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 stood in the hallway, his fists clenched at his sides. His father had just told him the news—he was being sent away. Away from his home, his brothers, everything he knew. The moment the words had left his father’s mouth, a wave of anger surged through him, hot and uncontrollable. His face burned, his breath came in short, ragged bursts, and his chest felt tight, like something was crushing him from the inside.How could his father do this?Ryan’s thoughts spiraled, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of it all. Elizabeth was gone—two weeks had passed, and there was still no sign of her. Every day that went by, their father had sunk deeper into his own despair, his face growing more tired, more worn. Ryan had noticed the way his father barely spoke anymore, the way he paced the house at night, as if he were looking for something he’d lost and knew he’d never find.But sending him away? Ryan couldn’t understand it. His father had always been strong, had always held the famil
Alexander's POVAlexander at the dining table, staring at the empty chair where Ryan had been just moments ago. His youngest son had left, gone off with his grandparents, and the house felt emptier than it ever had. The words Ryan had said before walking out of the door still echoed in his mind, each one a jagged wound that refused to heal."I'll never forgive you for this."The words tore through him again, and Alexander gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles white. He’d known this day would come—that sending Ryan away would hurt him, but he hadn’t expected it to hurt like this. He hadn’t expected the depth of anger in his son’s voice, the coldness in his eyes. And worst of all, he hadn’t expected the guilt that now wrapped itself around him, squeezing tighter with every passing second.He couldn’t breathe.The house felt like it was closing in on him, every shadow, every piece of furniture reminding him of his failures. He had failed to protect his daughter, Elizabeth. He had f
Sophia as she had to remind herself, stood in front of the full-length mirror, staring at the reflection of someone she no longer recognized.Her once vibrant brown eyes were now hidden beneath icy blue contacts, and her dark hair, now bleached to an unnatural white, framed her face in sharp angles. She looked like a stranger.The transformation had been quick and thorough. Over the past few days, they had drilled new rules into her—how to walk, how to talk (or rather, how *not* to talk), and how to blend into the shadows like a ghost.And now, standing in front of the mirror, her body draped in sleek black clothing, the reality of what she was about to do hit her.Her heart raced as the weight of it all settled in her chest. This was no ordinary task. This was her initiation, the first step into a world she had been running from her entire life. And now, she was being pushed back into it, but this time, she wasn’t just a captive. She was a player in the game.The door to her room cr
Alexander had never felt so hollow. Each day felt like a slow march into a dark abyss. His once steady hands now trembled, his thoughts fogged by exhaustion and worry. The weight of his failure as a father bore down on him, especially when it came to Elizabeth. For days, he hadn’t slept properly. Elizabeth was gone, Ryan was angry, and his home felt like it was crumbling apart. Every moment he was awake, he replayed the last conversation he’d had with his daughter, his mind circling around the same agonizing question: *Where did I go wrong?*He hadn’t been able to protect her. Not once, but twice now she had been taken from him. And each time, he had been powerless to stop it.Sitting at the kitchen table, Alexander’s fingers wrapped around a glass of whiskey. The amber liquid swirled in the glass, catching the dim light of the kitchen. It was his only comfort, the only thing that dulled the pain and the overwhelming guilt. He brought the glass to his lips and took a long sip, the
Mike's point of View Mike paced the dimly lit room, his fists clenched, knuckles raw and aching from the hours he’d spent trying to break through Uncle Nick’s silence. It was maddening—each minute that passed without answers felt like another wall closing in on him, trapping him in his own frustration. He’d tried every approach he knew, from coaxing to threats, but Nick’s expression had remained that same smug sneer.Across the room, Nick sat bound to a chair, a thin trickle of blood running from his split lip. Even now, with bruises darkening his skin and a cut above his eyebrow, he looked far too pleased with himself. Every punch seemed to fuel his sick enjoyment, a twisted satisfaction that drove Mike up the wall.“You think this is funny?” Mike growled, his voice barely containing the rage simmering beneath. “You think you can just sit there and smirk after everything you’ve done?”Nick lifted his head slowly, his gaze mocking as he met Mike’s eyes. “You’ve gotten sloppy, Mike.
