The Unknown Connection

Her feet began to ache, and exhaustion settled heavily over her body, but she continued walking. Every few minutes, she glanced behind her, making sure no one was following. Nothing seemed unusual. The streets remained almost empty, with only the occasional vehicle passing through the darkness. Then, suddenly, a pair of headlights appeared ahead of her.

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‎Sera slowed her pace.

‎The vehicle came closer. She moved toward the side of the road, expecting it to pass, but the headlights remained fixed in her direction. 

‎Their brightness forced her to raise a hand against her face. Her other hand tightened around the handle of her bag as uneasiness spread through her. The car slowed as it approached, then suddenly turned toward her.

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‎Sera stepped backward, her heart pounding as the headlights blinded her. The vehicle came to a complete stop beside her, and for one brief second, everything around her fell strangely silent. 

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‎Then the passenger door opened. A man stepped out, his face hidden by the darkness. Sera immediately turned and tried to run, but before she could take more than a few steps, another figure emerged from behind her. A hand suddenly clamped over her mouth.

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‎Sera struggled violently, dropping her bag as she tried to break free, but the man's grip only tightened. Her muffled cry disappeared into the empty street as her vision began to blur. 

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‎The last thing she saw was her travel bag lying on the pavement beneath the harsh headlights.

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—

The darkness came slowly at first, swallowing the last traces of the street until even the glare of the headlights disappeared. 

When Sera finally regained consciousness, the first thing she felt was the cold. It seeped through her clothes and settled against her skin, making her body shiver before she had even opened her eyes. She tried to move, but a sharp pain around her wrists stopped her. Her hands were tied behind her, and the rough surface beneath her made it clear that she was no longer lying on the pavement. 

It was already morning.

Sera's breathing quickened as she struggled to remember what had happened. The headlights came back to her first, followed by the sound of the car stopping and the sudden grip around her mouth. 

She remembered fighting, remembered trying to scream, and then nothing. Her eyes opened, but darkness greeted her. Something had been tied over them, blocking her vision completely. She pulled against the restraints again, but they held firm.

For several seconds, Sera remained still, listening. The place was strangely quiet, but it was not empty. 

Somewhere nearby, she could hear the faint scrape of shoes against concrete. A low murmur followed, then another voice answered. The sound echoed through the space, making it difficult to tell how far away the men were. 

Sera swallowed hard and tried to control her breathing. The air smelled of dust and damp cement, and the cold breeze moving across her face suggested that the building was unfinished. There was no proper insulation, no closed windows, and no familiar sound of traffic close by. She shifted carefully, feeling the hard floor beneath her. 

Her mind raced through the few things she could remember before she was taken. She had been walking alone. She had checked behind her several times. No one had followed her. At least, no one she had noticed.

A sudden sound came from somewhere behind her. Footsteps. Sera stiffened immediately, her body tensing as the sound grew closer, each step slow and deliberate against the unfinished floor. 

The footsteps continued until they suddenly stopped, and the silence that followed made her flinch. She could hear the faint movement of the men around her, but no one spoke. Then a voice finally broke through the silence. 

“Boss is here.” Sera's heart dropped. Almost immediately, she heard the men who had been standing around her begin to move away, their footsteps retreating across the concrete floor as they made room for whoever had just arrived. 

She remained still, listening carefully as their footsteps became quieter until another sound replaced them. Someone else was approaching. These footsteps were different. They were calm and measured, each step carrying a quiet confidence that made Sera's breathing grow shallow. The person did not rush, and he did not hesitate. He simply walked toward her until the footsteps stopped directly in front of her.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then a hand suddenly reached forward and lifted her chin, forcing her face upward. 

Sera flinched at the unexpected touch, her body trembling slightly as the man's fingers held her jaw firmly. She still could not see him because of the cloth covering her eyes, but she could feel how close he was. 

He remained silent for a moment, as though examining her before finally speaking. “Wow.” His voice was low and controlled. 

