr. Paul cried out with a tired voice.

Douglas knew that this was not always that simple, but it would be better to believe that the businessman's daughter had been used only as a source of easy money, with no intention of revenge or anything else. In fact, it seemed to be the case.

Have you had any troubles in your company with any employees recently? Something that resulted in dismissal related to stealing.

It was another possibility for the detective to analyze.

Not that I recall, Detective. There are people who are responsible for taking actions like this, but anyway in these cases I am always informed and this has not happened. There is some staff turnover in the company, but in lower positions and we hardly ever have a dismissal of this nature.

Douglas listened carefully.

Right. So, there is no reason to believe that a former employee who is unhappy and wants to get back at you, or extort you because they know you can afford to pay?

I believe it's no the case. As I told you before, we are very discreet and the higher level positions are held by people I trust, who have been with me for years. But we can look further down that path if you prefer . - Paul answered.

We will put this option on hold and if the possibility and need arise we will look into it. Could I take a look at her room and her computer? - He hoped to find some evidence that someone was interested in the girl's father's money, or in the girl herself. Which would not surprise him.

Sure! Make yourself at home. I'll make some emergency calls and I talk to you later. - The man asked an employee to walk him to the kidnapped young woman's room.

Douglas walked into a simple room with no much decoration. It was comfortable as the whole house was. However, it did not have much beyond the necessary, an interesting contrast with the majestic room he was before. At the head of the bed there was a beautiful picture of children flying kites on the street. The painting seemed old judging by the rustic features. On the two nightstands, pictures and more pictures to torment his mind even more. That young woman seemed to like photographs very much and it was not his case. Douglas approached the bed, picked up a beautifully framed photo of her face, and observed her feminine features. Never before had a simple picture of someone caught his attention so much.  Those eyes were following him. He watched her for a few more seconds and left the photograph in its original place. He could not waste time looking at that angelic face which could very well be at serious risk. This fact made Douglas feel something bad in his stomach. He could neither make plans nor imagine situations, because he didn't know much about the case. He did need to get in touch with the kidnappers in order to get some sort of preview.

Sitting down, he turned on the computer and began to search. There were several very well organized folders. By opening some of them, he was able to see projects that were probably from the foundation that her father had talked about. The young woman did not seem to have fun in her life. She was probably married to the work. Another file contained scanned letters that by handwriting should be from children. The loneliness and sadness of children who were abandoned was the topic of the letter, or children that didn't know their mother or father. "What drives this beautiful woman to keep such files?", Douglas was moved by what he had purposely read. Digging around a little more, he opened and closed folders. Most of them were archived completed projects and some contained future schedules. Few pictures seemed to be at moments of leisure, pictures of Veronica in different places and almost always with the same charming smile. There were also many songs stored. He opened some songs and realized the young woman enjoyed the classical and pop style. He was getting to know the victim more than he needed to, but something was driving him to get to know more about her.

After digging a little further, he found that in fact she did not seem to have someone. But what information did he have to come to this conclusion? Nothing but the strong evidence that she preferred to take care of other people rather than herself.

The emails he would try to open later, although he had the impression that he would not have what he was looking for through the files. There was no indication that she had been kidnapped for personal reasons, her father was an influential and wealthy man, so Douglas would proceed the investigation using this fact.

He checked the young woman's room a little more, he quickly opened the drawers of the closet. He found pieces of her clothing that caught his attention for its beauty and femininity.

He looked at the bathroom carefully and returned to the computer. Douglas checked the well-kept bathroom and returned to the computer. He opened another file and he came to the conclusion that nothing there would help him. It was a waste of time.

I’ve already done that. - her father spoke from the door, but there was no annoyance in his face when he saw a stranger messing with his daughter's things, yet Douglas chose to stop what he was doing.

I don't believe that what we're looking for is here, we will have to be more insightful and attentive to the details we have from now on. If we are lucky enough, maybe the criminals themselves will supply us and we can get to your daughter.

So I wait, and from now on I leave my doors open for whatever you need.

Douglas looked gratefully at his client. Cooperation was a strong asset for a negotiator like him.

CHAPTER 02

Veronica watched the place where she was taken. She did not know exactly how long she had been there, but it had been many hours from the moment she was approached, she assumed that by the darkness that seemed to exist around her. She had no idea what was going on, she only knew that it was not something ordinary by the way they approached her in the parking lot of her father's company.

She left as usual from her work at 5pm and headed to the parking lot quietly and when she opened the door of her car, a van parked next door and two hooded guys came down and took her in their arms, they put her in the car and sped off.

Be a nice lady and cooperate with us. If you do everything we tell you, nothing bad will happen to you.

One of the men gave her some sunglasses and Veronica took them, forcing herself to keep calm because she didn't want to show she was trembling. She saw nothing in front of her while she was sitting between them. The sunglasses were too dark for her to see something. She could hear only the snoring of the vehicle and the altered breathing of the criminal to her left. In silence they continued. Nothing else was said or asked.

It hadn't occurred to her that it was some joke of the foundation staff, since the approach and the way they maintained it throughout the course did not seem like amateur stuff. And so little of friends and co-workers.

One of them seemed to have a gun. Several times when the car passed in some asphalt undulation she could feel the volume leaning against her ribs, but at no point did she try to glance under the fake glasses in order to see if it was indeed a weapon. She remained static until the end.

Sometime later when they slowed down and the whispering inside the van began, she could tell they were getting somewhere, and it was populated. There were residents there. Veronica smelled food. A while later when they were about to arrive everything became silent and she could hear only the singing of some night animals. As soon as the car stopped, she was hastily removed. One of the men had placed his hand on the back of her neck, keeping her head down so that she could see nothing but her feet. The tiled floor was also one of the few things that was in her vision. Then they took her inside the property. Inside the place, Veronica noticed that the air was cleaner and smelled better, there were probably women around. Held up by one of the criminals, she was led down a steep staircase that seemed to lead to a basement. Veronica could only see her feet and sometimes the feet of one of the men who had kidnapped her in the parking lot. He was wearing a beautiful new social shoe, probably leather, and expensive.

As soon as they stopped walking so that he would open a door, the man spoke out:

We have no intention of hurting you, girl. Collaborate with us and everything will end well.

The warning had been given when he let go of her arm and left her static in the middle of nowhere, not even a wall for her to lean on. When he was leaving, he turned to her.

Make yourself comfortable, we will soon bring you something to eat. Let's do the right things and everyone will win, especially you.

The man turned on the light at the end of the stairs and left.

As soon as Veronica heard the sound of the key that locked the door, she removed her glasses and looked around more calmly. The place was organized, a bed in a corner, and a table with a chair in the other. There was also a closet for clothes and a bookcase. She curiously approached the closet and found out that there were clothes and two pairs of shoes inside. In one of the drawers, there were underwear of her size and personal products, which no longer surprised her. Everything there seemed to have been prepared exactly for her. In the next drawer Veronica found a simple device that could be used to listen to music. They certainly left it to her use as well.

In the bathroom the