Isabel’s POVI didn’t know how long I had been locked inside that cage. The darkness was suffocating, thick and oppressive. My body, weak and stiff from being in the same curled-up position, had long since gone numb. All I could do was wait. For what, I wasn’t sure—doom, death, something worse.Time felt meaningless here. My thoughts drifted between panic and numb acceptance. I wanted to scream, to fight, but my body refused to obey. Whatever they had injected into me had stolen all control. I was nothing more than a prisoner of my own limbs.Suddenly, the cage shifted beneath me. There was a jolt, followed by the sound of heavy wheels rolling beneath. I winced as the cage bumped along, jarring my body painfully. The familiar dread began to churn in my stomach again. But all I could do was lay there, helpless.“Ouch! Watch out! You almost hit my feet!” a man’s voice snapped from outside the cage.“Fine, fine. Sorry. What’s in this one?” another one asked, his voice dripping with curio
Isabel’s POVMy eyes were glued to Lilith and Alistair. Every inch of me was burning with a desperate need for answers. Even with the half-mask concealing Lilith’s face, I could still make out the cruel curve of her lips, the sly gleam in her eyes. She was still as evil as ever. In fact, this was beyond anything I could have ever imagined her capable of.Lilith, cold and calculating, was always a master manipulator. But this? This was a whole new level of evil. A part of me wondered if Emerson had any idea what kind of woman he’d fallen in love with. I doubted it. He was probably still blind to her true nature. I laughed bitterly to myself. Good luck to him if he ever fell out of favor with her. She’d chew him up and spit him out without a second thought.Around me, the crowd murmured and whispered. Their voices were thick with excitement and cruelty. These people weren’t just spectators—they were complicit. They were enablers of evil, bidding on human lives like it was nothing more
Isabel’s POVI was dragged down a dimly lit corridor, the musty air thick with despair. My mind was still reeling from the auction—the vile faces, the lecherous stares, my life being sold for the price of a twisted man’s pleasure. The cage rattled as I was pushed into what they called “backstage”. The horrors it concealed were far worse than anything I’d seen on display.The sound of wailing echoed off the walls, each cry sharp and desperate, seeping into my bones. It was a symphony of suffering—girls, like me, trapped in this nightmare. The sharp crack of a whip followed by a piercing scream sliced through the air. A girl, barely older than I was, was thrown to the floor beside me. Her body crumpled, and her face was streaked with blood. I recoiled at the sight.“This is what happens to those who disobey,” the waiter from earlier said. His voice was cold and detached. His eyes swept over me as if I were nothing more than merchandise. "You are the chosen pet of that buyer, and he pr
Isabel’s POVDays had blurred into an endless nightmare. The hunger pains were unimaginable. I had no idea how long it had been since I was dragged to this dark “backstage” area.The headache was a dull roar that never left. It felt as if my brain was being slowly crushed. The cancer was growing worse—much worse. With the lack of treatment and nourishment, my body was slowly giving up. The sickness was winning with every passing second. They hadn’t laid a hand on me in days, but I was still dying—starvation and neglect were just as cruel as any whip or chain.I heard the familiar shuffle of feet outside the door. The kidnappers were arguing, their voices low but tense. They were worried. They needed me alive, at least for now. But I was slipping.The door creaked open. One of the men stepped in, holding a small glass of water. He had that same indifferent look, like I wasn’t even human to him. Just property. A thing.“Here. Drink,” he ordered, thrusting the glass toward me. I could ba
Emerson’s POVI paced the hospital room for what felt like the hundredth time that day. My muscles ached. Not from the injuries I was recovering from, but from sheer frustration. The sterile smell of the hospital clung to my skin, and the endless beeping of machines nearby grated on my nerves. I couldn’t stand being trapped here another second, but I had no choice. They insisted I stay under observation.It had been weeks since Isabel disappeared. Every minute that passed without a lead felt like a knife twisting deeper into my gut.I had sent my best men out, scouring every corner of the city for her. But every day, the answer was the same—nothing. No one had seen her. It was like she had vanished into thin air. And yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had orchestrated this. That her disappearance was no accident. My mind spun with possibilities, all of them darker than the last.Suddenly, my phone rang. I grabbed it, my heart racing. On the other end was Sam, my lead inve
Isabel’s POVThe van’s engine hummed beneath me as we sped down the winding road. My wrists ached from the cold steel of the handcuffs biting into my skin, but I stayed quiet. I had learned the hard way that showing weakness only invited more cruelty from my captors. One of them was driving, and the other was sitting next to me, making sure I behaved.My physical condition had improved slightly after receiving some medication at the hospital. But I still felt the weight of exhaustion pressing on my chest.I glanced out the window, the passing trees blurring into a dark green smear. My kidnappers seemed at ease, or at least, less tense than before. Maybe they thought the worst was over. After all, I hadn’t tried anything since they dragged me out of the hospital. I had been silent, compliant even. But every moment I stayed quiet, I was thinking, calculating.I shifted in my seat, my fingers carefully tracing the edge of my handcuffs, feeling the rough metal bite into my wrists. Ever
