"You Betrayed Me..."

JADEN

I burst into the warehouse, panting, my fingers clutching my shirt. Dust swirled in the dim light filtering through cracked windows, making the space look more eerie. 

“Sophia!”

My voice cracked, raw with panic. My eyes darted to a corner and I saw her tied to a chair, her mouth sealed with duct tape.

"Sophia!" 

She thrashed against the restraints, muffled cries leaking through the tape. 

“Sophia!” I raced toward her with arms outstretched, my heart beating a million miles per minute. I was ten feet away when a shadow peeled from the darkness behind her. 

I froze mid-step and held my breath as the figure stepped into the faint light. My stomach dropped.

Enzo. 

His tall frame loomed, his dark hair spilling over his shoulders. His blue eyes narrowed, glinting with fury. Behind him more shadows shifted. I could recognize all of the men. 

I stumbled back as a gasp tore from my throat.

“How?” I choked out, my voice trembling. “How the fuck did you—” 

He cut me off and stepped closer, making the air in the warehouse more tense than it already was. 

“You betrayed me, Jaden,” he said in a low voice laced with a disappointment that stung worse than anger. “After everything I’ve done for you. I kept you safe and gave you a place, yet you went behind my back.” His jaw tightened. “Did you think you would just pull this stunt like that and go with her?”

“Shut the fuck up!” I screamed, my hands balling into fists. The words exploded out of me faster than I could hold myself back. “You’re a monster, Enzo! A fucking monster! You think I’d ever want to be with you?” 

My voice broke, fury and fear tangling in my throat. “You took everything from me. My life, my freedom, and you expect me to bow to you?” 

His eyes blinked repeatedly and I could glimpse pain flashing through the ice inside him. It hit me harder than I expected. 

He held my gaze for a moment before pulling a gun from his waistband. He pressed the barrel to Sophia’s temple. She whimpered, her muffled cries piercing me like knives.

“No!” I lunged forward, then stopped when I realized that I was putting her in more danger. “Please, Enzo, don’t! I’ll do anything you want. Just don’t hurt her.” Tears burned my eyes, my knees weak as I stared at her. “Please.”

His gaze bore into mine for a long time. “Come back with me,” he said finally. “Come back home. No more games.” 

My eyes darted to Sophia. Her gaze met mine, pleading beneath the fear, and I forced the words out. “Give me a minute with her. Alone. Please.”

Enzo’s jaw clenched, but he nodded and stepped back. 

“Two minutes,” he snapped, then gestured to his men. They melted into the shadows, leaving us in the dim circle of light. I rushed to her, dropping to my knees, my hands trembling as I ripped the tape from her mouth. 

She gasped as I worked the ropes, fumbling with them until they loosened. The coarse fibers bit into my fingers, but I didn’t care. As soon as her wrists were free, I pulled her into my arms and crushed her against me.

“Sophia,” I whispered, burying my face in her hair, her familiar scent seeping into my nostrils. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” My voice shook, tears wetting her shoulder as I held her tighter like she might vanish if I let go.

“I’m okay,” she rasped, her voice hoarse from the tape. She pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, her hands cupping my face. “You have to go with him, Jaden. It’s the only way.” Her thumbs brushed my cheeks, wiping away the dampness there. “I’ll find you. I’ll get word to you somehow. We’ll figure this out.”

“No,” I choked, shaking my head. “I can’t leave you like this.” My chest ached. “I got you into this mess—”

“Stop.” Her voice sharpened. “Go with him. Play along. I’ll be fine. I swear it.” She squeezed my hands. “I love you, Jaden. So much. We’ll be free after this, I can feel it. Happy, together, like we planned.” Her lips curved into a shaky smile that broke my heart all over again.

“I love you too,” I whispered, pulling her close again. Our hug was desperate. I pressed my forehead to hers, breathing her in, memorizing every second. “You’re everything to me. I’ll find a way back to you.”

She smiled at me again and we clung to each other, flanked by shadows in the dark parts of the warehouse. Her fingers dug into my back, and I felt her heart beat against mine. 

“We’ll make it,” she promised softly but sure. I wanted to believe her. I needed to. I hugged her one last time, reluctance clawing at me as I forced myself to pull away.

Enzo’s shadow drifted back into the light. Time’s up,” he called in a hard voice. I could see his fingers twitch. It was a sign I'd come to understand meant that he was itching to shoot someone. 

I stood and wiped my eyes with my sleeve. His brows were set in an upturned look of disapproval and anger.

I should be the one angry. But for now, I would trust Sophia like I'd been doing all this while. It wasn't like I had any other person to trust.

"What now?" I asked, sniffing back the remaining tears that threatened to fall.

Enzo's expression didn't change. "We go home and prepare you for your special night."