Now, you're back

Running deeper into the alley would only lead to a dead end. So Brandy ran towards the main road, hoping to flag down a car and escape. However, it wasn't easy to catch a ride on the roadside.

‎The bodyguards were hot on her heels.  Brandy desperately searched for a hiding place. In her franic search, a black Rolls-Royce parked across the road caught her eye, like a beast lurking in the darkness.

‎Without a second thought, she ran across and took cover behind the car. Leaning against the car, she panted heavily. The car was a solid block of black, offering no view inside, only a faint reflection of her own franic face.

‎The sudden ring of her phone in her handbag startled her. She snatched it out, answered it and cautiously peeked from behind the car. Seeing the bodyguards across the street, still searching, she shrank back behind the car.

‎Linda's voice came through the phone, "Brandy, where are you? I didn't see you in the restroom."

‎"Auntie, I...I'm heading back now."

‎"Heading back? To the hotel? Oh, no, dear, you're coming home with me. Your room is all ready, the same one as always..."

‎As she listened to her aunt, she heard a subtle noise behind her–the sound of a car window sliding down.

‎Brandy froze, turning her head to look back. The car window was lowering, slowly revealing the man inside. Even shrouded in shadow, his features were still breathtakingly handsome, almost dangerously so.

‎Her eyes met his–deep, dark, and predatory. Brandy's breath hitched. The voice on the phone became a distant hum.

‎"Ah!" Brandy cried out, stumbling backwqrds.

‎"Brandy? What's wrong? "Linda's voice was sharp with concern.

‎Brandy cut the call, shoving her phone into her handbag and breaking into a run But the moment she lifted her foot, the bodyguards surged forward, blocking her path. She was trapped.

‎The car door opened, and Jose stepped out, his long legs devouring the space between them.

‎"Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to run from me?" His voice was low and icy.

‎Brandy whirled around, panic setting in. "Why are you–"

‎Jose’s large hand seized her face, yanking her close.

‎"Ah!" The pressure was excruciating, threatening to crush her skull. Brandy gritted her teeth in pain.

‎"I thought you'd vanished forever!”

‎Jose's lips brushed her ear, his dark eyes gleaming with a possessive light. "Brandy!"

‎His hot breath washed over her skin, his voice a demonic whisper that vibrated against her eardrum. Claire's face drained of all color.

‎Jose gripped the back of her neck, a possesive hold as he forced her into the car.

‎"Ah!" The car was spacious, but Brandy landed hard against the leather seats. Jose followed, slamming the door shut with a resounding thud.

‎The car sped away, disappearing into the night, as if it was a calculated abduction.

‎Brandy, her voice laced with panic, clawed at the window. "Where are you taking me? Let me go!"

‎Jose leaned in, his shadow engulfing her. He cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, his face devoid of warmth. "Is that an order?"

‎"N–no..."

‎"Remember how you used to call me brother at willam’sFamily? Say it again."

‎"No... I left the willam's Family long ago. I only came for the party, Please, I won't come back to Elite City, I swear!"  Brandy's body trembling despite her will..

‎"You seem terrified of me. Hmm?" Jose tilted her chin up, a predator toying with its trembling prey.

‎Brandy couldn't speak. Jose was like a monster, a madman, and the oppressive aura he exuded was even stronger than before. She would never escape the shadows of her past at Johnson Family, especially now, with their three children binding them together..

‎The unknown fear gripped her, consuming her body and soul...

‎"Please, let me go. I'll leave the country, disappear from your life, and never return. Please..." Brandy pleaded. Tears gathered in her eyes, her beautiful, pale neck strained with desperate tension.

‎Behind her, she clutched her handbag tightly, desperate to keep it hidden from Jose's gaze. One glance, she feared, would reveal everything...

‎Jose's fingers, still clamped on her chin, began to stroke, the rough calluses a deliberate contrast against her soft skin.  It was a slow, agonizing caress, like the cold steel of the Grim Reaper's blade against her throat.

‎"Now that you're back, you're not going anywhere." Jose said, his voice like ice,  releasing her face with a casual cruelty.

‎Tears streamed down Brandy's face, choking her words. "Please..."

‎Roman lazily reclined against the black leather, watching the frantic girl with a dark, devilish gaze.

‎The Rolls-Royce tore through the night like a black panther. Twenty minutes later, it pulled up to a huge mansion–the kind of place only the super-rich could afford.. Jose remained pinned to her seat the entire time, her heart hammering as Roman stepped out of the car, radiating an aura of oppressive power.

‎"Need an invitation to leave?" his voice was mischievous and mocking. He stood tall in the darkness, blocking the light.

‎Brandy considered the open door for a moment, but then reached across and unlocked the door on the other side, exiting that way.

‎It was the easiest way out without having to crawl over to him.

‎Clutching her handbag, she scrambled out, slamming the door shut before fumbling in her bag for her phone, desperate to switch it off. It was evening here, but morning back home, and she couldn't risk Aunt Katerina  or the kids calling–Jose would find out for sure!

‎But first, the lock screen.

‎Her fingers trembled as she typed the six-digit code. messing it up in her haste. She deleted it and tried again...

‎The car shielded Brandy as Jose walked around it, his dark eyes like a hawk's.  He saw Brandy standing there, frozen, her expression a mask of panic.

‎"What are you waiting for?" he asked.

‎Jose seemed to have just caught her breath. That was close... She looked towards the castle-like mansion beside them, "I... I want to leave... I can stay at a hotel... Ah!”

‎Before she could finish, a shadow fell over her. Jose's hand clamped around the back of her neck. Pain exploded behind her eyes. "It hurts! Let go! I can walk..."

‎"Don't test me, Brandy," Jose shoved her away. “Patience isn't one of my virtues.”

‎Her heels wobbled, and she stumbled, catching herself on the car.

‎Inside the mansion, Brandy felt dwarfed, trapped. An invisible, gilded cage descended from the sky, offering no escape.

‎The foyer alone was larger than most people's apartments.

‎Brandy stood rooted to the spot, fear coiling her gut. She knew exactly where she was, Jose’s s house.

‎