Chapter 6: Revenge

Flashback Continuation...

Thalia barely had time to react before her wrists were yanked behind her again as the cold steel of the handcuffs began biting into her skin. Her arms ached from how tight they were, but no one seemed to care.

The moment they reached the street outside her office, she was roughly ushered toward a black unmarked car. Her legs stumbled beneath her from the shock, but the officers didn’t slow down. One of them practically shoved her into the backseat, and her shoulder hit the doorframe on the way in.

“Careful!” she winced, but no one answered.

The door slammed behind her.

One officer took the wheel, another sat in the passenger’s seat. The third slid in beside her in the back, far too close, with his uniform brushing against her arm.

The engine growled to life, and the city around them began to blur behind tinted windows.

Thalia’s heart thudded violently in her chest. She sat rigid, her hands trembling in her lap, the cuffs digging deeper with every jolt of the vehicle.

She turned slightly to the officer beside her, trying to find any trace of explanation on his face. “Where… where are you taking me?”

He didn’t answer at first. Instead, without a word, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a black cloth.

Thalia stiffened. “What...what’s that for?”

He didn’t speak and brought the cloth toward her eyes.

“No...please, wait—” she flinched, trying to lean away, but the man grabbed her chin with firm fingers and forced her still.

“Keep still.”

Her breathing quickened. “Why am I being blindfolded?” she asked, voice cracking with panic. “This isn’t procedure...what are you doing?”

The man in the front seat finally responded, in a low voice and almost... resigned tone. “We want nothing to do with you, Miss Ruelle.”

Thalia’s throat dried. “What does that mean?”

The officer beside her tightened the knot behind her head, the cloth now pressed over her eyes. The darkness was sudden and absolute. She gasped, her heart pounding so loud she could barely hear the car anymore.

“Someone wants to deal with you personally,” the man in front continued. “We couldn’t say no. Orders came from higher up.”

Her breath caught. “What orders? What are you talking about? This isn’t legal!”

“Why did you have to kill her?” the officer beside her muttered bitterly, ignoring her protests.

Her stomach dropped.

“I told you,” she whispered shakily, “I didn’t kill anyone. I would never hurt Alina.”

Her voice wavered under the weight of her own disbelief. “She’s my best friend… How could you think I’d do that?”

“Neighbors,” the driver answered. “You were heard arguing with her. One of them claims they heard you forcing your way in her unit.”

“I—I didn’t!” Thalia cried. “She opened the door! I saw her room was a mess and I was concerned!”

“She opened the door,” the man repeated mockingly. “And then she was shouting. You stayed inside for a long time. You left looking shaken. Hours later, no one had seen her. Apartment was unlocked. Lights still on. Her things scattered.”

He paused.

“She’s been missing for almost 48 hours. Her phone was left behind, shattered. She didn’t run. She didn’t pack. And the only person seen with her that day—was you.”

“No,” she breathed. “No, that’s not possible…”

She tried to yank her arms, but the cuffs held firm. Her breath started to come in shallow bursts. Tears soaked into the blindfold.

“There has to be a mistake,” she said. “Check the CCTV. The security footage. I didn’t—”

“It was tampered with,” the officer cut in. “Footage from her floor went dark around the time you were seen arriving. Digital forensics say someone wiped part of the drive. Convenient, isn’t it?”

Thalia shook her head furiously. “You’re twisting everything—I didn’t do anything! I just wanted to congratulate her. She was upset, yes—but I didn’t even touch her!”

But the officers didn’t respond.

The only sound was the low purr of the engine slowing to a halt. The car stopped.

Before Thalia could form another question, the rear door swung open and rough hands grabbed her by the arms. She cried out in protest, her voice muffled by the blindfold, but they said nothing.

She was yanked upright, her legs barely steady beneath her. Still blindfolded, still cuffed, they dragged her forward. The soles of her shoes scraped against rough concrete, then smoother flooring, and then she felt the hollow, echoing chill of an empty space around her.

Then she heard it a heavy door unlocking.

She barely had time to brace herself before they shoved her forward again, and she stumbled into the room. Her knees hit the floor with a painful crack. The breath was knocked from her lungs.

The door slammed shut behind her with a final thud.

Thalia’s breath hitched and her heart thundered in her chest. Her arms trembled behind her. She struggled to get upright but couldn’t balance properly with her hands bound.

“Where...am I?” she whispered hoarsely, turning her head blindly toward the echo. “I-is anyone here?”

But there was nothing but silence.

“Please...” Her words dissolved into quiet sobs as the fear finally spilled from her chest. She was blind, alone, and accused of the worst thing imaginable. Murder. The ache of betrayal, confusion, and terror twisted in her gut like a knife.

“Somebody... help…”

But out of nowhere, a familiar voice coldly echoed in the room.

“Did she beg you that way too?”

Thalia instantly froze. Her breath caught in her throat as she spoke.

“…Kael?”

End of Flashback...