Isabel’s POVFor a moment, everything was black.Dizzy and disoriented, I opened my eyes. The world slowly came back into focus. A blur of blood, broken glass, and twisted metal. I was still alive—barely. My heart pounded in my chest as I took in the mangled wreck of the car. The two kidnappers were groaning in pain. Their bodies were contorted at awkward angles. The air was thick with the smell of gasoline and blood. I tried to sit up. But a sharp pain shot through my legs, and I gasped.Broken glass had pierced my skin. My legs were smeared with blood. I swallowed back a cry. My mind was racing as I tried to assess my situation. I had to get out of here. If I didn’t move now, I wouldn’t survive. I gritted my teeth, bracing myself as I reached for the car door. I pushed it open with trembling hands. Each movement sent another wave of agony through my body. But I forced myself to keep going.Suddenly, I felt a hand wrap around my ankle, its grip wet and sticky with blood. My heart
Isabel’s POVI was still gasping for air as if I had just surfaced from drowning. The pain in my body flared with every breath, sharp and searing. But it was the fear—the deep, bone-chilling fear—that gripped me the most. My hand brushed against something cold and stiff. The kidnapper’s lifeless body lay beside me, his eyes glazed over in death.I willed myself not to look at his face, but my eyes couldn’t help it. He looked as if he were frozen mid-scream, the rage and desperation still etched into his features. A wave of nausea hit me. I had to force down the bile rising in my throat.What just happened? Who saved me?My mind raced back to the moment of the gunshot—the figure standing in the distance, shrouded in shadows. I hadn’t seen their faces, but the cold precision of that single shot haunted me. Who were they? Friend or foe? I tried to lift my head to search for them, but the exhaustion in my body dragged me down. I slumped back against the ground, my vision fading in and ou
Isabel’s POVDays passed, stretching into an unspoken eternity, and Emerson’s condition could no longer be kept from Liam and Elena.One afternoon, I was sitting by Emerson’s bed, my hand gently brushing his, when the door to the hospital room creaked open. My heart skipped a beat."Liam, Elena, what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice thick with emotion. I hadn’t expected them today, and the sight of their small faces brought a surge of overwhelming love and guilt.Eric stood behind them, his expression apologetic, his eyes soft with understanding. “They begged me, Isabel. They wouldn’t stop asking to see him... I couldn’t say no anymore.”Liam’s face was drawn, his usual bright energy dimmed with concern. Elena clung to her brother, her eyes wide with fear as they both hesitated in the doorway.Before I could say anything else, another figure appeared behind them, stepping into the room. My heart stopped for a moment as I looked up to see Emerson’s mother, Estelle, walking towards
Isabel’s POVA month had passed. One whole month, and still, no sign of life from Emerson. The machines beside his bed beeped steadily. A monotonous rhythm that I had come to know too well. A rhythm that seemed to mock the stillness of his body. I sat by his side every day, watching him, praying for some miracle—some sign that he was still there, still fighting. But each time I whispered his name, there was nothing. Nothing but the soft hum of hospital machinery.“Emerson,” I whispered, my voice trembling despite my attempts to sound steady. “Don’t you want to be with me? If you wake up, I promise we can live happily as a family of four.”I meant it, every word of it. The thought of a future with him, of raising our children together, was the only thing that kept me going. I needed him to hear me. I needed him to wake up.But Emerson remained unresponsive.He looked like a prince charming, trapped in an eternal dream—strangely peaceful. I combed his dark hair back neatly after gently
Isabel’s POVThe world blurred—shouts, chaos, the metallic scent of blood thick in my nostrils. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I clung to Emerson, his labored breaths hot against my skin.I didn’t dare move. The slick warmth of his blood drenching me was unnerving. His chest rose and fell in erratic, shallow breaths. But then, amid the cacophony of battle, a stunned silence emerged. Orders were shouted. Weapons clicked into position. Something had changed. I forced myself to glance up from Emerson’s chest, my pulse hammering.Alistair stood frozen, his face contorted in pain. Blood dripped from his hand—the very hand that had been pointing a gun at me just seconds before. His grip slackened, and the weapon tumbled to the ground.A sniper.Alistair’s men immediately scattered, taking defensive positions, frantically searching the area. But before they could react, several of them suddenly dropped to the ground.They were convulsing violently, frothing at the mouth. One by one, the
