You don’t have to tell me," he said softly, his lips close to mine. "But I want to find out myself."
Before I could think of pushing him away, Alex kissed me, his tongue entering my mouth easily, making me weak. He held my hair, pulling me closer, as if he wanted more. I tried to push him away, but my body didn’t listen, and my arms wrapped around his neck. Suddenly, the door opened, and we both stopped. Alex's girlfriend, Victoria, stood there, shocked. She looked at us, her eyes moving from us to our lips. For a moment, everything was silent, except for our hearts beating loudly. Then she screamed, breaking the silence. Alex jumped back, his hand falling from my neck. "Victoria," he said, sounding tense. But she was already moving towards us, angry. "What is this, Alex?" she yelled, her voice loud in the room. She looked at me with narrowed eyes. "You little slut! I knew you wanted him!" Alex raised his hands in a calming way, his eyes moving between us. "Victoria, wait, it’s not what it looks like." Victoria was furious, throwing accusations at us. "How can you say that? You’re with the help!" Alex stepped back, looking shocked and guilty. "Victoria, no," he said, his voice tight. "It’s not what you think." But Victoria didn’t want to listen, her anger growing. "You disgusting pig!" she yelled, her eyes wild. Then she turned on me, grabbing my arm. "And you! How could you?" I tried to explain, my voice trembling. "It’s not my fault," I said, but she wasn’t listening. She pulled my hair back hard, making me cry out in pain. I felt tears coming. "You're pathetic," Victoria said, holding me tightly. "Both of you." The pain in my scalp was strong as she dragged me across the soft carpet. I stumbled, trying to keep up with her fast pace. "Victoria, please," I managed to say, my voice barely there. Alex stood back, looking shocked and interested. He didn’t try to help me. It was like he was watching a show. With a quick movement, Victoria pushed me away, and I fell onto the bed. "I knew it," she said, her eyes full of anger. "You’ve been after him, haven’t you?" I looked up, my vision blurry from tears. "That’s not true," I whispered, my voice shaking. "He’s the one who-" But Victoria didn’t want to hear it. She let go of my hair, and I fell onto the bed, the pain in my scalp becoming less sharp. Alex stood in the doorway, smirking. He didn’t say anything, just watched Victoria get angrier. Then he left, leaving me with her. "You little slut," she said, slapping me hard. The hit made my head turn, and I tasted blood. "How could you do this to me?" Tears fell as I tried to explain through sobs, "Victoria, it’s not what you think. He started it." But she was too angry to listen, her fury filling the room. She raised her hand again, nails ready to hit me. "How could you do this to me?" she yelled, her voice full of pain. "You’re just the maid!" The slap echoed, and the sting made me cry more. "Victoria," I begged, "it’s not what you think. He... he started it." But she was too angry, her eyes full of betrayal. "How could you do this to me?" she shouted, her voice breaking. "You’re just the maid!" Tears stained my uniform. "Victoria," I tried to say, my voice shaking. "Please, listen to me. He’s the one who-" But she wouldn’t listen. "You bitch!" she screamed, her nails digging into my cheek. "You think you can just take him from me?" Through my pain and shame, I tried to reason with her. "Victoria, please," I whispered. "It’s not what you think." But she was too angry to hear me. She slapped me again, the sound loud in the room. My cheeks burned, and I knew if I didn’t get away, she would keep hitting me. The worst part? Victoria was my stepsister. The thought of her hate hurt me deeply. But the pain on my cheeks reminded me of the reality. "Victoria," I said, my voice stronger, "you’re my family." Her hand went back, ready to hit me again. "You’re not my family!" she yelled. "You’re just a whore trying to take everything from me!" Her words hit me hard. "Victoria," I said, my voice shaking. "It’s not like that. I promise." Her grip on my face got tighter, her nails digging in. "You’re lying," she said. "You’ve wanted him since you got here."I couldn’t breathe. The room felt like it was closing in on me, the walls pressing in tighter and tighter, and there was no escape. Everything felt wrong. Nothing made sense anymore. My heart ached, my mind was spinning, and I felt like I was drowning in my own thoughts. I needed to escape. I needed to make it stop, but I couldn’t.Why was this happening? Why couldn’t I find Ethan? Why couldn’t I just wake up from this nightmare and have everything be okay again?I wiped my tears away, but they just kept coming, unstoppable. I had no control over my body, over my mind. It was like a storm was brewing inside me, and I couldn’t calm it. The pain, the fear, the guilt—they were all too much. I couldn’t take it.“Where are you, Ethan?” I whispered to myself, my voice shaky. “Why aren’t you here?”The hospital room around me seemed distant, like it wasn’t even real. I could hear the faint beeping of the machines, the rustling of papers, the muffled voices outside my door, but none of it mat
