Elara’s footsteps echoed in the empty lobby of her former firm, the polished marble floors gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights. As she rode the elevator to the top floor, her heart pounded in her chest—a mix of trepidation and determination coursing through her veins.This was it—the moment she had both dreaded and anticipated. After weeks of careful planning and strategizing with Damian, the time had come to confront Charles Montgomery, the man she had once trusted with her very future. The same man who ruined her life.The elevator doors slid open, and she strode down the familiar hallway, her heels clicking with purpose. She paused briefly outside the ornate double doors of Charles’ office, taking a deep, steadying breath before pushing them open.Charles looked up from his desk, his eyes widening in surprise at the unexpected visitor. “Elara! What a...” his voice trailed off as he took in her deadly expression. “What can I do for you?”“Save it, Charles,” she said, her voi
Elara’s eyes blazed with anger as she listened to Charles’ words, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “Selfish?” she seethed, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. “How dare you call me selfish after all that you’ve done?”Charles stood frozen, his eyes flickering towards the door, contemplating his escape. But Elara was far from done. She advanced towards him, her voice low and menacing. “You betrayed me. You sold me out to the Regars, and now you have the nerve to beg for forgiveness? To expect me to show you mercy?”Elara’s words cut through the tension in the room like a knife. Charles stayed silent, his face pale, as she continued speaking.“I worked my entire life for the career you helped destroy. I climbed out of the dirt, out of poverty, taking care of my mother and brother along the way. I trusted you!” Her voice cracked under the weight of betrayal. “And now you want me to just let it go because you’re scared of the consequences?”Charles tried to speak, b
Elara’s heels clicked against the pavement as she walked toward her car, her body still trembling with rage. The confrontation with Charles had left her emotionally drained, yet somehow empowered. She had finally stood up to him, laid bare his hypocrisy, and made her intentions clear. As she reached for the car door handle, a chill ran down her spine. Something felt off.She glanced around the dimly lit parking lot, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Her years of experience had sharpened her instincts, and right now, they were screaming danger.“Mrs. Blackwood!” her driver, Marcus, called out as he hurried toward her. “Is everything alright? You seem upset.”Elara forced a smile. “I’m fine, Marcus. Just a... challenging meeting.” She hesitated, then added, “Actually, could you do a quick check around the car? I have a strange feeling.”Marcus nodded, his expression serious. He’d been with the Blackwood family long enough to trust E
“Welcome to my hell, honey,” he whispered, his sinister smile making Elara shudder.“Stay away from me,” she hissed.Charles scoffed, smoothing her hair with his hand as he smiled like an innocent gentleman. It was the same smile she was familiar with, the one that had once made her think he was a good guy—a sweet, innocent soul.“You still don’t get your situation, honey, or are you playing dumb like an idiot?” He smirked, his gaze pinning her down. Her body trembled under his scrutiny, but she knew better than to show weakness to the devil standing before her.The atmosphere in the dimly lit room was suffocating. Elara’s heart pounded, her mind racing to make sense of her new reality. She had known Charles was capable of cruelty for selling her out, but this? This was beyond anything she could have imagined.Her gaze flicked to Asher, standing off to the side with his arms crossed, watching with cold amusement. She didn’t know him, but she could sense the sadistic nature in the way
After he left, Asher turned around, giving her a deadly vibe. Elara hoped and prayed he wouldn’t harass her like before.“What’s with the dead stare?” he asked with a scoff. “Do you think that’s gonna help you in this situation?”“I’m not staring at you,” she said, trying to play her cards right. Maybe she could convince him to let her go.“Then what the hell are you doing?” he asked, approaching her. Each step sent fear through her. The room felt colder with every step he took, the air thick with an unspoken threat. Her heart pounded in her chest, the sound almost deafening in the silence. She could see the malice in his eyes, and each second felt like an eternity. Was he planning to do that to her again? “I can’t believe I’ve actually turned into a kidnapper.” He dug his hand into his hair, clearly annoyed. Elara’s eyes flared with hope. If he wasn’t a kidnapper, maybe he could help her escape. Maybe Charles forced him into this, or maybe he needed money. She could offer him money i
Asher’s WarehouseElara’s mind raced. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to run, to fight, but the sheer terror of Asher’s words rooted her in place. A killer? Her body felt cold, numb, as the reality of the situation began to sink in.“Why me?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Why are you doing this?”Asher leaned in, his breath warm against her face, but his presence sent shivers down her spine. “You’ll find out soon enough,” he whispered, his voice dripping with malice. “But don’t worry, I like to play with my food before devouring it.”“Why?” she screamed again, her voice desperate.“I don’t know,” he replied with a scoff. “You shouldn’t have offended him.”She recoiled from him, fear flooding her senses. She couldn’t die here. She wouldn’t die here. Not like this. Desperately, she tried to think of a way out, but every option seemed impossible. There had to be a way to break through to him. There must be something, she thought. Anything.“Please,” she whispered, trying a di
Damian’s office.Where was she? What was going on? Why wasn’t she picking up his calls? Something had to be wrong. He stared at his phone, hoping for a missed call, a text—anything. But the screen remained dark, mirroring the pit of uncertainty that had taken hold of his chest.He grabbed his phone and dialed, pacing the floor as it rang. After a few rings, one of his top security men answered.“Any updates?” Damian’s voice was sharp, betraying the simmering anger beneath.“None yet, sir. We’re still tracking the last location of her phone, but it went offline. We’re expanding the search.”Damian’s grip tightened around the phone. “That’s not good enough. I don’t care what it takes. I want her found.”“Yes, sir. We’re doing everything we can.”Damian ended the call without another word, his heart pounding. Who would dare take her?His thoughts darkened, and his chest tightened with the fear he didn’t want to admit to himself. Whoever had her didn’t know what they were getting into. He
Damian stormed out of the hospital, his mind spinning with fury and fear. The thought of Elara confronting Charles without his protection sent a chill through him. She was brave—too brave for her own good sometimes—and it terrified him. How could she walk into danger like that, knowing the stakes?As he slid into the backseat of his car, he gripped the door handle so hard his knuckles turned white. Charles was ruthless. He had already orchestrated Elara’s downfall once, and Damian knew he wouldn’t hesitate to strike again if it meant keeping her from rising back up.The car sped down the dark streets, the city lights blurring past the windows. Damian stared out, lost in his thoughts. Jackson’s words echoed in his head. She wouldn’t listen. He hated how true they were. Elara wasn’t the type to sit back and let him handle things, no matter how dangerous the situation was.He pulled out his phone again, scrolling through his contacts. He needed to know more about Leah. There had to be so