(Tyler's POV)Shane barely had time to react before Ryder grabbed him by the collar, pushing him against the doorframe. His fury was palpable, and I could see the tension pulsating through every muscle in his body.“Ryder, let him go!” Dad’s voice cut through the chaos, firm and commanding.He hesitated, his grip tightening momentarily before he released Shane, who staggered back, his expression a mixture of shock and confusion.“Who did you tell?” Ryder repeated, his voice lower but no less intense as he pointed an accusing finger at Shane.Shane straightened his shirt, taking a deep breath to steady himself before he spoke. “Who... Who did I tell what?” he stammered, his eyes darting between all of us as he tried to understand what he had just walked in on.“Kate’s been taken,” I said, stepping forward. “We think someone may have known the truth about what she is.”Shane’s eyes widened in shock, and I could see the color drain from his face. “Taken?! Bu... But how?!”“There's no tim
(Tyler's POV)I followed Ryder down the stairs, grabbing him by the shoulder when we reached the bottom. "Where are you going? Are we going to Stanford?" I asked, assuming that must be Ryder's plan.He scoffed, turning to face me with a look of incredulity."Are you insane? That's like a 12-hour drive. We'd be better off just waiting until he wakes up and trying to call him again," he replied with frustration and annoyance.I shrugged. "We could fly?" I suggestedRyder shook his head. "How long is the flight? We'd still have to pack, drive to the airport, fly there, that's if there's even a flight available at this ungodly fucking hour, and then when we get there, we would still need to get a car, drive to the university, find this Dr. Prince guy, make our threats, then pick up the trail from there. It's too complicated, and it's not going to save us any time," he explained, clearly having already considered the option.I shook my head, refusing to believe that there was literally not
(Katelyn's POV)The world came back to me in fragments. I felt groggy and disoriented, as though I had been dragged out of a deep, dreamless sleep.I blinked my eyes open, searching the room around me, but it was unfamiliar. The light was dim, casting soft shadows on the dark wooden furnishings. The bed I was lying in was large, the crisp, white sheets cool against my skin.Everything about the room screamed luxury. Thick curtains, polished floors, plush decor, and a large, ornate mirror on one of the walls.It wasn't comforting though. I didn't know where I was and now I was trying to figure out how I had gotten there.I sat up slowly, rubbing my temples as a dull ache throbbed behind my eyes. Where the hell was I? My memory was foggy, the details slipping through my fingers every time I tried to grasp them.I climbed off the bed, my limbs feeling much heavier than I remembered them being. It almost felt like I had been sedated or drugged or something. The thought made me feel sick a
Harlan’s smiling face watched me from the doorway before he turned and closed the door behind him, casually locking it. The quiet click reverberated through the room and filled my heart with dread.As I watched him with wide eyes, the horrifying memories came rushing back to me in a disjointed torrent. It was him... he had been the one in my vision... in my dream. I remembered the way he had grabbed me, yanking me up by my hair. He'd been the one who had locked me away in some cold, dark room with a huge pregnant belly. Had it been his baby!? The thought sickened me and it felt like the room was spinning and I was going to throw up.On shaky legs, I backed away, my eyes wide with terror, but Harlan just continued to watch me with that same bright smile.He stood by the door for a moment, his gaze never leaving mine, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. What was he going to do? Panic clawed at my chest, but instead of advancing on me like I had thought he would, he turned and casua
(Tyler's POV)As I stared out the window of my dad’s office, watching the sun break over the horizon, it hit me that we had been at this for hours. The adrenaline that had fueled us through the night was wearing off, leaving behind nothing but fatigue and desperation.We had combed through the old ledger, page by page, searching for any lead, any clue that might point us in the right direction.At last, we reached the final entry without any further mentions of a 'Nathan'. At least not as a current listing.Ryder sighed with exhaustion, but he wore a pleased smile as he paged back to the spot he had marked earlier. "Then it has to be Nathan Flatly," he insisted.I looked at the entry, reading it over and over again as I tried to figure out why it didn't feel right to me. This was the only option. This was the only currently listed 'Nathan' and I wanted it to be the lead we were looking for, but it felt wrong."Hang on, let’s just take a minute to try and work this out," I said, trying
(Katelyn's POV)"Harlan—" I began, my voice trembling as I searched for the words to try and make him understand my position. But he cut me off, his tone still completely casual, but the underlying threat was more than apparent."You don't want to make this hard, do you? Either way, I'm going to get what I want, Kate. And if you make it hard, it's just going to be worse for you," he explained, the charming smile on his face at odds with the menace in his words.I stood there, my back pressed against the wall, my heart pounding in my chest as I wiped away the tears that had spilled down my cheeks.What could I say? What could I possibly do? My mind was racing, but I was frozen in place, at a loss for any realistic solutions."Now come on," Harlan continued, his tone suddenly enthusiastic, as if we were discussing something trivial, like what film we should watch at the movie theater or something. "We've got a celebration to prepare. What do you prefer? Do you want to go the more tradit
I had no clue what time it was. There was no clock in the room, but judging from how light it was outside, I'd probably guess around midday.I'd inspected every inch of the room, searching for a way out, but there was nothing.A charger plugged into the wall mocked me - a lifeline to the outside world, but without a phone to connect to it. No TV to watch, no music to listen to, nothing to occupy my racing mind. The only book in the room was "The Rational Male," filled with Red Pill garbage and misogyny that I had absolutely no interest in reading. Eventually, with nothing else to do, I lay down on the bed, trying desperately not to cry.I just wanted to go home. I missed Tyler and Ryder so much it physically hurt. Things had finally started looking up for me, and then THIS had to happen. It made me hate Harlan even more. Just when things were starting to fall into place, he decided it would be the perfect time to pluck me out of the life I'd so desperately been yearning for.A knock a
***TRIGGER WARNING - SEXUAL ASSAULT***I finished the last bite of cheesecake, disgusted with myself for eating everything on the tray. The food had been delicious, but accepting it felt like defeat and I felt a wave of disappointment wash over me. Not just because I had eaten, but because I had succumbed to this tiny act of submission and I hated myself for it.I pushed the tray away in disgust and headed back over to the bed, flopping down and staring at the ceiling.Time seemed to crawl by in this room. With no clock and nothing to do, I was left alone with my thoughts, and they weren't exactly pleasant company.I kept picturing Tyler and Ryder's faces, wondering if they were looking for me. How would they even know where I was? I clung to the hope that they would somehow find me, but it felt like I was fooling myself. I had left no clues, no hints, no trail of breadcrumbs for them to follow. I was a needle in a haystack.I was pulled from my brooding by the sound of the lock turni