Emily’s POVThe stench in the air was unbearable.It was a disgusting mix of sweat, rust, and something damp, like rotting wood and mold. The place was worse than the last. Smaller. Hotter. Dirtier. The air felt thick, suffocating, heavy with the weight of unwashed bodies and old cigarette smoke.Rats scurried somewhere in the dark corners, their tiny claws scratching against the concrete floor. The only light came from a low, fluctuating bulb swinging overhead, showing strange, distorted shadows on the walls. It buzzed every few seconds, like it was on the verge of dying, struggling to stay alive in this miserable place.And me?I was still tied to this damn chair.Still in the same clothes I had been wearing when they grabbed me. The once-clean outfit now clung to me, sticky with sweat and grime. My hair was a tangled mess, strands plastered against my face and neck. My body ached in ways I had never felt before…every muscle sore, every bone screaming in protest.Two days.Two whole
Cole's POV.My head was pounding, my vision unfocused as I stared at the chaotic mess spread out in front of me. Newspapers, police reports, screenshots of online posts, blurry security footage…everything related to Emily’s disappearance was scattered across my desk, a maddening reminder that she was out there somewhere, suffering, and I hadn’t been able to do a damn thing about it.Every second that passed without her felt like a slow descent into madness.Daniel stood across the room, phone pressed to his ear, speaking in hushed tones, his expression tight with frustration. He had been making endless calls, pulling every string possible to find a lead, but every road led to a dead end.I clenched my jaw, gripping the edges of my desk so hard my knuckles turned white. "This isn't working," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head.Daniel looked up at me, hesitating before saying, "We're doing everything we can, sir.""Well, it’s not enough, is it?" I snapped, my voice rough, raw.
Vanessa’s POVI stormed into my penthouse, slamming the door so hard the glass walls rattled. My heels clicked against the marble floors as I yanked off my coat, throwing it onto the couch. My body burned with fury, my veins pulsing with rage. My fingers curled into fists so tight my nails dug into my palms, the sharp sting grounding me for just a second before another wave of anger crashed over me.Cole had actually thrown me out.Me.The only woman who had ever truly belonged to him. The woman who had been by his side before Emily came along and wrecked everything. The woman who had given him everything, only to be tossed aside like I was nothing.My breathing came hard and fast as I paced across the room, my expensive heels clicking against the floor. The city skyline stretched out beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the night glowing with lights, but I barely saw it. All I saw was that moment in his office.His face.The way he looked at me…like I was a stranger.Like I was nothi
Emily's POV.My stomach felt like it was eating itself.The ache had started as a dull discomfort, but now it was something else…something sharp, something cruel. Hunger had turned into a gnawing pain that twisted deep inside me, making it hard to even breathe properly. My throat was dry, my lips cracked. Every muscle in my body ached from being tied up for days.I didn’t know how long I’d been here.Three days? Four?The days blurred together in the darkness of this hellhole. My wrists were raw from the tight ropes, my legs numb from being bound to this stupid chair. My head pounded, and my body felt so weak that even holding my head up was a struggle. But I hadn’t broken down.I wouldn’t.Across from me, one of them sat lazily, chewing on a piece of bread. The sound of him eating filled the room, each bite echoing like a taunt. I tried to ignore it, but my stomach betrayed me with a painful growl.He noticed.His gaze moved to mine, his chewing slowing. He was a big guy, broad shoul
Emily's POV.Vanessa’s breathing was ragged, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her eyes darted wildly between Leon and me, a storm of rage swirling within them. Then, in one sudden outburst, she snapped.“Are you fucking kidding me, Leon?” she screamed, her voice raw with frustration. “You ruined everything! You fucked it all up!”Leon didn’t even flinch. He simply folded his arms across his chest, his expression cool, unaffected, like he had seen this coming from a mile away. His calmness only seemed to push Vanessa further over the edge.“You weren’t supposed to let her live!” she went on, practically shaking with fury. Her hands balled into fists at her sides, her nails digging so hard into her palms they could have drawn blood. “I paid you! I fucking paid you!”Leon exhaled, rolling his shoulders like he was bored. “Yeah, well, plans change.”Vanessa let out another string of curses, her voice cracking with sheer disbelief. Her face twisted, with rage and panic flashing across
Cole’s POV.The house was too quiet. Too fucking empty. I stood by the window, whiskey in my hand, staring at the city beyond the glass. The skyline stretched endlessly, the glow of distant buildings meaningless. My mind had been running in circles, trapped in a cycle of rage, desperation, and helplessness. Emily was out there somewhere. I knew it. I could feel it.And I was losing my fucking mind without her.I had done everything…called in favors, made threats, paid off people I despised. But every lead turned into a dead end, every clue dissolved before I could grab it.I had never felt this powerless before.Then, it happened.A noise.Shouting.Footsteps pounding against the floor.My grip on the whiskey glass tightened, my entire body going rigid. My instincts kicked in before my mind could process it, and I was already moving.The study doors slammed open as I stepped out, my heart hammering in my chest. The sound of rushed footsteps filled the hallway, guards scrambling towar
