Chapter 169

Christiana’s POV.

The sound of gravel crunching beneath someone’s boots sent a jolt of fear through me. My chest tightened as I clutched my coat, trying to keep the shivers from taking over. The wind felt colder now, biting against my skin. A shadow moved from the trees, and a figure stepped into the faint light coming from my car’s headlights.

He was wearing a mask. Black, featureless, and terrifying.

“Are you alone?” the man asked, his voice muffled and low.

“Yes,” I choked out, my voice trembling. My hands were clammy and my legs felt like they would give out at any second. “I’m alone. Please… I just want my kids.”

The man didn’t respond. He stepped closer, his movements slow and deliberate, like he was in no rush. My breathing quickened as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of black fabric.

“Turn around,” he ordered.

I froze, my feet rooted to the spot.

“Turn around,” he repeated, this time sharper.

My hands shook as I obeyed, turning my back to him. The next thing I knew, the fabric was wrapped around my eyes, plunging me into darkness. My heart raced as I felt his gloved hands tie the blindfold tightly behind my head.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“You’ll see,” he said, his tone flat and emotionless.

I wanted to scream, to demand answers, but the thought of my kids kept me silent.

“Walk,” he instructed, placing a firm hand on my shoulder.

I stumbled forward, the ground uneven beneath my feet. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and something metallic I couldn’t place. The man guided me to what felt like a car, opening the door and gently pushing me inside.

“Sit,” he said.

I slid into the seat, my hands gripping the edge as I tried to steady my breathing. The door slammed shut behind me, and a moment later, the car started.

The drive felt endless. I had no idea where we were going, and the blindfold only made it worse. My mind raced with every horrible possibility. Were Ethan and Emma okay? Were they here? Were they….

No. I couldn’t let myself think like that.

I clenched my fists, trying to focus on the hum of the engine and the occasional turns the car made. My stomach churned with every bump in the road, and the tension in my chest grew Heavier with each passing second.

Finally, after what felt like an hour, the car came to a stop.

The door opened, and I felt a hand grip my arm, pulling me our My legs wobbled as I stood the cold air hitting me agan.

Take her inside a voice said, but it wasn’t the same man.

The blindfold was yanked off, and I blinked against the sudden light in front of me was a massive warehouse, its mela

doors looming like a giant mouth waiting to swallow me whole. The man in the mask stood beside me, unreadable beneath the dark cover.

“Move,” he said, nodding toward the entrance.

I hesitated, my feet refusing to move.

“Where are my kids?” I demanded, my voice breaking.

keep wasting time, and

his

expression

my spine. I swallowed hard

oil, the kind of smell that clung to the back of your throat. The man walked behind me, his presence looming, and I could

they hurt?” I asked, my voice

No answer.

balled into fists as I bit down hard on my bottom lip, fighting the tears that threatened to spill over.

sound of our footsteps echoing off the

of the large, empty space. The room was dimly lit by a single

here,” he

to face him, my voice trembling as I spoke. “Please, just let me see

his arms crossed,

I struggled to keep my breathing steady, my eyes darting around the room,

hours, and I felt a tear slip down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly, not wanting to show weakness, even though I was breaking

his weight, and I could feel

this, whatever they wanted,

I wasn’t already

the suffocating silence. My head snapped toward the direction of the noise, my

swallowing hard, my pulse racing as I watched a shadow stretch across the floor. The man in the mask stood perfectly still behind me, his arms crossed like he was waiting for

louder, deliberate and unhurried, each one sending a jolt of anxiety through me. My breathing quickened, my chest

darkness, stepping into the fluctuating light. My

2/5

Chapter 169

giving out how shaken I

come to recognize all too well. He was dressed sharply, as always, his suit designed to perfection,

but with a chilling edge. He stopped a few feet away, tucking his hands

out beneath me. Rage and terror surged through my veins, but all I could manage was a

eyes. Those cold, calculating eyes stayed

reaction.

you?” he said, his tone

realization slamming into me like a

demanded, my voice cracking as tears spilled

head slightly, as if amused by my outburst.

and I felt my legs buckle slightly. The man in the mask shifted behind

I started, but Daniel cut me off with

his

Your precious little

ant?”

wanted to scream, to charge at

move. His presence, his words, froze me in

a monster,” I spat, my voice trembling

me where

insult. “Call me what you want. The fact remains….you’re here. And now, we can have

wanted, whatever his twisted game was, I knew one

Christiana,” he said, his voice

clawed its way up my throat, For the first time in my life, I wasn’t sure I’d make it

trembling with fear and fury. “What is

straightened, taking a slow step toward me. His expression shifted, his smirk fading into something more serious, almost vulnerable. “Do you

his tone. “What are you talking

again. “I loved you, Christiana. With everything inside of me, I loved you,” he said, his voice soft but laced with bitterness. “But you…” He

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