Jade's POV The car roared to life beneath my hands, the engine purring steadily as I shifted it into gear and pulled out of the woods. Oliver sat in the passenger seat, soaked and clutching Daphne tightly in his arms. Her wet hair clung to her pale cheeks, and her body shivered uncontrollably despite the coat he'd wrapped around her.My heart was still hammering from the moment I’d seen her leap from that cliff. And the way Oliver—without a second’s hesitation—had gone after her, diving headlong into danger, barefoot and desperate, like nothing else in the world mattered. I stole a glance at them through the rearview mirror.He was pressing his lips to hers again, giving her mouth-to-mouth, gently whispering her name between breaths. "Come on, Daphne. Come back to me. Please, come back."Then, like a miracle, I saw her cough. Water sputtered from her lips and she choked back air, her eyes flying open in terror. She gasped, disoriented, her hands clutching at his coat as if to make su
Oliver's POV The storm in my chest wasn’t letting up. My hands trembled slightly as I gripped my phone, walking the length of the living room floor for the hundredth time. Jade was pacing too, her lips tight with worry, while Brittany sat silently on the edge of the couch, wringing her fingers.“She’s not answering,” Jade muttered, glancing up at me. “Her phone’s been off for hours now, Oliver.”“I know,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. But inside, I was screaming.“Jade, can you at least stop pacing? You're making things worse here.” I voiced out in irritation.I pulled out my phone again and dialed my head tech specialist. “I need you to track one of my cars,” I said, my voice sharp with urgency. “Registration number: XVD-943-HG. It’s the black Mercedes S-Class. It left the office around noon. Track it. Now.”The guy responded quickly, “Give me five minutes, sir.”Those five minutes stretched like five hours.I could hear Brittany’s breath hitching, Jade whispering reassura
Daphne's POV I stopped counting the hours.The silence around me was thick, swallowing every sound but the occasional drip of water from a pipe above me. Coldness curled into my bones. I’d long since given up screaming. The rough ropes around my wrists had turned my skin raw. Every movement burned.But the thought of giving up never crossed my mind. I had to survive, by any means. My life can't end this way, not in the hands of this seductress.It was night now. The shadows had grown deeper and the air heavier. I curled into the corner of the room, shivering, aching, starved. My stomach growled, but I didn’t touch the food the guard left hours ago. I couldn’t. Not after the way he looked at me, like I was already a corpse.It could be poisoned. Perhaps, Evelyn couldn't come up with creative ways to end my life.The time was fast ticking. With Evelyn away and the guards were busy doing God-knows-what, I had to get out.I shifted forcefully again and felt the edge of the tray brush aga
Daphne's POV The silence after Evelyn left was deafening.It filled every crack in the concrete room, pressing down on my chest like a weight. My ears rang with the echo of her voice, mocking, poisonous, victorious."Oliver is mine.""You're nothing but a stand-in."Those words kept stabbing me like cold daggers, over and over, each one dragging my heart deeper into the pit of despair.She showed me pictures. I saw them.Her body tangled against his in dimly lit hotel rooms, Oliver’s face relaxed and familiar—kissing her, holding her. There was one of her straddling him in bed, his hand brushing her cheek like she meant something to him. She was in lingerie. In some, she was half-naked. And the look in his eyes… wasn’t distant. It was focused. Like she was everything.I couldn’t stop the sob that broke from my chest.He said he was done with her. He said he cared. That what we had—what we shared—was real. But the man in those photos didn’t look like someone who had let go. He looked.
Daphne's POV My eyelids felt like bricks.I tried to blink, but everything around me was blurry. The light above flickered weakly, casting a dim yellow haze across a cracked, concrete ceiling. My head throbbed, a deep, nauseating ache pulsing with every heartbeat. My throat burned, mouth parched and dry, and my limbs… I couldn’t move them.I struggled, only to feel a sharp sting at my wrists. They were tied, tightly. My ankles too. Panic slithered in like a cold wind. My body felt heavy, sluggish like I was drugged.The room around me came into clearer view: four concrete walls, a rusting metal door, no windows. The floor was grimy and damp. A single light bulb dangled above, its weak glow casting eerie shadows that danced like ghosts on the walls.*Where am I?*Bits and pieces of memory returned.I had gone to the hospital. I’d just seen my mother. I was relieved she was doing well. Then… the car. The road. A sharp sting. Something pressed to my face.Chloroform.And then—nothing.
Jade's POV The sun had already begun its descent, casting golden streaks across the towering windows of Symphonic Ballet Theatre. I had just returned from a short errand—signing off vendor logistics for the upcoming event—when I checked my phone again. Still no reply from Daphne. It had been hours since I last heard from her.I frowned. That wasn’t like her. She was always responsive, especially knowing how much depended on every little detail these days. I tried again. One ring. Two rings. Voicemail."Daphne, it’s me again. Just checking in. Call me when you get this, alright?" I ended the call, trying to steady my breathing.Maybe she was busy. Maybe she just needed a moment alone. Maybe…No. Something was off.As I stepped into her office, the pit in my stomach grew deeper. The room was empty. Untouched. No sign that she had been here in the last couple of hours."Damian," I said as I marched toward the chief of security. He stood at his post outside the main corridor, looking as