Emily's POV.Warm hands. A steady touch. The scent of him all around me.Cole.I should’ve known he wouldn’t leave my side.My eyes were open, but I wasn’t fully here. Everything felt distant, like I was floating between reality and something else. Something darker. My body ached, my throat raw, my mind trapped in an endless loop of what had happened.Vanessa.The gun.She had pulled the trigger.But there was no bullet.I had been strong. Strong enough that Leon let me go.I could still hear the echo of the shot, feel the coldness of the floor, the way my body had braced for pain that never came. It was like I had left a part of myself in that room. A part I wasn’t sure I’d ever get back.A shudder ran through me, my fingers twitching slightly under the heavy weight of exhaustion. My body felt foreign, as if I wasn’t fully connected to it, like I was trapped in the space between past and present. The memories were still too fresh, pressing against the edges of my mind, threatening to
Emily’s POV.The morning air was still, thick with an eerie quiet that made my skin prickle. The scent of something warm drifted in from the kitchen, faint but noticeable…eggs, maybe toast. I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t really paying attention. My mind was elsewhere, caught in the endless storm that refused to die down in my head.The television was on, its dull glow the only source of movement in the slightly dark living room. The low voices of the newscasters filled the space, the sound blending into the silence like background noise.I sat curled up on the couch, a thick duvet wrapped tightly around me. My fingers gripped the soft fabric, knuckles turning white as I held onto it like it was the only thing tethering me to reality. It was warm, comforting, but it did nothing to ease the tightness in my chest.Cole had left me here, just for a moment, after dismissing the servants for the day. He had been fussing over me since last night, refusing to let anyone else take care of me. He was
Cole’s POVThe water was still now. Calm, undisturbed.A few hours ago, Emily had been swimming in that pool, her hair slicked back, droplets sliding down her skin. I was absent when she went out to swim but I knew exactly what she looked like. Now, the pool was empty. Just like the house. Just like me.I leaned against the balcony railing, gripping it tight. The clock on my phone read 11:07 PM. Four hours since she left. Four hours since her father had forced her to go.And I had done nothing.I exhaled sharply, running a hand down my face. The weight in my chest had been growing, pressing harder with every passing minute. Just standing here, waiting, doing nothing…it was killing me.Then…SCREECH!The violent sound of tires skidding against the ground snapped my head toward the gates. My entire body locked up.A car.A black Camry, speeding toward the estate like it had been chased by the devil himself.The guards rushed to block it, guns drawn…Then, suddenly, the passenger-side wi
Emily’s POVThe drive felt like a funeral procession, only I was the corpse being dragged to my own execution. The two female bodyguards sat on either side of me, their presence suffocating. I didn’t fight them anymore…not because I had given up, but because I refused to give my father the satisfaction of watching me struggle.But my hate? That was alive. Burning.I stared out the tinted window as the city blurred past, my nails digging into my palms. My father’s men drove in silence, the car’s engine the only sound in the stifling air. I could still feel the rough grip of those women on my arms, the way they had dragged me through the house, down the grand staircase, and into the car like I was a damn piece of luggage.My father had finally resorted to brute force.Typical.The car pulled up in front of an expensive restaurant…one of those exclusive places where rich men made dirty deals over overpriced steak and wine. The entire building screamed wealth, from the polished black exte
Emily’s POVI sat on the edge of my old bed, my arms wrapped around myself, my nails digging into my skin. My body was still wet from the pool, my swimsuit clinging to me like a second skin, but I didn’t care. The cold air in the room did nothing to cool the fire burning inside me.Everything about this place made my skin crawl.The walls were the same dull beige, the curtains the same expensive silk my father insisted on. The chandelier overhead glowed too bright, the same way it had when I was a teenager locked in this house, suffocating under his rules.Four months.That was how long it had been since I left this place. Since I married Cole and walked out of here.And now I was back.Dragged here like a puppet in my father’s twisted game.I clenched my teeth, my jaw tight, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might break through my ribs. The fury inside me was a living thing, coiled and waiting to explode.I should have fought harder.I should have screamed louder, clawed at him,
