LOGINEmily’s lips parted, but no sound came out. Her pulse thudded hard in her ears, drowning out the hum of the hospital’s fluorescent lights.“Does Charles… know?” she asked at last, her voice brittle, as if she feared the answer.Justin’s gaze was steady, almost regretful. “Probably. It’s impossible for him not to know. They live in the same mansion, Emily.”The words hit her like a blade driven deep. Her chest tightened until it hurt to breathe.If Charles had known…if he had known all this time…then the day he took her inside the Adams mansion had been no act of kindness. It was no sanctuary, no refuge.It was a delivery.A hand delivering her straight into the jaws of something dangerous.Her stomach turned, nausea rising like a wave. She could almost feel the cold marble floors of the mansion beneath her feet again, see the shadows in its endless hallways. And all the while, Charles had been silent. Watching. Pretending.She was a lamb being fed to a wolf, and the one she had once t
"Fatal Car Crash on Oakridge Bridge — Victim Identified as Justin Chase."The breath in her chest stopped, not just caught, but stopped. Her eyes skimmed the short paragraph beneath the headline as if maybe, if she read fast enough, the words would rearrange into something else.The accident occurred late this evening when a black sedan lost control… The driver was pronounced dead at the scene… Her hand began to shake.The phone slipped from her fingers and landed on the comforter with a dull thud.She just sat there, her body rigid, her mind a blank sheet that refused to hold the shape of what she’d just read.“Justin….”Her chest ached, and before she could stop it, the first sob broke free. She pressed both hands to her mouth to stifle the sound, but it didn’t matter. Her whole body shook as the tears came harder, spilling hot down her cheeks and soaking her pillow.She had pushed him away to save him.And now he was dead? No… It can’t be.Her last words to him… lies, all of them…
Emily walked quickly toward the library, her book clutched tight against her chest, her knuckles pale with the pressure.The guilt over what she’d just done to Justin sat like a stone in her stomach, heavy and cold. Every step she took seemed to press it deeper, until it felt like she could barely breathe. She could still see his face… the confusion, the hurt… when she’d cut him down with those words. Lies. All lies.She kept her eyes forward, but the prickling at the back of her neck told her she wasn’t alone. She didn’t have to turn around to know it… the rhythm of footsteps behind her wasn’t random. Not too close, not too far. Just enough to shadow her.They were still there.Fine. Let them follow. As long as they thought she was cooperating, they wouldn’t hurt Justin or anyone else.She crossed the central courtyard, the sunlight harsh against her eyes, and made for the library entrance at the far end of the opposite wing.She had almost reached the steps when she heard it.“Emily
At the university, Emily reached the glass doors of the main building, her reflection staring back at her… a perfect bride-to-be in the eyes of the world. But she knew what she was really looking at.A prisoner.Her hand hovered on the door handle, but her gaze shifted, seemingly casual, to the far corner of the courtyard.There.A man in a dark jacket stood half in the shadow of a column, his posture deceptively relaxed. He was pretending to check his phone, but he hadn’t typed a single thing in the last five minutes. His head turned only when she moved… and always just enough to track her.She had already identified three more.One at the vending machines.One leaning against a lamppost.One walking slowly along the garden path, never looking directly at her, but matching her pace whenever she changed direction.Her pulse stayed steady… she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of knowing she noticed.Instead, she smiled at a passing friend, exchanged a quick greeting, and entered the
On the other end, Old Master Frederick’s deep, unhurried voice replied, “A double wedding?”“Yes,” Charles said, leaning back in his chair, his eyes fixed on the city lights outside. “Mine and Nancy’s… and Warren’s with Emily.”Frederick was silent for a moment before asking, “Why so sudden?”Charles’s lips curved into a faint, almost mocking smile. “Isn’t this what you want?”“You don’t need to get angry with me, son,” Frederick said, his tone low, calm… but carrying the weight of something heavy. “Trust me, this is the right thing to do. Nancy by your side will be a big help for you in the future.”Charles exhaled slowly through his nose, tapping the armrest with his fingers.“Then let’s have a double wedding,” Frederick continued smoothly. “Double the celebration, double the fortune.”But before Charles could reply, the sharp CRASH of shattering glass tore through the line.Charles’s eyes narrowed instantly. That was no accidental clink of a glass… it was deliberate, violent.The s
Emily’s wrists ached beneath the zip ties as the blindfold bit into her skin, the rough fabric smelling faintly of dust and leather. Every bump of the car sent a jolt through her body. She kept her breathing steady, forcing herself to memorize the turns, the stops, the slight tilts that told her they were climbing or descending.But the men…They were statues.No shifting, no muttering. Even their breathing seemed swallowed by the darkness. She could almost hear her own heartbeat louder than anything else.“Where are you going to take me?” Her voice was sharp, deliberate…an attempt to sound unafraid.No answer.Her hand tightened around her sling bag, knuckles whitening. Inside…her IDs, the cash, everything Justin had risked himself to give her. It was all she had left between captivity and a chance at freedom.She wasn’t going to give it up.The car slowed. Tires crunched against gravel. Then, without warning, the door yanked open. Cold air hit her face.“Out,” a voice ordered.A han