The hospital room felt suffocating. The walls were too close, the air too thick. And all I could think about was Ethan. His absence was a constant ache in my chest, an unbearable emptiness that refused to leave. I kept asking myself: Where is he? Why can’t I find him?Each passing hour without any news felt like a crushing weight. The doctors and nurses tried to distract me, but nothing could pull me from the black hole of fear that consumed me. It had been days since Ethan disappeared, and with each second, I felt myself slipping further and further from the world around me.I was lying on the hospital bed, staring at the blank ceiling, my mind a jumbled mess. There was nothing but a constant hum in my ears, like the world was moving on without me. I should have been there for him. I should have known something was wrong. Why didn’t I protect him?I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to hold on to some sense of reality, but it was slipping away. I couldn’t hear anything over the scr
The following morning, Harrison looked more determined than ever. The message from Adrianne had shaken us both, but he had a look in his eyes that told me he was done waiting around. He was ready to face this head-on, no matter the risks.“Harrison,” I said softly, catching his attention as he prepared to leave. “Are you sure about this? Going to Blackwood and Luca... they’re dangerous. We don’t know what they’re planning, or if they’re even working with Adrianne.”He gave me a reassuring look and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Emma, I can’t sit here any longer while Ethan is out there, alone and scared. I need to confront them, to understand what’s going on. Luca’s been hiding too much from me, and if Blackwood’s involved, I need answers.”I took a shaky breath, nodding. His determination gave me strength, even though a part of me was terrified about what he might be walking into.Rachel walked over, her expression serious. “Harrison, you’re not going alone. Blackwood is ruthless
The dim, sterile light in the hospital room did nothing to ease my restless mind. Lying in the hospital bed, I couldn’t shake the weight of fear and worry crushing down on me. I stared out the window, watching the faint rays of morning sunlight creep over the city, each minute feeling heavier than the last.Harrison was sitting beside me, his face drawn and tense, his injuries still healing, though his focus remained solely on me. He hadn’t left my side since they’d brought me in here last night. Rachel was nearby too, pacing in the hallway, watching for any signs of trouble. None of us could forget that Adrianne still had Ethan, and every second that passed made it harder to stay calm.As I leaned back against the pillows, trying to breathe evenly, there was a knock on the door. Rachel peered in, her face tight with concern.“There’s… there’s something here for you, Emma.” She held up a small envelope. It was plain, but as she handed it to me, I noticed the faint scent of expensive p
After Emma’s rescue, the hospital room buzzed with an anxious quiet as Harrison sat by her bedside, his face etched with worry and exhaustion. Emma was still recovering from the ordeal, bruises fading but her spirit unbroken. She clung to the faint hope that they would find Ethan, but each passing hour without news tightened the grip of dread in her heart.Rachel stood by the doorway, her phone in hand, scouring every contact, every lead, hoping something would crack Adrianne’s careful cover. They knew Adrianne was ruthless and clever; she’d hidden Ethan well, and every search so far had led to nothing but dead ends.“I just... I can’t believe she’s gone this far,” Emma murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, looking up at Harrison with weary eyes.“She won’t get away with it, Emma. We’ll find him,” Harrison said, his voice low but resolute. Yet even he knew their chances seemed slimmer with each passing moment. Adrianne had gone silent, vanishing from their radar, and without a s
As we drove, every second felt like an eternity. My heart pounded as I glanced around, trying to remember every detail of the route we took. The buildings grew sparser, and soon the city’s familiar landscape was replaced by vacant lots and abandoned warehouses. My captors said nothing, and I could feel their silent threats hanging heavy in the air.Finally, the car pulled up to an old, looming building. It looked like it hadn’t been touched in years, with cracked windows and walls stained by the elements. The men hauled me out of the car, and I fought the urge to scream, knowing it would fall on deaf ears out here.They led me through a metal door, its rusty hinges groaning as it swung open, revealing a dimly lit staircase that spiraled upward. My stomach twisted as we climbed higher and higher, the echo of our footsteps bouncing off the walls. I clutched my son close, his small arms wrapped around my neck as he whimpered softly, sensing my fear.We reached a floor near the top, where