***Her clothes were damp. It was as if she was dipped inside a freezer. Her skin hurt. The cold burned like hell. Hailey opened her eyes, her teeth chattering and her whole body shivering. Where was she?A blurry surrounding appeared in her view and before she could see clearly, her vision was blurred by the cold liquid splashed at her. It was freezing. "Leave her alone."A voice yelled in the background. The sound of a woman crying.And the water was splashed on her again. This time, it entered her mouth and she broke into bouts of coughs. Her eyes opened and a tall figure towered above her. She couldn't see his face clearly. She still couldn't comprehend where she was or how she got here. Then it all began coming back. Last night, she was at the cemetery, and then...A large quantity of the freezing water was poured on her again. This time, Hailey fully regained her senses. She could see the figure clearly. And he moved, stepping toward her. "No, don't hurt her." That famili

"Shut up!" Hailey wriggled her hands fruitlessly to free herself from the men's tight hold. "You are the bitch, Chloe. You shouldn't have run away and hide. You should have put up this bravery and showed yourself to the public.""You're still as arrogant as ever." Chloe clicked her tongue. "You have the mouth to talk to me like that even though you're now at my mercy. Guys–" she nodded to the men. "Beat her up.""Chloe, no. Stop it, please. I'm begging you, leave her alone. Y–You can ask them to beat me instead.""Oh, don't worry. It will soon be your turn."Hailey's head buzzed with noises as one of the men's heavy hands made contact with her cheek, sending her across the floor. She clutched her stomach and bit her lips hard, preventing any sound from escaping. "You bitch! You're never getting away with this!" Her glare returned to Chloe."Guys, what are you waiting for? Beat her to a pulp," Chloe said and gave Hailey a small smile. And the men matched forward. Amidst the buzzes in

***"Ken, you have to save me. These strange men have captured me and they won't release me until you come. If you don't come alone, Ken, they're going to kill me and my Mum. They have laid traps for you, Ken—"Hailey was cut shut by a hard slap across her face. Bound to a chair with ropes, cold water was splashed on her face. She licked the side of her lips, tasting the metallic liquid; the only thing that kept her from fainting."Damnit! Woman. I told you to leave the trap part out! Are you deaf or what!?" The man holding a camera in front of her shouted. "Now, let's take another video. You will say everything you were asked to.""Stop wasting your time, Man," the portly man said and walked forward. "I don't think this lady is willing to cooperate.""I told you she's a stubborn one," Chloe scoffed from a corner."Now listen to me, Young lady." The portly man approached her and lifted her chin. "If you keep acting this way, we can't fulfill our promise to you. Give us your cooperation

Maniac.Hailey lifted her hand weakly to send a slap across his face, but her hand went limp and fell mid-way."M–Murderer." She pushed his chest. "Just go, leave me alone.""Hailey." Footsteps approached the room and Rob said frantically, "Please hold on." He touched her forehead. "You're sick. I'll get someone to treat you. I'll get you out, I promise."Then he sprang to his feet and left, closing the door behind him. Hailey was left wondering how such lunatics could be left wandering among normal people. She sniffed and waddled back into her mother's embrace. How blind had she been to associate with these kinds of people in the past?And how could she put a stop to these endless noises and intense headaches? She didn't want to remember? She didn't want to recall whatever they had shared in the past. ***'Ken, you have to save me. These strange men have captured me and they won't release me until you come. If you don't come alone, Ken, they're going to kill me and my Mum.'Kendric

~~~'Hailey.'Kendrick's hands trembled and his grip on the gun threatened to loosen. Staring up at the balcony where she was being held captive, he fought not to let the rage take over. The rage that became multifold the moment he sighted them dragging her here. Her body was limped. She looked worse than how she'd looked in the video. And an almost similar-looking lady, whose face was cascaded with tears, was being held at gunpoint beside her. Was that her mother? "Don't worry, Mr. Reid." Standing with them were the three shareholders. "She isn't dead yet. But she'll soon be, if you don't follow our commands."Mr. Weimar and the rest. Kendrick's assumption hadn't been wrong. They had a hand in this. "Already, you've broken one of our rules," scoffed one of them. "We thought we told you to come alone. Coming here with your friend is like seeking more trouble. Will Mr. Carter be competent enough to fend for himself?""Shit! Buddy, these stupid old fools are underestimating me," De