ANMELDENLaura's POVI was safe.That was the first thought that entered my mind.I was actually safe.But my body didn't seem to understand that yet.My hands were still shaking.My breathing was still uneven.Every small sound made me tense.Every movement made me think I was back in that room.Back tied to that chair.Back wondering if anyone was ever going to find me.It was becoming a pattern.A horrible, terrifying pattern.Why was I always the one caught in situations like this?Why did danger keep finding me?First Hemsworth.Then the threats.Then the attack.Then this.It was like my life had turned into one never-ending nightmare.I was tired.So unbelievably tired.Quinn held me firmly as we drove back to the mansion.Not in the way he usually held me.Not like he was trying to remind me of the agreement.Not like I was some responsibility he had to manage.Just... firmly.Like he was making sure I was really there.That I wasn't going anywhere.Ryker drove silently, his eyes focus
Quinn's POVI was losing my mind.That was the only explanation.Because the more I thought about it, the more the guilt started eating away at me.We were so close.So damn close.And yet somehow, we were still behind.Maybe if we hadn't stopped at the station.Maybe if I hadn't wasted time standing in front of Hemsworth, letting my anger get the better of me.Maybe if I had just listened to Devon and driven straight here the moment we got the lead.Maybe Laura would already be safe.Maybe she would be sitting beside me right now.The thought made my hands tighten around the steering wheel.I was always prepared.Always thinking ten steps ahead.That was how I survived.That was how I built everything I had.I calculated every possibility.Every risk.Every outcome.So how did I miss this?How did I fail to protect her?"Mr. Cardiff."Thomas's voice cut through my thoughts.I glanced at him through the mirror.He looked tense.Focused."Stop the car."My eyebrows pulled together "Wha
Quinn's POVI was losing my mind.That was the only explanation.Because the more I thought about it, the more the guilt started eating away at me.We were so close.So damn close.And yet somehow, we were still behind.Maybe if we hadn't stopped at the station.Maybe if I hadn't wasted time standing in front of Hemsworth, letting my anger get the better of me.Maybe if I had just listened to Devon and driven straight here the moment we got the lead.Maybe Laura would already be safe.Maybe she would be sitting beside me right now.The thought made my hands tighten around the steering wheel.I was always prepared.Always thinking ten steps ahead.That was how I survived.That was how I built everything I had.I calculated every possibility.Every risk.Every outcome.So how did I miss this?How did I fail to protect her?"Mr. Cardiff."Thomas's voice cut through my thoughts.I glanced at him through the mirror.He looked tense.Focused."Stop the car."My eyebrows pulled together "Wha
Quinn's POVI was losing my mind.That was the only explanation.Because the more I thought about it, the more the guilt started eating away at me.We were so close.So damn close.And yet somehow, we were still behind.Maybe if we hadn't stopped at the station.Maybe if I hadn't wasted time standing in front of Hemsworth, letting my anger get the better of me.Maybe if I had just listened to Devon and driven straight here the moment we got the lead.Maybe Laura would already be safe.Maybe she would be sitting beside me right now.The thought made my hands tighten around the steering wheel.I was always prepared.Always thinking ten steps ahead.That was how I survived.That was how I built everything I had.I calculated every possibility.Every risk.Every outcome.So how did I miss this?How did I fail to protect her?"Mr. Cardiff."Thomas's voice cut through my thoughts.I glanced at him through the mirror.He looked tense.Focused."Stop the car."My eyebrows pulled together "Wha
Laura's POVIt didn't take long.The moment the call ended, everything moved quickly.Too quickly.Before I could even process the fact that I had actually spoken to Quinn, they were alreadydragging me out.Back into the cold night air into another vehicle.The sky was completely dark.No way for me to tell the time.But judging from how quiet everything was, I assumed it was still the early hours of themorning.The kind of hour where the entire world was asleep.Except me.Except the people who had taken me.They forced me into the car and shut the door behind me.The sound made my heart drop.Again.The engine started immediately.The tires screeched against the road.And then we were moving.Fast.I sat there, my hands shaking.My mind kept replaying the call.Had Quinn understood?Had he heard what I was actually trying to say?Or had I failed?I couldn't tell him where I was.Barry made sure of that.Every single word I said had been controlled.Care
Quinn's POV The drive felt like it was taking forever. Every second that passed felt like another second Laura was somewhere without me. I kept my eyes on the road, my hands gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary. Devon sat beside me, working through everything on his laptop. Ryker sat in the back, quietly going through the information we had. Nobody spoke. Nobody needed to. The tension was heavy enough. "Stop at the station." Devon looked up. "Mr. Cardiff?" "I need to update the PI." I glanced at the rearview mirror. "We need to make sure Hemsworth stays where he is. If he has anything to do with this, I want him nowhere near a phone. Ryker nodded "That's a good idea sir." I turned the car around a corner a few minutes later, we arrived at the station. I walked inside quickly. The officer at the front desk looked up. "Can I help you?" "I'm looking for the investigator I hired." He nodded. "He's in the interrogation room." He sa
Laura’s POVThe driver was already parked right in front of the studio entrance when I walked out.I moved slowly.Carefully.Like someone carrying the entire weight of the world on her back.‘Grow up, Laura’.Thomas’s voice rang inside my head so loudly it almost felt physical.My whole body shive
Quinn’s POV“And what exactly is the estimated budget?” I asked, flipping through the file in front of me without really seeing any of the words.The boardroom was silent for a second before Elena adjusted her glasses and spoke.“About two hundred million dollars, sir.”I nodded once.“Check with m
Laura’s POVWe redid the same scene about twice before Thomas finally called it a wrap for the night.My entire mood had been wrecked after earlier, and it showed in every scene. I kept missing cues, forgetting tiny details I normally would have remembered, and once I even stumbled over a line so b
DevonNone of it made sense.I stared at the three monitors in front of me, exhaustion burning behind my eyes while lines of code reflected against the lenses of my glasses.For the seventh night in a row, I was still trying to trace the anonymous messages threatening Laura Cardiff.And for the sev







