The cold, damp air of the warehouse chilled me to the bone as I blinked into the light. My wrists were raw from the ropes. binding them tightly behind my back, and every breath felt shallow, labored.
My mind raced, jumping from one terrifying thought to another, Ethan and Emma. My heart clenched painfully at the thought of their faces, their innocent similes. I closed my eyes, willing myself not to cry, not to give in to the fear that threatened to consume me. I had to stay strong for them, but I felt so small, so powerless in this vast, empty space.
Footsteps echoed from somewhere in the distance. 1 jerked my head toward the sound, straining to see through the darkness. The kidnappers had been quiet since they’d brought me here, their faces masked, their voices low. I hadn’t seen their faces. Maybe that was a good thing, or maybe it was worse,
Who could have done this? My thoughts spiraled. I had no enemies, or none that I knew of. My mind darted back to recent weeks, wondering if there had been signs I missed, people watching me without my knowing. Or was this about Alex? Could someone be using me to get to him? The uncertainty ate at me, making the fear more unbearable.
My breathing quickened as the footsteps grew louder. The door creaked open, and the light from the hallway was shown across the floor. I held my breath, every muscle in my body tensed. A tall figure emerged, dressed in black from head to toe. The mask covering his face hid any expression, but his eyes were cold, calculating.
“Who are you?” I whispered, my voice cracking from the strain.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he walked toward me slowly, deliberately, like a predator circling its prey. I could hear my heartbeat thudding in my ears, my pulse quickening as the silence stretched between us. The longer he said nothing, the more my panic rose, tightening like a noose around my chest.
“Please, just let me go. You don’t have to do this.” My voice was weak, desperate. “I have children… they need me.”
He crouched down in front of me, his dark eyes locking onto mine. I couldn’t read anything from his expression, only the coldness, the emptiness. It was terrifying. Then, without a word, he reached out and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look directly at him. His grip was firm, but not painful. The silence between us was deafening.
“What do you want from me?” I whispered again, fighting back tears. My voice trembled, barely holding together. “Please..”
He released my chin and stood up slowly, turning his back to me. The fear twisted deeper inside me, clawing at my insides. I couldn’t stop the tears now, couldn’t keep myself from thinking of Ethan and Emma. Would they ever see me again? Would they wonder where I had gone?
I blinked hard, trying to focus, to fight the darkness threatening to swallow me whole. But the thoughts of Alex crept in too. Was he looking for me? Would he even know where to start? I had pushed him away, had forced him to give me space. And now.. now I might never get the chance to tell him how much I really needed him.
My head throbbed from the fear, the uncertainty. I had no idea who was behind this. Was it someone from work, someone with a grudge I hadn’t known about? Or was it connected to Alex Had I unknowingly been caught in some kind of dangerous game?
I closed my eyes again, breathing deeply to try and steady my racing heart. But every time I thought of my kids, my heart shattered a little more. I couldn’t leave them. Not like this. I had to survive this. I had to find a way out.
But as the darkness closed in around me, I wasn’t sure how long could hold on.
“The sting of a slap echoed in the cold, dark room, waking me up from my slumber and jerking my head to the side. My cheek burned, the pain sharp and relentless. My heart pounded to loudly I could hear it in my ears, but I refused to cry out. 1 bit down on my lip, tasting the metallic tang of blood as I forced myself to stay strong
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18:13 Fri, Oct 18
Chapter 81
The men in black were towered over me, their faces hidden behind masks, their expressions invisible. One of them stepped closer, his hand raised again, the same hand that had hit me twice now. My body braced, even though I knew it was coming.
Smack
The force of it sent a fresh wave of pain through my face, my vision blurring for a second. I could hear the faint sound of my breath hitching, fighting the urge to sobs. My hands were bound tightly behind me, my wrists aching from the rough rope cutting into my skin. I had no way of defending myself. No way of escaping.
“Why?” I gasped out, barely able to form the word through the haze of pain. “Why are you doing this?”
But they didn’t answer. They didn’t say a word. No questions. No threats. Just silence and the sound of my own ragged breathing filling the space between us.
I blinked rapidly, trying to stay focused, but my thoughts kept spiraling back to my kids. Ethan. Emma, I had to survive this. I had to get back to them. They needed me.
Smack
Another hit, this time harder. My head snapped back violently, and the chair I was tied to wobbled on its legs. I nearly tipped over before the man yanked me upright again, his gloved hand gripping my shoulder with bruising force.
1 gasped for air, struggling to steady myself, my mind a jumbled mess of fear and confusion. Who were these people? Why weren’t they saying anything? The silence was suffocating, and the unpredictability of it all made it so much worse.
Was this it?
I fought the rising panic, forcing myself to breathe through the pain, to stay present. I couldn’t afford to lose myself to fear, Not now. Not with so much at stake.
I could feel the tears welling up despite my best efforts to keep them at bay, I was scared–no, terrified. I had never felt so helpless in my life.
The men exchanged a glance, though I couldn’t read their expressions behind the masks. They hadn’t spoken once, not since they dragged me into this cold, empty warehouse. All I could do was sit here, tied up, completely at their mercy.
Another slap.
I felt my body trembling, my strength waning. My check throbbed, my head spinning from the relentless hits. I clenched my jaw, trying to hold back the sob that threatened to break free
What do they want?
But no
matter how many times the
quest
ion circled in my mind, I got no answers. Only silence and pain
