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Chapter 10 : The Unbreakable Chain
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2025-03-03 16:43:57Despite feeling pain in my fingers, I can't shake off the folder. From the glossy photo inside, I can see my face staring back at me - this is before my nightmare became reality.
Looking up, my eyes ablaze with anger. "What's going on?". Without any hesitation, Ethan leans down on the leather seat. “I want to know why.” Hean.... I shake my head. “No. No, this—this doesn't make sense. It was my first time meeting you in person last week. Damien makes a sharp and amusing laughter from the far end of the vehicle. "Do you believe it's me?" could be the question? "I look at him with a giggle. He responds with, "Laughter!". His gaze enlarges as he faces the folder, his expression spreading. "Do you suppose Sinclair misplaced something?!". Sweetheart, the photo is not for entertainment. A coldness that reaches me causes pain in my chest. I tighten my grip on the folder and have an irregular breath. Ethan looks at me with confusion. "It's not like he ever thought anything could happen, Isabella.". I poison him by pushing the folder towards him. “Maybe you should consider playing with someone else.”. I grab the door handle. Pull. Nothing. Locked. Panic shoots up my spine. Slow and collected, Ethan exhales. "You're not leaving this place.". I quickly turn around to confront him. "What do you want from me?". He sways in a forward direction, with his elbows touching his knees. "Be loyal.". "I chuckle at my infatuation with loyalty." I'm curious. Have you been kidnapped, threatened, and now are you seeking my loyalty? He has a sudden flicker in his lips. "I'd call it persuasion.". I glare. “Go to hell.”. Damien trembles, his head raised, and his expression deepens. "You might have to reconsider that, dear.". If you don't want to see your brother punished, ". I don't think. I make my way forward, slamming my hands into his costly suit while pushing him against the seat. “Don't. Say. His. Name.”. Damien barely blinks. “Feisty.”. The spectacle of his laughter only serves to provoke my anger.' My hand clenches as I grip, my fingers pressing against his bone, and my heart racing. Ethan doesn't stop me. Doesn't move. Just watches. And then—. His voice is quiet as if to calm down and just sit back. I don't move. His tone hardens. “Now.”. My pulse pounds. Every muscle in my body is yelling at me to fight, to try to get out of this car and make them regret not ever touching me. But Theo—. Theo is currently in the hospital. Ethan Sinclair has all the cards in his hand. Damien is slowly being released as I sit.’ Sitting back. Ethan nods, satisfied. “Good choice.”. With a sharp breath, I contemplate: "What's next?". Is it okay for you to keep me locked up until I break free? Isabella responds with a firm nod from Ethan by tilting his head. You are required on the outside. My stomach twists. “For what?”. With arms folded, Damien chats with his friends on the seat. "A job," he says. Ethan slithers over to me with another folder. I hesitate. Then open it. The name at the top makes my blood boil. What does that mean? Elias. I close the folder with my thumb. "No.". Ethan raises a brow. “No?”. With my head shaken, the heat washed over me. "It's entirely safe.". He'll know something's off. He'll—”. Before I can finish, Ethan pulls me closer to his chin and makes eye contact with mine. “Then make him believe you.”. A shiver runs through me. Damien chuckles. "This next part won't be appealing to her.". I shattered my face. "What's the next step?". With a tap on the folder, Ethan assures Isabella that he will trust him. ". As the time comes, he becomes more attentive. "You'll turn on him." Why does it happen? My stomach drops. “I won't.”. Leaning back, Ethan is unmoved. "You will," he says. I shake my head. “No. You can't force me to—”. The folder is gently pressed with his fingers by him. His next words are soft. In the event of failure, I'll guarantee that your sibling remains asleep. The air in the car turns suffocating. My heart pounds so hard it drowns out everything else. Damien exhales, shaking his head. “Damn. No wonder she's shaking.”. I force myself to breathe, to think. “This—this is insane. You don't need me for this.”. Ethan's gaze never wavers. “Oh, but I do.”. Damien grins. “See, sweetheart, Elias doesn't trust anyone. But you? You're different. He already thinks of you as the one who got away.”. My throat tightens. Ethan leans in. “You're the perfect bait.”. I shake my head. “No. He's dangerous. He'll know something's off.”. “Then don't let him.”. "I'm experiencing a rush of blood, thinking that this is suicide," I whisper. The tone of Ethan is unchanged. "It's about surviving.". Looking between them, I ask myself "What is your goal for me?". Why? Damien grins. “Everything.”. Ethan doesn't smile. “His empire. His secrets. His downfall.”. I swallow hard. “You're insane.”. Ethan's face is lowered, his voice against my flesh. Isabella has lost her options. We are both in a state of intense silence. My hands clench into fists. Ethan watches me. Waiting. I could say no. I could fight. But Theo—. Life is in jeopardy for Theo. Ethan Sinclair's threats are not without purpose. My jaw tightens. “How long?”. The expression of Ethan remains unchanged. Elias and you will be very comfortable for some time,' Damien says with grin. My throat is filled with bile as I try to push it aside. I could still run. But where? Ethan taps the folder one last time. "Welcome, Isabella." Then and now. My stomach churns. I am unable to see through the things that are going on in my head. I've already lost.
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The walls of Ethan’s hidden room closed in around me, suffocating, too full of secrets I wasn’t ready to face. My pulse pounded in my ears as his words echoed inside my skull. “You were a job.” It wasn’t possible. It wasn’t real. I took a step back, gripping the edge of the desk to steady myself. The folder with my name on it sat between us like a loaded gun. My life, reduced to paper. Dates. Records. A complete history. Ethan watched me with maddening patience, as if waiting for me to process the truth or waiting for me to break. I wouldn’t. I lifted my chin. “You’re lying.” He sighed, rubbing a hand along his jaw. “I don’t lie, Isabella.” Something in his voice made my stomach churn. He sounded tired, almost resigned, but there was an underlying certainty that terrified me. I turned my back to him, gripping the folder so tightly my knuckles ached. I flipped through the pages again, my eyes scanning too fast, desperate for something. Anything to prove him wrong
