84. Blake’s Evil Plan

When Lyla awoke from the darkness, she was still surrounded by pitch-black silence. She had no sense of time, nor how long she'd been held here. Wooden boards covered the windows, allowing only thin slivers of light to seep in, just enough to reveal the looming stacks of shipping containers around her. The air was thick and damp, and she could only guess she was trapped in some sort of abandoned warehouse.

Her range of movement was severely limited—one hand was cuffed to a pillar, and her ankles were bound together. Though someone brought her food and water once through a small door, the rest of the time, an oppressive silence filled the room. She didn’t know exactly who had brought her here, but she was certain it was connected to the danger Carlo had warned her about.

Lyla knew Carlo must be searching for a way to save her. Even though the conditions were harsh, her will remained calm. She neither cried out nor screamed; instead, she calmly had the leftovers from her previous meal.