Adrian sat across from Elizabeth in the quiet dining room, his eyes never leaving hers. She could feel his intense gaze even when she looked down, fiddling with the napkin in her lap. The silence stretched, filling the air between them with an unspoken question.Finally, Adrian broke the quiet, his voice gentle but insistent. “Elizabeth, I want you to tell me how you ended up here.”Elizabeth’s fingers stilled, and she looked up, meeting his gaze with a slight shiver. Part of her hesitated, unsure if she should open up to him. Yet, in the calm, unassuming way he watched her, there was something that made her feel... safe.Taking a deep breath, she began, her words slow and careful at first. “I didn’t just end up here,” she said softly. “It started with my family—a complicated mess of brothers, a dangerous uncle, and... someone I trusted who betrayed me.”Adrian’s eyes darkened slightly, his expression serious. “Go on.”“My brothers—Mike and Ryan, Leo , Zack—they’re all I have. We’ve a
Elizabeth's heart hammered as the car turned down a wide, secluded drive lined with towering trees. Her pulse quickened with each passing moment, both from the uncertainty of her situation and from the curiosity rising within her. She didn’t know much about her "buyer," but one thing was certain—he possessed wealth and power that went beyond anything she'd seen before.As the car glided to a stop, her eyes widened at the sight before her. A sleek collection of luxury cars stretched along the drive, each one more extravagant than the last. She hadn’t thought anyone could rival Mr. Black or her brothers in terms of wealth, but this man—whoever he was—seemed to surpass them effortlessly. She stared, unable to suppress a soft gasp as she took in the endless display of opulence.When she glanced back at him, she found herself lingering on his features, his chiseled jawline and those intense green eyes that held a strange, almost unreadable look. He was undeniably handsome, a fact she’d not
Elizabeth’s pulse thundered in her ears as her gaze met his—her “buyer.” He was tall, his posture straight and imposing, exuding a silent authority that made the air around him feel heavier. His piercing green eyes seemed to cut right through her, studying her with a depth she couldn’t comprehend. She felt an unsettling mix of fear and confusion.For a moment, he said nothing, and his silence was unnerving, as though he was sizing her up, deciding if she was worth whatever he had paid. She held her breath, waiting, her heart racing faster with each second that passed under his cold scrutiny.Then, he extended his hand toward her. The gesture was strangely gentle, almost out of place in this dark, twisted setting. She stared at his hand, unable to bring herself to take it, her eyes flicking back up to his face. There was something about him she couldn’t quite grasp. His expression was unreadable, almost stoic, like a mask hiding whatever lay beneath.In the silence, she found herself t
Elizabeth’s pulse pounded as the door creaked open, and the same man who’d dragged her from the train leered at her from the doorway, his dark gaze sharp and predatory. She took a step back, her instincts screaming at her to run, but there was nowhere to go, and he blocked the only way out. He tilted his head, smirking as he held out his hand, mocking politeness.“Come along now,” he sneered, clearly enjoying her fear. “It’s time you met our guests. Don’t be shy.”Her feet stayed glued to the floor, even as she tried to summon the courage to walk past him without a trace of fear. But her heart hammered too loudly, and her palms were clammy as she curled them into fists at her sides. The faint sounds of distant laughter drifted through the hall, and dread sank into her stomach, twisting it into tight, painful knots.The man sighed, the smirk vanishing as impatience took over. He strode toward her and seized her arm roughly, pulling her forward with enough force to jolt her into motion.
Elizabeth’s legs wobbled as she was yanked from the train and pushed toward a small house set in the middle of what appeared to be nowhere.Shadows stretched long under the darkening sky, and the air was thick with an eerie silence. She barely caught her breath before her captor shoved her forward again, his grip unforgiving as he dragged her up a narrow path toward the door.The house looked unremarkable at first glance, but as they drew closer, Elizabeth noticed the bars on the windows, the thick, steel locks that ran down the door’s edge. Her heart sank. It wasn’t a place anyone left once they entered.Without a word, the man pushed her through the door, and Elizabeth stumbled inside, her gaze quickly sweeping the space. Her stomach churned. In the dim lighting, she could see girls—young, vulnerable, bound and broken—lined up against the walls, each one casting pleading, terrified looks at her and her captor. Whimpers and faint sobs filled the air, a quiet desperation that wrapped
Elizabeth’s eyes fluttered open, a dull, throbbing ache pulsing through her head. For a moment, she blinked against the haze clouding her vision, disoriented and struggling to remember what had happened. The room around her was dimly lit, and as her senses slowly returned, she became aware of the cold, hard surface beneath her.Where was she?She tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over her, forcing her to lie back down, her breathing shallow and quick. As she pressed a shaky hand against her forehead, fragments of recent events began to return. She remembered Uncle Nick’s taunting laughter, his cold, unforgiving stare. The feeling of glass shattering as he struck her—pain, panic, and the fading hope that someone might find her.Now, here she was, alone in an unfamiliar place. Slowly, she sat up, ignoring the ache that shot through her side, and let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Her heart pounded as she took in her surroundings. She appeared to be in the back of a mov
Ryan stared at the blank wall of his living room, feeling a gnawing sense of helplessness. Elizabeth was out there somewhere, in danger, probably terrified and alone, and he was just sitting here, doing nothing. He couldn’t shake the thought. His sister’s face, her laughter, the memories of growing up together—it all flooded back, blending into a torrent of guilt that he couldn’t contain anymore. He had to do something, anything, to bring her back.Without a second thought, he grabbed his phone and dialed Mike’s number. The phone rang, each second stretching longer than the last, until finally, Mike picked up.“Yeah, Ryan?” Mike’s voice was curt, his tone edged with exhaustion and tension.“Mike,” Ryan began, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. “I can’t just sit here and do nothing. It’s killing me, man. I need to come out there and help you find her. Just staying here…it feels like I’m abandoning her.”Silence lingered on the other end of the line. Ryan waited, his hand
Mr. Black’s footsteps echoed through the dim hallway as he made his way to the lower levels of the building. It was a place reserved for special cases, the types of people he couldn’t trust within the walls of a regular cell. And tonight, Uncle Nick had earned himself a spot here, his smug expression seared into Mr. Black’s memory as he was dragged out of the SUV.Nick’s taunts echoed in his mind: the mocking, the cruel insinuation that Elizabeth was out of reach, somewhere only Nick could get to. Every laugh, every dismissive word had clawed at him, stoking the fire within his chest. Elizabeth was missing, yet Nick acted as if he was untouchable, as if nothing they did could get him to talk. Mr. Black’s fists clenched at his sides as he reached the heavy steel door of Nick’s cell.The second he unlocked it, Nick’s mocking laughter met his ears. The sound was sharp, cutting through the silence like glass shattering. It echoed down the hallway, filling every corner with a grating irrit