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The side-by-side engine roared to life as they dumped me inside like cargo—just another object in their sinister plan. My body jostled with every rut and dip in the ground as we sped away from safety, from Hayze.
I tried to summon his face—those eyes that had seen so much pain and yet offered protection—but fear was a veil that clouded even that solace.
Gravel crunched beneath tires; we were moving fast, too fast for anyone to catch up. The side-by-side motion was erratic; it swerved and dipped with each contour of the land it devoured beneath its wheels.
As we raced through the night, a fury kindled within me—a fierce determination not to be a victim of circumstance once again. My mind raced alongside our speed: how to escape, how to survive this latest nightmare.
I clung to one thought above all else: Hayze would come for me—he had to.
The building swallowed us whole, its insides as cold and unwelcoming as the hands that gripped me. I stumbled down a series of steps, each one jarring my shins, my captors indifferent to my fumbling in the dark. The hood robbed me of sight, transforming every step into a precarious dance with gravity.
At the bottom, they flung me onto a metal chair with a harsh clang that echoed off unseen walls. My feet met cold steel as they were bound to the chair legs with ruthless efficiency. I tested the restraints, but they held fast—another layer of captivity.
Laughter cut through the air as someone positioned a powerful light before me. The hood and gag vanished in unison, and I sucked in a breath, ready to scream for help. But as my mouth opened, their mocking words filled the void.
“Go ahead, scream. No one will hear you down here.”
The laughter intensified, feeding off my vulnerability. The bright light seared into my eyes, blinding me further. I squinted against the assault, trying to discern any details about my captors or surroundings, but found only the glaring white abyss.
With my hands and feet bound and my vision compromised, my other senses sharpened. I listened for footsteps, breathing patterns—anything to give me an edge. The smell of dampness and decay hinted at a place long forgotten by time and care.
I tried to steady my racing heart, drawing upon every ounce of composure I had left. They expected fear; they thrived on it. But I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.
“Who are you?” I demanded, my voice strong. “What do you want?”
The laughter died down to a sinister chuckle that crawled along my skin.
“Always straight to business,” one said, his voice laced with mockery. “But you’re not in charge here.”
I fought against the panic that threatened to rise like a tide within me. Hayze’s training surfaced in my mind—remain calm, observe, and survive.
The light blinded me, though I strained to make out who was there, hoping for even a shadow that could offer a clue about who had taken me or why. But their identities remained veiled behind the harsh glare.
As silence settled over us like dust, I considered my options. There was no breaking these ties on brute strength alone; it would take cunning and patience—two things I had learned in abundance as Charlotte Bruno.
My breaths came slow and even now as I worked to control the situation from within. Whoever these people were, they didn’t know who they were dealing with—or what lengths I would go to protect this life I had built from ashes.
So I waited in that blinding light, bound but unbroken—a mafia princess turned environmental crusader—ready for whatever twisted game they sought to play.
I blinked against the harsh light, my eyes watering as they adjusted. The men circled me like vultures, their smug expressions hidden in the brightness. My heart pounded against my ribs, each beat a reminder of the danger I was in.
“Welcome to West Corp’s very own slice of hell,” one sneered. His voice dripped with contempt. “You’ve been a thorn in our side for too long.”
I squinted, trying to make out his features, but it was no use. They knew what they were doing—keeping me disoriented and in the dark about their identities.
West Corp. The name reverberated through my mind like a death knell. They were the corporation responsible for the environmental atrocities Hayze and I had been fighting against. The ones poisoning the land with their illegal dumping.
“You didn’t listen, did you?” another taunted. “We warned you to back off.”
The pieces fell into place with a chilling clarity. The online article probing into my existence, the cryptic threats—they were all from them. But why? Was it simply because I had dared to stand up to them? Or was there something more?
Panic fluttered in my chest like a trapped bird, but I swallowed it down. Fear was a luxury I couldn’t afford—not if I wanted to get out of this alive.
“What do you want from me?” My voice came out steady despite the chaos raging inside me.
Their laughter echoed off the concrete walls—a cacophony of cruelty that set my teeth on edge.
“We want you to shut up,” one said. “To disappear.”