Isabel’s POVMy wrists ached from the tight ropes binding my hands behind my back as I was shoved forward. The rough ground beneath my boots felt unsteady, my knees weak with exhaustion. The air smelled of blood, gunpowder, and sweat. The night was still alive with distant gunfire, but here, in the heart of the enemy’s grasp, there was only the sound of my ragged breathing and Alistair’s mocking laughter.“Stop resisting, Emerson,” he drawled, his voice filled with smug amusement. “You’re in over your head. Oh—look who finally decided to join us.”Emerson was holding back several opponents, bruised and bloodied from the fight. His head snapped up at Alistair’s words.He turned, and when his eyes landed on me, something in his face shifted. Shock, then rage, then a devastating kind of fear. He lunged forward, but a guard was faster. A rifle butt slammed into Emerson’s ribs. The sickening crack echoed in the night, and he crumpled to the ground, gasping for air."Emerson!" I screamed,
Isabel’s POVAt first, Emerson and I managed to escape the building, slipping into the shadows like ghosts. The night was thick around us, swallowing our hurried footsteps as we navigated through the wreckage of Alistair’s camp. The distant gunfire and shouts of battle echoed behind us. But just as we reached the edge of the compound, the world seemed to shift.From the darkness, figures emerged—silent and predatory, their weapons gleaming under the pale moonlight. They moved like shadows given form, their presence an unspoken promise of violence. My breath caught in my throat as a dozen, no, more than two dozen enemies surrounded us, blocking every escape route. The sheer hatred in their eyes sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. These weren’t just guards; they were fanatics, men who thrived in the chaos of bloodshed and terror.Emerson moved instinctively, stepping in front of me, gun raised. “Stay close,” he murmured, barely audible over the wind. I nodded, steadying my grip
Sebastian/Elias’ POVScarlet’s scream echoed through the dimly lit room, raw with disbelief and fury. “You’re lying!” she spat, her eyes blazing with denial. The restraints binding her wrists rattled as she struggled, but I didn’t move to stop her. There was no point—her fight wasn’t with me. It was with the truth.I let out a slow breath, pulling a small, timeworn pocket watch from my coat. The silver casing had dulled over the years, but the engraved initials remained clear. I clicked it open and held it out to her, revealing a faded family photograph inside.“My father gave this to me before he died,” I said evenly, my voice softer than before. “He cared about you, Scarlet. No matter what you believe, you were never forgotten.”Her breath hitched. For a moment, the fire in her eyes flickered, replaced by something rawer—uncertainty. “How could it be?” she murmured, barely more than a whisper.All the pieces had finally clicked into place as Scarlet unraveled her story. The tangled
Scarlet’s POVTelling my story, I was flung back into the past. Lost in the grip of memories that had never truly left me. The present moment faded, and I found myself reliving those painful years. As vivid and raw as the day they had happened.I had been young, hopeful, foolish. Despite the years of neglect, I had still wanted my parents' love. But when I overheard them denying my very existence, something inside me snapped.Disheartened, I had returned to the countryside, burying myself in my studies. Medicine became my refuge, my salvation. I dedicated myself to understanding the human body—not just how to heal it, but how to manipulate it, how to break it. My hands, once weak and trembling from years of frustration, became steady, precise instruments of control.The first time I killed a lab mouse, something dark and exhilarating bloomed inside me. Power. The ability to decide whether something lived or died. The ability to take control of what had always been out of my grasp.
Elias’ POVI watched from the shadows as Isabel and Emerson disappeared into the night, their figures swallowed by the chaos of battle outside. I clenched my fists and tried to push down the sharp, aching weight that settled in my gut.Maybe it had been foolish to think I ever stood a chance with Isabel. Emerson had always been the one she turned to in the end. The one she trusted in the heat of battle. The one she looked at with that fierce determination in her eyes. And me? I was just a shadow lingering on the edges of her world, never quite stepping into the light.A slow clap echoed through the dimly lit room."Are you just going to let them go?" Scarlet’s voice slithered through the shadows like a snake.I turned away from the exit, my expression unreadable as I faced the woman bound to the chair before me. Her wrists were tied behind her back, her face partially obscured by strands of disheveled hair. Even restrained, she exuded a sickening confidence, her smirk unwavering.I m
Isabel’s POVI had to stop Margot.There was no time to think, no time to call for backup—just raw instinct and the desperate need to prevent her from making a terrible mistake. My boots pounded against the forest floor as I sprinted after her, weaving through the pine trees in pursuit. I knew why she was doing this. I understood the desperate, reckless pull of wanting to save someone you love. But charging straight into enemy territory? Alone? It was suicide.“No!” I hissed under my breath, pushing my legs harder.Margot moved swiftly, her figure barely a shadow in the dim light. She reached the edge of the enemy’s perimeter and, without hesitation, hoisted herself up onto a low window ledge. She pulled her body through with practiced agility. She was inside before I could even call her name.Damn it.I skidded to a halt near the building, pressing myself against the rough exterior. The compound was crawling with patrols. My heart pounded as I scanned the area, calculating the be