Alexander’s POVI woke up with a heaviness in my chest, a feeling I couldn’t shake no matter how much I tried to convince myself it was just exhaustion from the previous night. The silence in the house was unsettling. It was too quiet. Even though it was early, the house normally had some life to it—either one of the boys would be up and about, or Elizabeth would be downstairs, maybe having breakfast or just sitting quietly. But today, the stillness gnawed at me.I sat up, running a hand over my face, trying to push away the remnants of a restless sleep. The events of the night before played through my mind, and a wave of guilt washed over me. I had been too harsh with her. I knew that now. I had let my anger get the best of me, and I didn’t stop to consider how hurt she might’ve been after finding out the truth. I should’ve been more understanding.The words I said to her... they hung heavy in the air.“We kept it from you for a reason.”The look in her eyes when I told her that—it
Elizabeth’s POVWhen I opened my eyes, the first thing I felt was a sharp, throbbing pain in my head. My vision was blurry, and everything around me was dim and unfamiliar. I groaned, trying to sit up, but my body felt heavy, sluggish. Panic began to creep in as I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision.Where am I?I glanced around, noticing the cold, bare walls of the room. There was no furniture, no windows, just a single, flickering light overhead that barely illuminated the space. I was lying on a hard, concrete floor, a thin blanket tossed haphazardly over me. The air smelled musty, like it hadn’t been ventilated in a long time.I tried to think back, to remember how I got here, but everything was a blur. The last thing I remembered was walking down the street, my mind clouded with thoughts of my family—Zack, Ryan, and Dad. I had been angry, upset, but mostly confused. I just wanted some space to clear my head, to think things through. But then... a car. Yes, I remembered hea
Ryan’s POVThe house had been unusually quiet for days, and it was starting to get to me. I hadn't seen Elizabeth since that day we fought. She’d stormed out, angry as usual, and I just assumed she needed some space. She always came back, even if it took her a while. But this time, something felt off.I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that had been gnawing at me. Elizabeth could be dramatic, but she wasn’t irresponsible. She wouldn’t just disappear without a word, right?But it had been days.“Dad?” I called out, pushing the covers off and heading toward the dining room. My footsteps felt heavy, like I was dragging an invisible weight behind me. The house had this oppressive silence to it, and the knot in my stomach tightened with every step.When I entered the dining room, Dad was sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in front of him. His shoulders were slumped, and his face looked more tired than I had ever seen it. Dark circles framed his
Elizabeth pov:“I told you, they won’t come for you,” the voice echoed, cutting through the suffocating silence of the dark room.Elizabeth sat in the corner, knees pulled to her chest, her back pressed against the cold wall. The dim light above flickered weakly, casting shadows that danced on the cracked concrete floor. It had been a week. Seven days of being trapped in this place, alone, with nothing but her thoughts and the haunting certainty that maybe—just maybe—her family wasn’t looking for her after all.She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the voice. But it kept replaying in her mind, taunting her, breaking down the fragile hope she’d been clinging to. *No one’s coming.*She wanted to believe it wasn’t true. That any minute now, Dad would storm through the door, Leo and Mike right behind him, ready to pull her out of this nightmare. Or that Ryan would figure it out and do whatever it took to find her, like he always did. But as each hour passed, the truth became har
Alexander POVThe house was still. Too still. The silence had stretched on for days, filling every corner with an oppressive weight that he couldn’t shake off. As he sat at the kitchen table, staring at the untouched glass of whiskey in front of him, the reality he had been trying to deny came crashing down with full force.“So it’s true… Elizabeth was kidnapped,” he mumbled, barely recognizing his own voice. His hands, trembling, reached for the glass, but he stopped short, letting his fingers hover over it. What good would it do? What comfort would it bring? Nothing could dull the ache in his chest, the weight pressing down on him like an anchor, dragging him into despair.*I couldn’t protect her again.* The thought clawed at his insides, tearing him apart with every passing minute. This was the second time. The second time he had failed to keep her safe. He had sworn to himself, sworn to Elizabeth, that he would never let anything happen to her again. After the first time, after e
Elizabeth sat on the cold floor of the small room, her hands trembling as she hugged her knees to her chest. It had been days—weeks maybe? Time had lost its meaning in this place. Her only company was the ticking of her own thoughts, bouncing around the walls of her mind. She had waited, hoping that somehow her family would find her, and would come to save her like they had before. But no one came. The door creaked open, and her heart raced involuntarily. She hated that her body still reacted like that—as if she still believed someone was coming for her. But it wasn’t her brothers, or her father. It was him—the man behind the mask. The one who had taken her, broken her life apart piece by piece, and now stood over her with that cruel, sickening smile.“I told you,” he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction, “they won’t come for you.”Elizabeth’s eyes darted to the floor, trying to hide the mix of emotions burning behind them—fear, anger, sadness. She wouldn’t give him the satisfa