Cole’s POVI couldn’t breathe.She was gone.I stood there, fists clenched so tight my nails cut into my palms, staring at the empty driveway where the car had disappeared. My mind couldn’t process what had just happened. It felt like someone had reached inside my chest and ripped my heart out while I was still alive.Emily had walked away.Not because she wanted to. Not because she stopped loving me. But because she was trying to protect me.That thought made it worse.I ran a hand through my hair, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. My men were still there, waiting for my command. The tension in the air was thick, like it hadn’t settled even after Richard Hart had taken her. My own bodyguards had their hands on their guns, still on high alert.I should have stopped her. I should have grabbed her, thrown her over my shoulder, and locked every door in this damn house. But I knew Emily. She wasn’t someone I could cage, no matter how much I wanted to.I let out a sharp breath and
Emily’s POV“If Cole tries to stop me, there will be bullets in the air.”My father’s words still rang in my ears, making completely unsettled.And then, it happened.A gunshot.Loud. Sharp.My heart nearly leaped out of my chest as the sound tore through the tense silence, echoing across the courtyard. One of my father’s men had fired into the air, his grip steady, his face blank.For a second, everything froze.Then, chaos erupted.Cole’s bodyguards moved instantly, pulling their weapons with the precision of trained professionals. The men my father had brought with him did the same, their guns raised, their fingers twitching near the triggers.The air became charged, electric with the promise of violence. My breath hitched as I stared at the two groups facing each other, weapons drawn, ready to fire at the slightest provocation.One wrong move, and people would die."STOP!" I screamed, my voice cracking with panic.No one moved.My father stood tall, his expression blank, unmoved b
Emily’s POVThe cool water wrapped around me like silk as I drifted on my back, staring up at the evening sky. The pool lights had blue shimmer, reflecting against the marble tiles of the mansion’s courtyard. It was quiet…peaceful even. For the first time in days, my mind wasn’t racing. No thoughts about Mateo Vasquez, my father’s ridiculous attempts at controlling my life, or Vanessa’s insanity. Just silence and the soft ripple of water.Then, I heard it.A commotion. Raised voices.I blinked, lowering my body into the water. My fingers clenched into a fist as I turned my head toward the mansion’s entrance. Something was happening.I swam to the edge of the pool, pulling myself up. My wet hair clung to my back as I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around myself. The voices grew louder, and I caught sight of multiple black SUVs parked in the driveway. The headlights were still on, casting long shadows over the garden.Men in suits. Guns strapped to their sides.My father’s men.And the
Cole’s POVMateo was about to learn that power meant nothing when you had no control.I sat in the backseat of my car, parked a block away from his hotel, scrolling through the latest report on Vanessa. She was still on the run, slipping through every crack like a damn ghost.This morning, I’d gotten an update…Vanessa had killed a police officer. Slit his throat right there on the road, like it meant nothing. But what caught my attention more? She wasn’t alone.A man was with her.Ronan.From what I’d gathered, he wasn’t some criminal mastermind or hired gun. Just a guy who had made the mistake of getting tangled up in Vanessa’s mess. Maybe he thought he was helping her. Maybe he had no idea who she really was.Didn’t matter. He was shielding her now, and that made him a problem.But Vanessa could wait. Tonight, I had something else to handle.Mateo.…7:00 PM.Mateo walked into the hotel like he owned the city.Four bodyguards surrounded him as he strode across the marble floors of t
Vanessa’s POVThe rain pelted against the windshield as we sped down the empty highway. The motel was miles behind us, swallowed by the darkness, but my pulse was still racing. Ronan’s hands gripped the wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. The only sound was the tires skidding slightly on the wet pavement and the low hum of the engine.I sat in the passenger seat, my hoodie pulled low over my face, my fingers drumming against my knee. The air inside the car was thick, tense. I could tell Ronan was pissed.He hadn’t said a word since we left.Fine. I didn’t care.I stared out the window, my mind still burning with the same rage. Emily. Cole. They were all that mattered now. I wasn’t going to spend the rest of my life running like some helpless little girl. No. I was going to take back control.Then…Flashing lights.Blue and red, dancing in the rearview mirror.Ronan cursed under his breath.“Shit.”I turned my head sharply, my heartbeat picking up.A cop.His patrol car was righ
Vanessa’s POVThe motel was a dump.Peeling wallpaper curled at the edges, revealing dark stains underneath. The carpet was stained with things I didn’t want to think about. The whole place reeked of old cigarettes, mildew, and cheap beer, the kind of filth that clung to your skin no matter how hard you scrubbed. The bed creaked under me as I shifted, the springs groaning in protest.Ronan had made me disguise myself before we even got close to this hellhole. He had taken scissors to my hair, hacking off just enough to make me look different. I had nearly clawed his eyes out for that. Then he shoved an oversized hoodie at me, one that drowned my frame, and told me to wear it along with a pair of cheap sunglasses. The final insult was a baseball cap he tossed at me like I was some runaway teenager instead of Vanessa Kings.I used to wear couture. Silk, cashmere, the kind of fabrics people only dreamed of touching. Now I was drowning in polyester and denim that didn’t fit. My nails dug