Bella: Before everything

Just as Bella thought big, fancy, luxurious cars were parked all over the premises. Sleek black vehicles with tinted windows lined the grand entrance, each one belonging to some powerful businessman whose name she didn't know… or didn't want to know.Men in tailored suits stepped out, flashes from paparazzi cameras bursting across the crimson carpet like lightning.It was almost blinding, Bella thought with a soft laugh. She slipped on her shades, shielding her eyes. She hated glasses hated how they pinched her nose, how they made her feel small. She'd rather see the world blurry than wear them. Only when she read only when the story grew too good to resist would she put them on.A bodyguard standing at the velvet rope rushed forward, opening the car door for Mr. White and his daughters, Bella and Lilly.Bella walked quickly, head down, avoiding the flashes of cameras that seemed hungry for a story. Her sister, on the other hand, turned toward every lens, smiling, posing like it was h

The evening drew near to the end. Luxurious cars that had been parked outside came to collect wealthy men and women from the building. Their chests held high, the women hoisted their gowns to display their wealth among the others.To see who had the richest husband. Behind the walls, Mr. White and Riven sat in his secret office. Two of Riven's bodyguards and six bodyguards accompanied Mr. White three outside the door and three inside the room.The two men stared at each other. Mr. White desperately tried to hide the fear in his eyes. To everyone else in the room he hid it perfectly, but to Riven it was as bold as the sun markedly visible, like a pimple on a teenage girl's face.Riven stilly tapped his foot; the sound was barely audible.The floor was a wooden floor perfectly grained and polished. The couch in the room was crafted from vintage leather; a golden chandelier hung above, and a shelf full of books lined the wall. It screamed luxury but was quiet, modern, and simple.The two

Where are these people taking me? Where am I?I'm scared. Who are they, and what do they want from me?I hope this isn't one of Lilly's silly pranks or some dumb way to surprise me. I'm really scared. I can't call for help or even speak. I'm tied up and unable to move.The room feels suffocatingly hot, the air heavy and dry like a locked attic. It smells faintly of metal, dust, and something sharp—maybe cleaning chemicals. The walls around me are bare concrete, streaked with old water stains, and a single bulb flickers overhead, throwing long shadows across the floor.Oh God, please protect me, I whisper through uncontrollable sobs."Take the blindfold off," a man's deep voice orders.Bella's heart races as she hears the command. Rough fingers tug at the cloth, and light slices through the darkness, stabbing at her eyes. She blinks several times before the shapes around her sharpen.Three men stand before her, all dressed in black suits that fit too perfectly to be ordinary. They're t

"You see, princess," Riven began, his voice smooth but dangerously calm, "this is all your cold father's fault. He did something to me and my family years ago… and today he has to pay for that mistake. And what better way to pay than by hurting the ones he loves most?"His words slithered through the air like venom.He reached forward, his hand gripping her chin firmly , not enough to bruise, but enough to make her look him directly in the eyes.Bella's heart hammered in her chest. She didn't want to look, but his stare dragged her in ,deep, blue, and cold like the ocean on a winter night.She didn't pay attention to him before, but now he forced her to.Father? her mind echoed, confusion slicing through her fear. How does my father know this man? What is he talking about? My father would never hurt anyone ,he can't even kill a mosquito.No, she whispered in her thoughts, this man is lying. He's mad… he's cruel.Riven stepped back slightly, watching her shake her head in disbelief. He

The sun rose gently over the horizon, casting a soft golden glow that stretched across the world a world full of bitterness, yet somehow kissed by new hope. The sky was a blur of tender blue, clouds forming faint, dreamlike shapes as if angels themselves had painted them. Birds chirped in harmony, their songs sweet and unbothered, as they fluttered through the cool morning breeze, catching an early worm for breakfast.The trees swayed gracefully, their leaves whispering secrets to the wind. Everything looked alive green, bright, breathtaking. A nearby stream glimmered beneath the light, its rippling surface reflecting fragments of the waking sun. Fishes darted playfully downstream, gliding over small stones and through gentle waterfalls. The place was peaceful, almost too peaceful a slice of heaven hiding in a dangerous world.Inside the luxurious villa, two broken souls lay in restless peace.Both were wounded but only one carried light, while the other was darkness wrapped in human