He paused briefly before adding, “Wow, wow, wow.” 

Sera swallowed hard and tried to pull her face away, but his hand remained beneath her chin for another second before he released her. “I expected you to be more difficult.” Sera's brows drew together beneath the cloth. “Where am I?” she asked, ignoring his comment. 

The man did not answer immediately. “You're asking the wrong question.” Sera's voice became sharper despite the fear running through her. “Then tell me the right one.” A faint silence followed before he said, “You're here because I need to speak with you.”

Sera pulled against the restraints around her wrists and winced when they tightened against her skin. “Then untie me and we can talk.” “Not yet.” The answer came without hesitation. Sera turned her face slightly in the direction of his voice. “Who are you?” Again, he did not answer. 

Instead, he moved around her slowly, his footsteps echoing through the unfinished room. “How well do you know Celine?” The question caught her attention, but she quickly shook her head. “What does Celine have to do with this?” “You live in the same house,” he replied calmly. “You should know her well.” “She's my stepsister. That's all.” 

“That's all?” His voice carried a slight edge this time. “You expect me to believe that?” 

Sera frowned. “I don't care what you believe. I don't know why you brought me here, and I don't know what you're expecting me to tell you.”

The man stopped walking. “Does Celine ever talk about her past?” Sera remained silent for a moment before answering, “Not to me.” 

“Does she talk about the people she knew before she came back?” “I said I don't know.” “Does she ever mention someone who helped her?” Sera's expression tightened. “I don't know what you're talking about.” The man remained quiet, studying her reaction. 

Sera shifted in the chair, clearly becoming more frustrated than frightened by the questions. “If you have something to ask me, just ask it.” His voice remained calm when he answered. “You don't seem very interested in answering my questions.” 

“Because I don't know the answers.” She lifted her chin slightly. “And even if I did, I still wouldn't understand why I'm sitting here tied up in some unfinished building in the middle of nowhere.” The man gave no response to that. Sera continued, “So tell me. Why am I here?”

He stepped closer again, and Sera felt his presence before his voice reached her. “Soon enough, you'll know.” She shook her head. “That's not an answer.” “It's the only one you're getting right now.” 

“And what happens if I don't cooperate?” The room fell silent for a moment. Then the man finally spoke, his voice was colder. “Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be.” Sera stopped struggling, but her breathing remained uneven. 

She could tell from his voice that he was not someone who repeated himself. Whatever he wanted from her, he had brought her there deliberately, and the questions about Celine made it clear that this had nothing to do with the divorce papers Adrian had left with her. “I don't know anything about Celine,” she said again, quieter this time. 

“Then we'll find out how much you do know.”

The conversation continued for some time, with the man asking questions about Celine, her past, the people around her and what had changed after she returned.

 Sera answered only what she knew, repeatedly insisting that there was nothing more she could tell him. 

Eventually, her frustration gave way to tears. “I've told you everything I know,” she said, her voice breaking. “So why am I still here?” She wiped her cheeks against her shoulder, unable to use her hands. “Adrian already chose her. He gave me divorce papers and I decided to leave. I don't understand why I'm being dragged into something that has nothing to do with me.”

The man remained silent as he watched her. For the first time, something in his expression softened. He turned toward the men around them. “Untie her.” One of the men immediately stepped forward, loosened the restraints around Sera's wrists and then removed the cloth covering her eyes. 

Sera blinked several times as the light reached her eyes, slowly adjusting to the unfinished room and the men standing around her. The man she had been speaking to was finally standing clearly in front of her, his face calm and unreadable. 

He reached into his pocket and brought out a thick envelope, holding it toward her. “Take it.” Sera hesitated before accepting it. When she opened it and saw the money inside, confusion crossed her face. “Why are you giving me this?” The man turned away. “You'll need it.” 

Sera looked after him. “For what?” He stopped at the doorway without turning around. “Because things are not going to happen the way you think they will.” With that, he walked away, leaving Sera staring at the envelope in her hands, completely unable to understand what he meant.