Shouldn't have come

Jose tossed his coat onto the sofa, the black shirt stretched taut across his broad chest, a blatant display of power. Brandy's eyes flickered down. Two years hadn't erased the memory of what lay beneath that fabric: sculpted muscle, barely contained energy, a raw, animalistic sensuality.

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‎"Why...did you bring me here?" she asked timidly. Direct confrontation with such raw power would be madness, a fast track to destruction.

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‎But then, a loud rumble cut through the tension. Her stomach growled, a loud, embarrassing protest. Heat flooded her cheeks. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything since the plane, and the day's terror had left her drained.

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‎"Looks like someone's hungry,"Jose said in a cold and stern voice.

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‎"Bring it."

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‎A middle-aged man in work clothes emerged, carrying a steaming bowl. He placed it on the coffee table.

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‎"Mr. William, the seafood noodles are ready," Daniel, the butler, announced, then stepped aside respectfully, as if he didn't exist.

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‎But when Brandy heard the word "seafood", her face turned pale.

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‎"Enjoy your meal," Jose said, his eyes like chips of ice.

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‎"I... I can't. I'm allergic," Brandy's voice trembled. The thought of seafood sent a wave of panic through her. A reaction could be deadly. She'd been there before...

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‎"So, you reject my… hospitality."

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‎A flicker of something dangerous crossed Jose's face. Now Brandy understood. Jose was doing this on purpose. He wanted to see her suffer.

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‎"No...please, I can't... I'll die..."

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‎She recoiled, desperate to escape. Jose stepped forward, grabbed Brandy's arm, and threw her towards the coffee table.

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‎"Eat!"

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‎"Ah!" Brandy cried out as she slammed into the coffee table, the force sending her handbag flying. It skidded across the floor for several feet. In her haste, she hadn't zipped the bag. Now, her phone tumbled out, landing exposed on the floor.

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‎Ignoring the throbbing pain in her knee, Brandy stared at it, a wave of panic washing over her. The worst part was, Jose was heading straight for it.

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‎As he picked up the phone, Brandy's breath caught in her throat. Jose held the phone, noting it was powered off. He pressed the power button on the side. It wasn't a dead battery.

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‎"I...I was worried my aunt would call,” Brandy stammered. She knew that Jose's hatred for her aunt ran deep.

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‎"Password."

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‎Jose's gaze swept over her like ice. The fear inside Brandy tightened its grip, constricting her throat, stealing her air. But she knew that the more she felt this way, the more she needed to stay calm.

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‎"Let me..." Brandy walked over. She carefully took the phone from Jose's hand and walked to the coffee table, as if shielding the screen from prying eyes.

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‎Jose simply watched her, a hint of mockery in his cold gaze.

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‎Brandy entered the password while her eyes darted around the room. Suddenly, she grabbed the bowl of seafood noodles from the coffee table and hurled it at Roman!

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‎With a loud bang, the bowl shattered between them with a crash, the broth and noodles spraying across the floor, creating a messy barrier.

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‎A dangerous glint sparked in Jose's dark eyes.

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‎"Grab her!" he roared.

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‎Fear fueled Brandy's sprint. As she ran out of the lobby, she saw the approaching bodyguards and quickly turned to run in another direction. She spotted an open staircase and scrambled down. But running in heels was treacherous, especially on stairs.

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‎Her foot slipped–

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‎"Ah!"

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‎Brandy tumbled, her body bouncing down the steps. Jose arrived, standing at the top of the stairs, his gaze a cold merciless survey.

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‎At the bottom, Brandy lay on the ground, unconscious, a crimson stain blooming on her forehead.

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‎Brandy jolted awake, as if snapping out of a nightmare. She sat up, a wave of dizziness making her groan. Her hand went to her forehead, finding a bandage. She remembered the stairs, the fall... and then nothing.

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‎Now she was in this unfamiliar room. It was already bright outside...

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‎A sudden thought sent a jolt of panic through Claire. She clutched her chest and scrambled out of bed, rushing into the bathroom. Locking the door behind, she took out her phone from her bra. She managed to stash it there during her escape. Thank God it was safe.

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‎Ignoring the situation she was in, Brandy immediately deleted all messages and photos about her kids. She had backups on her computer, anyway. Once that was done, she texted Aunt Katrina 

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‎"Don't call me. Don't let the kids call me either. Something's come up. I'll call you when it's over. Please, remember."

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‎Aunt Katrina replied: "What happened?"

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‎Brandy texted back: "Don't worry, I'm fine. Just please take care of the children for me.”

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‎Only then did she leave the bathroom. She scanned the room. Unfamiliar, yet the quiet luxury style spoke volumes. She knew, without a doubt, that it was Jose's doing.

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‎What did he want? Whatever it was, Brandy wouldn't stay to find out. She had to get out.

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‎Brandy opened the door and searched for the stairs. The house was so big that she almost got lost. Reaching the bottom, she didn't even glance at her handbag and headed straight for the exit, clutching her phone.

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‎But before she could reach the large iron gate, she was stopped by someone in front of her. She stumbled back, barely avoiding a collision.

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‎"Let me go," Brandy demanded, trying to control her fear.

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‎"Mr. Willam's instructions," the bodyguard said, his voice as cold as a machine.

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‎"Where is he? Where's Jose?"

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‎"I have no information."

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‎Brandy knew then that a direct escape was impossible. What should she do now?

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‎Back in the room, Brandy grabbed her phone and called Linda.

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‎"Aunt, you told me Jose vanished from Elite City years ago? Why was he there?"

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‎If she'd known Jose was in Elite City, she never would have come!

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‎"He's not here, darling! We haven't heard from him in years. If he was in Elite City, we'd know. I wouldn't keep something like that from you!" Linda's voice was urgent.

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‎Brandy trusted her aunt. But why was Jose at Linda and Diego's anniversary party? Some sudden surge of familial affection? Impossible. Linda had told her that Jose had severed all ties with Diego and the entire Willam family. They were estranged.

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‎So why...?

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‎Brandy rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. Jose hadn't been there to celebrate. He'd been waiting for her to fall into this trap.

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‎But now it was too late...

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‎"Brandy, what's wrong? What happened? I've been trying to call you but your phone was off."

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‎"...Nothing. I just ran into an old friend, we went out for drinks, and things got a little... messy." Brandy lied. She didn't want to involve Linda. Jose was targeting her, and her alone.

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