Elizabeth stood in front of the mirror, her eyes—no, not her eyes anymore—stared back at her. They were now a cold, icy blue, a far cry from the deep brown she once knew. Her hair, which had been a rich, dark color, was now bleached to a stark, unnatural white. She barely recognized herself, and maybe that was the point. The girl she had been was gone, erased by the man in the mask.He had taken everything from her—her freedom, her identity, her family. And now, she was forced to look at this stranger in the mirror, wearing the name *Sophia Maxine*. She wasn’t allowed to speak unless instructed, wasn’t allowed to cry or break. She was just his puppet now.“Come on, Sophia, time to leave,” came the chilling voice from behind her.Sophia stared at her reflection one last time. She had been forced into heavy makeup, the kind she never wore. Her skin was paler than usual, her lips painted an unnatural shade of red, her face almost doll-like. She let out a long sigh, pushing back the wave
Sophia stood by the entrance of the grand Russian mall, her blue eyes scanning the bustling crowds. The man in the mask had insisted on taking her here today, though she didn’t understand why. Perhaps it was another step in his twisted game, another way to break her down further by making her feel like she was free when she was anything but. Her pale, white hair—part of her new identity—stood out against the crowd, just as he had intended. She hated it.She glanced over at him. The man who had taken everything from her. He stood a few steps ahead, his hands casually in his pockets, the same unsettling mask covering his face. The mask had always bothered her. It wasn’t just that it hid his identity—it was that it seemed to symbolize his power over her, as if he could be anyone, anything, while she was left bare, vulnerable.They had been in Russia for nearly one week now, and every day felt like an eternity. She had followed his orders without question, slipping into her new role as
Ryan sat in the back seat of the car, his headphones on, drowning out the world around him with the rhythm of Jayo’s "Often" pulsing through his ears. It had become his way of coping lately — losing himself in music, trying to block out the growing tension in his family. His brothers, Zack and Leo, were sitting in the front, quietly chatting about something, but he wasn’t paying much attention. All he could think about was the gnawing feeling inside him, the anger that never seemed to go away.They were supposed to have a "family day" today, without their dad, who was still recovering from his health scare. But even without him, the weight of the family’s troubles hung heavy in the air. It didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel like family. Not without Elizabeth. Not without knowing where she was, what she was going through.He turned the music up, letting the beat hit harder, hoping it would drown out the nagging thoughts. But it wasn’t working. Nothing worked anymore. His mind kept dr
Mr. Black sat alone in his study, the room dimly lit by the soft glow of a desk lamp. The walls were lined with bookshelves, but tonight, he wasn’t interested in the knowledge they held. His attention was on the mask he held in his hands. It was a simple black mask, a symbol of his authority and his way of maintaining control over his world. But tonight, it felt like a barrier between him and something he couldn’t quite grasp.He had always hidden behind this mask. It allowed him to be ruthless, to lead his men with an iron fist. But lately, it felt like it was also hiding a part of him that he didn’t fully understand. The thought of Sophia, as she was now known—had become an obsession. Her presence, her struggles, and the way she seemed to test the boundaries of his carefully constructed world had been occupying his thoughts more and more.He placed the mask on his desk and leaned back in his chair. His fingers traced the edges of the mask as if hoping to find some answers there. He
Sophia, entered her room and closed the door behind her with a quiet click. She moved slowly towards the small mirror on the wall, each step feeling like a weight pressing down on her. The day’s training had left her exhausted and bruised, both physically and emotionally. Her reflection showed a girl who no longer looked like the person she remembered. Her hair was now white, a stark contrast to her old look. She pulled up her shirt and studied the bruises that covered her stomach and arms. They were vivid and angry, a patchwork of purples and blues. The sight made her wince, and she gingerly touched a particularly large bruise just below her ribs.The pain was not just from the physical blows she’d received; it was the emotional toll that was hardest to bear. Mr. Black’s harsh words and the force of his punches had left a deep mark on her soul. She had failed to hit him back during their training, which only intensified her feelings of inadequacy. She was supposed to be learning
