SARAHLunch had started off quietly enough. The dishes that kept coming out of the kitchen were nothing short of impressive. Every course felt like a tiny masterpiece—each one more luxurious than the last. I couldn’t help but marvel at how extravagant this whole trip had become. I mean, really, this was almost too much. Who needs lobster for lunch? But the nagging feeling that Marco was up to something sat at the back of my mind, gnawing at me between bites.I was trying to relax, trying to take it all in. But there was something about the way Marco was acting—too calm, too composed. He was always the one to throw a curveball when you least expected it, and I could feel one coming.As the waiter placed down a beautifully arranged plate of seafood, Marco raised an eyebrow at me, his eyes twinkling with mischief.“Gonna eat that? Or just admire it?” he teased, that familiar smirk pulling at his lips.I shot him a playful glare, picking up my fork. “I’m not sure. It’s almost too pretty t
SARAHThe moment felt surreal. I sat there, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that the band had just dedicated a song to me in front of all these people. I could feel every single eye in the room on me—strangers smiling, whispering, probably wondering who I was and why Marco had orchestrated such an elaborate surprise. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I could feel the heat creeping up my neck. How had I ended up here, in the middle of this?I glanced at Marco, who was looking back at me with the biggest grin plastered across his face. He was practically beaming with pride, clearly enjoying my reaction, while I was just trying to keep myself from completely melting into the floor. I shook my head in disbelief, unable to suppress the small smile that crept onto my lips despite the overwhelming nerves I was feeling.“You’re absolutely unbelievable,” I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady as I leaned closer to him. “What length on earth won’t you go to just to be extr
SARAHAs soon as we stepped into the bar, I could feel the shift in atmosphere. It was cozy, dimly lit, with just the right amount of chatter and soft music playing in the background. The waiter immediately recognized Marco, which wasn’t surprising. He seemed to know people everywhere we went.“Mr. De Luca, good evening,” the waiter greeted with a respectful nod. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”Marco gave a small smile, nodding in return. “Good to see you too. Lead us to your finest table, please.”The waiter gestured for us to follow, and we made our way to a quiet corner of the bar. The table was tucked away, providing just the right amount of privacy, and I couldn’t help but notice the envious glances some of the other patrons gave us as we walked by. Marco had that effect on people—commanding attention without even trying.Once we were seated, the waiter handed us menus and stood by, waiting for our order. Marco glanced through his menu, quickly settling on his drink of choice
SARAHI grabbed the glass, my determination kicking into high gear. There was no way I was going to let Marco win this, not after all his teasing. I glanced at him, sitting across from me, looking so casual and relaxed, like he wasn’t taking any of this seriously. Meanwhile, I was ready to down this drink like my life depended on it.“Ready?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.Marco gave me a slow, amused smile. “Oh, I’m ready. Are you?”I didn’t answer, just brought the glass to my lips and started drinking. The whiskey burned as it went down, but I powered through, my focus locked on him. Marco was sipping his drink with way too much ease. Was he even trying?I gulped faster, determined to get ahead. But suddenly, I felt the burn in my throat intensify, and before I knew it, I was choking. The whiskey came back up, and I coughed hard, feeling the liquid spill out the corners of my mouth.“Oh my God!” I gasped, dropping the glass and reaching for a napkin as I wiped at my face, morti
MARCOI made my way down the hall, stepping lightly to avoid waking anyone up. The last thing I wanted was to disturb the peaceful night at this place. We were supposed to be on vacation, relaxing. But, of course, work had a funny way of sneaking in no matter where I was. Especially with Tony.I pushed the thought aside and made my way down the dimly lit hallway, looking for somewhere more private to talk. As I spotted a balcony at the end of the corridor, I nodded to myself. That’d work. I needed some air anyway.Sliding open the glass door, I stepped outside into the cool night. The breeze felt good against my skin, a reminder that I wasn’t in some stuffy office dealing with the usual problems. Not right now, at least.I leaned on the railing and brought the phone to my ear. Tony picked up on the second ring.“Marco! How’s the vacation, man?” he asked, his voice instantly bringing me back to the usual chaos.I sighed, glancing out at the view below. The moonlight reflected off the w
SARAHI woke up with a jolt, my head pounding like a drum. The sharp pain was unbearable, and my vision was blurry. I tried to blink it away, but everything still seemed off, like I was seeing through a fog. I felt nauseous, my stomach churning in waves that made me want to throw up.I groaned, trying to lift my hand to my forehead to massage away the ache, but I couldn’t move. I blinked again, more aware now, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Something was wrong. My arms… they were tied. I tried to jerk my wrists free, but they were bound tightly. I was sitting on a cold, hard surface, my back pressed against something solid, and both my wrists were tied behind me.“What the—?” I whispered, the panic slowly creeping in as I tugged at the ropes binding me. I looked down at myself, and that’s when I realized: I had no idea where I was. The room was dim, shadows filling every corner. The air was thick and musty, and the silence was deafening.How did I get here?It was like a flo
SARAHThe sound of the key twisting in the lock sent a fresh wave of panic surging through me. My heart was pounding so hard, it was deafening. Who was it? Was someone here to rescue me, or had the person who kidnapped me come back to finish the job? My thoughts spiraled, and I felt frozen, locked in place, eyes glued to the door as it creaked open. I squinted into the dim light, trying to make out the figure standing there. For a moment, it was just a blur, the flickering light from the lone bulb above casting eerie shadows on the walls. But as the person stepped forward, the light hit his face, and my heart leapt.“Carlos?” I gasped, a mix of relief and confusion in my voice. It was him—Marco’s right-hand man. Relief washed over me. “Carlos, thank God! I was kidnapped, I don’t know how I got here, but you have to help me!” My words came out in a rush, stumbling over each other. I tugged at the ropes around my wrists, desperate to be free. He didn’t move. He just stood there, stari
MARCOI spent the last day glued to the hotel’s CCTV footage, running it over and over again, trying to find a trace—*anything*—that could lead me to Sarah. But whoever had taken her was smart, almost too smart. The camera caught a dark figure once, a shadow slipping into a car outside the lobby. I couldn’t make out a face, nothing identifiable. It was like the guy knew the place inside out, maneuvering between blind spots like he had a blueprint in his head. Every corner, every hallway he avoided, it was like he was a ghost.I slammed my hand down on the table, frustration bubbling up inside me. My mind was racing, going through every possible lead, but all I kept coming back to was that damn blurry footage."What the hell am I missing?" I muttered to myself, pacing back and forth in the small hotel room. The silence felt suffocating. I couldn’t just sit here. Every second I waited felt like time slipping away from Sarah.And then, my phone rang. I grabbed it off the table without ev