“ANNA!” Liam screamed, watching Anna’s body make contact with the car. A shock ran through his system, and for a moment, everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. He dashed towards her, taking wide steps, but he was still late. He only managed to touch the fringe of her dress before her head touched the floor.
The culprit swerved, screeching tires filling the tense silence, before driving off. He didn’t even bother to check out the conditions of his victim. A classic case of hit and run. It almost seemed like a premeditated murder, not a pure accident. Either that, or it was a case of drunk driving.
“Anna,” he called, kneeling beside her, his knees hitting hard on the asphalt, but he didn’t care. She was his priority. He shook her shoulders, his hands trembling, and his heart slamming against his rib cage. His chest tightened, panic taking over her entire being, and his breath became ragged and heavy.
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“Turn on the camera,” the boss woman ordered one of her men, and grabbed a handful of Anna’s hair. “Before you inflate your self-importance, you are just a chess piece to me.” She laughed, yanking Anna’s hair back. “I want your dear husband to beg for mercy.”Anna tensed, her breathing shallow, but still met the woman’s gaze without flinching. “Go ahead,” she snarled. “Do your worst.”Enraged, the boss woman nodded to her men. One opened a black case on the table, revealing a set of tools gleaming coldly under the overhead lamp: pliers, knives, and a small blowtorch. She lifted a pair of pliers, weighing them thoughtfully in her hand. “I always start with the fingers,” she said almost as if sharing a recipe. She gripped Anna’s right hand, forcing it flat against the table.With a swift motion, the woman closed the pliers around Anna’s pinky finger, nearly crushi
“You have a valid point,” the second guy chuckled, his eyes brightening at her snarky attitude. He stood, looming over her as the bulb overhead hummed, and tapped the first guy on the shoulder. “This one is interesting. Too bad I won’t be around long enough to see how this plays out.”“Does that mean I get to keep my clothes on?” Anna asked, scooting over and leaning her back on the wall.“Disappointed?” The second guy smirked, rubbing his palms together. “Unfortunately, I’m in no mood for a lap dance right now. All I want to do is get the fuck out of this stinky place.” He turned to the first guy. “Chad, any response yet? This is taking too long.”“They are here.”The metallic clunk of the basement door opening sliced through the still air. The two kidnappers straightened and squared their shoulders as a woman in a sleek black suit descended the stairs with measured grace. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and her heels clicked sharply on the concrete, hard enough to leave ma
Anna turned her heavy head after an unknown time. A dull ache pulsed at the back of her skull as awareness began to seep in. The cold concrete bit into her cheek as she lay on the hard floor. She blinked slowly, her eyelids heavy as if weighed down by lead. A faint stench of a dumpster assailed her, and she scrunched her nose in disgust.She surveyed her surroundings as soon as her heavy eyelids opened. She was in a tiny, dark room, most likely a basement due to the lack of windows. A single bulb flickered above, its light forming a pale halo on the cracked floor.Her vision cleared enough to see her legs bound with a rope, her joggers smeared with dirt, and her sneakers were long gone. Other than her awkward position, everything else was still intact. She tried to move, but her wrists stung under the tight rope, causing a soft groan to escape her lips.None of her captors were with her in the room, and she almost squealed in excitement. That gave he
“Babe, what’s wrong?” Liam asked, sensing her sudden stiffening.“Nothing,” she answered absentmindedly, her mind still engrossed in the message. Who could it be? What did the message mean? Was it meant for her, or did the sender get the wrong number? She had too many questions and few answers. But there was only one way to find out. She typed a response.Who are you, and what do you mean?}The tiny checkmarks below the message turned blue immediately, signaling that the person on the other side had read the message. She waited for the reply bubble to appear, but there was none. Two minutes went by, and there was still no response.Anna frowned. Curiosity was eating her up, and she couldn’t sit still anymore. She dialed the number and made the call, but she was met with the mechanical beeping on the other end. The call couldn’t go through. Another message chimed in almost immediately.[Don’t be impati
Melisa’s downfall was still a hot topic in the news, and the media did not waste time in uncovering all her dirty secrets. Three other accomplices had been arrested as well. She had appeared before the court the previous day, and she was sentenced to five years in prison. Her family business had been seized by the court and auctioned to repay all the victims of her scams. Liam had taken this chance to buy it at a throwaway price, killing two birds with one stone. He smiled in satisfaction. He had finally gotten Melisa out of the way.Two days later, Liam and Anna stepped into the old Parker mansion hand in hand. Anna was part of the Parker family, and it was time for some rules to change. It was time to set the records straight with his grandmother. He was tired of living like a puppet, always following his grandma’s orders. That wasn’t the kind of life he wanted to live. He wanted a life of freedom, living his life the way he wanted.Anna seemed a little hesitant to step into the hou
The police car door slammed behind Melisa with a hollow, metallic clank that echoed in her chest. She sat there, frozen in the back seat, her wrists stiff in the cuffs resting awkwardly in her lap. The gown bunched beneath her, the high-slit satin twisted uncomfortably against vinyl upholstery. It was too tight, too loud, and too wrong for this space.Outside, the flashes still popped as the crowd buzzed beyond the glass, blurred faces pressed toward the window. Some were still filming. She could hear the shouting even with the windows rolled up. She turned away from the window, pressing her cheek to the cool plastic partition between her and the front seats. No tinted glass would be dark enough now. Her name would be trending before they even hit the next traffic light.She glanced down at her hands, the contrast glaring at her. Her perfectly manicured fingers were shaking. Her wrists were red where the metal had pressed. Her lap, once a place to pose and smile, was now a mess of cru