Sophia stood in the center of the training room, her body tense and her heart racing. The walls were cold and unforgiving, much like the man who circled her now, his sharp eyes never leaving her.Mr. Black paced around her, his footsteps echoing ominously through the room. The mask he always wore made it impossible to see his expression, but she didn’t need to. His cold, controlled voice was enough to make her feel on edge.“Let’s see if this little princess can actually fight,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain.Sophia swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on her. She had never been in a fight in her life. Her world before this had been one of luxury, where she was shielded from everything dangerous. Now, she was being forced to face the reality she had always been ignorant of.“As a member of my Mafia, you’ll need to learn to protect yourself,” Mr. Black continued, his tone mocking. “You think anyone’s going to show you mercy out there? You think your enemies
The rain tapped softly against the windowpane as Ryan sat at the edge of his bed, staring out into the gray, drizzly world beyond. It had been days since he'd felt like talking to anyone, especially his grandparents, who tried their best to make him comfortable here in Europe. But no matter how hard they tried, it wasn’t home. And he wasn’t happy."Ryan, sweetheart," his grandmother’s soft voice interrupted his thoughts, pulling him back to the moment. She stood in the doorway, her expression hesitant, as if she knew the news she was about to deliver wasn’t going to go over well."Yeah?" Ryan asked, his voice flat. He barely turned to look at her, still staring out the window, watching the rain collect in tiny pools on the grass.His grandmother cleared her throat, stepping inside and sitting beside him on the bed. "Your father called. He wants you to come back home. You’ll be leaving tomorrow."Ryan’s heart lurched. Home? His mind raced through the possibilities, and the first thing
Alexander’s sleep had been restless for days, disturbed by nightmares that tore through the silence of the night. Ever since Elizabeth had disappeared, his mind had been plagued with thoughts of her, of Ryan, of Zack and Leo, and the family that seemed to be crumbling around him. Each night he hoped for some semblance of peace, but tonight was no different.In the darkness of his slumber, Alexander found himself standing in the middle of a burning house. The flames roared around him, consuming the walls, the ceiling, the floor, everything. Thick, black smoke choked the air, making it hard to breathe, but it wasn’t the fire that terrified him.It was the screams.“Dad! Help me!” He turned sharply at the sound of Elizabeth’s voice, his heart clenching painfully in his chest. Her voice was full of panic, raw and desperate. He couldn’t see her through the thick, swirling smoke, but he could hear her, feel her fear as if it were his own.“Elizabeth!” he called, his voice hoarse and strain
Leo paced the living room, his hands stuffed into his pockets, head down as he tried to make sense of everything. The air in the house felt heavy, weighed down by the tension that had hung over them ever since Elizabeth disappeared.Across the room, Zack sat slouched on the edge of the couch, his eyes focused on the ground, deep in thought. He had just hung up the phone after yet another frustrating conversation with their uncle Nick. The man had been brief, his tone sharp, leaving them both with a sense of dread.“What do we do now?” Leo finally asked, breaking the silence. His voice was low, almost resigned.Zack didn’t answer immediately. He leaned forward, rubbing his hands together as if trying to warm them from a cold that only he could feel.“Why do I have a feeling we made a bad move by adding him into this?” Leo muttered, his frustration bubbling to the surface. He stopped pacing and turned to face his brother.Zack looked up, meeting Leo’s gaze. “We didn’t have a choice,” he
The soft ticking of the clock was the only sound that had filled her room for hours. Sophia sat quietly on the bed, her thoughts swirling in an endless loop. Ever since her walk through the mansion earlier, her mind had been restless. Something had shifted within her, though she couldn’t quite place what it was. Maybe it was the memory of seeing the men without their masks, relaxed and unconcerned. Or maybe it was the fact that Mr. Black wasn’t around today. She leaned back against the wall, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hallways. It was subtle at first, but it grew louder with every passing second, more frantic. The shift in the mansion’s atmosphere was palpable—something was happening.Sophia sat up, her senses suddenly alert. "What’s happening?" she thought, pushing the blanket off her legs and standing up. She moved toward the door, placing her ear against it to listen. Voices echoed from down the corridor, muffled
The pale morning light filtered through the heavy curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. Sophia, woke up from her sleep, the sheets rustling softly as she pushed them aside.The mansion was always eerily quiet at this hour, and today was no different. But something inside her, a strange restlessness, urged her to get out of bed and explore.Since her arrival, the place had been a fortress of secrets. No one talked to her unless absolutely necessary, and everyone wore masks. It was unsettling, yet there was something about the silence that had become almost comforting. Still, today, she wanted more than the four walls of her room. She wanted to see the mansion beyond what little glimpses she had caught.She slipped out of bed, padding barefoot across the cool marble floor. She opened the door quietly, half-expecting to see someone standing guard outside, but to her surprise, the hallway was empty. Her curiosity piqued, she stepped out and began walking, her footsteps soft and