Here was mine.
Chapter 55
Chapter 55
Aria’s POV
The silence in the house was driving me insane.
Dominic had left earlier, taking most of his men with him. The few guards that remained were stationed outside, patrolling the perimeter. But inside?,
I was alone.
And boredom was killing me.
I paced the living room, my fingers tapping against my thigh. I had tried reading. I had tried watching TV. I had even tried taking a nap. Nothing worked.
Nico and Dominic’s brother were no where to be found.
I was just here. Lonely me.
Every second stretched longer than the last.
I sighed, dropping onto the couch, hugging a pillow against my chest.
How long had it been since I had a normal day? Since I had gone out without someone breathing down my neck?
I missed fresh air. I missed movement. I missed the outside.
My eyes flicked toward the large windows. The view of the estate grounds stretched beyond, bathed in golden afternoon light. It was beautiful. Peaceful.
But something inside me felt off.
A strange sort of unease.
Like I was waiting for something to happen.
And then-
Ding–dong.
The doorbell rang.
I stiffened.
Who the hell-
I stood slowly, walking toward the front entrance. Through the peephole, I saw two men dressed in black suits, standing stiffly on the porch. One of them held a clipboard.
I hesitated.
Something felt strange.
But when I glanced around the estate grounds through the window, I saw nothing unusual. No guards rushing over in galarm. No signs of a problem.
The men outside looked…normal enough.
I took a breath and opened the door slightly, keeping my grip firm.
The man with the clipboard offered a polite smile. “Good afternoon, Miss. We’re here for the fumigation. Routine check.”
My brows pulled together. “Fumigation?”
The man nodded. “Yes, scheduled maintenance for the estate. Standard protocol.”
I hesitated.
Dominic hadn’t mentioned anything about fumigation. Surely I would’ve known, right?
But…
What if he had scheduled it, and just didn’t tell me?
Still, something wasn’t right.
I glanced past them. The usual guards weren’t at their posts.
Where were they?
I looked back at the men, suspicion coiling in my gut. “I wasn’t informed of this.”
The man smiled again. “It was arranged last minute. Just a precautionary measure.” He lifted the clipboard. “Everything is in order.”
I bit my lip.
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Chapter $5
My instincts screamed at me.
But before I could decide-
“Ma’am,” the man prompted. “It will only take a few minutes.”
I glanced around the estate grounds one last time.
Still nothing.
I swallowed and, against my better judgment, stepped aside. “Fine. But make it quick.”
The men nodded, stepping inside.
The door closed behind them with a click.
At first, nothing seemed out of place.
The men moved with precision, setting up their equipment. They pulled out canisters, attaching hoses to them. Everything looked professional.
But my unease didn’t fade.
I lingered near the entrance, watching closely.
Then-
A soft hiss.
I tensed.
A faint, barely noticeable mist started to spread.
The air felt…thicker.
My pulse jumped.
No. I wasn’t stupid enough to not know.
This wasn’t fumigation.
I spun around, heading for the door-
But the second man moved fast, reaching for me.
I ducked, twisting away. My elbow shot out, slamming into his ribs. He grunted, stumbling back.
The clipboard man cursed. “Grab her–now!”
I bolted.
Racing toward the nearest exit, my lungs burned as I sucked in the thickening air. My vision blurred slightly.
Gas.
Shit.
I reached the backdoor, my fingers just brushing the handle-
A strong arm hooked around my waist, yanking me backward.
I fought.
Twisting. Kicking.
But he was stronger.
A rag was pressed against my mouth.
I screamed, but the sound was muffled.
My limbs weakened. My struggles slowed.
No-
I tried to fight, but darkness crept at the edges of my vision.
The last thing I heard was one of the men speaking into a radio.
“We have her.”
Then, everything went black.
*****
A sharp jolt of pain yanked me out of the darkness.
My head pounded. My throat felt dry. My limbs were sluggish, like they didn’t belong to me anymore.
And then-
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Chapter 55
The smell.
Damp. Rusty. Like mold, sweat, and something metallic. Blood?
I cracked my eyes open, blinking against the dim, flickering light above me. My vision was blurry at first, but then things started to come into focus.
A room.
No–a basement.
Concrete walls, stained with grime and God knows what. A single lightbulb swayed from the ceiling, casting eerie shadows.
I tried to move.
My wrists burned.
I looked down.
Shit.
Ropes. Tight. Cutting into my skin. My hands were tied behind my back, my ankles bound together. I was on the floor, half- slumped against a metal chair.
Panic surged through me.
I pulled at the restraints, twisting my wrists, but the ropes didn’t budge.
Think, Aria. THINK.
My last memory came crashing back-
The fake fumigation. The men in suits. The gas.
I cursed under my breath.
I had walked right into their trap.
The air in the room was stale, thick with the scent of cigarettes and sweat. I swallowed against the nausea rising in my throat.
Where the hell was I?
And more importantly–who the fuck had taken me?
Footsteps.
I froze.
Muffled voices from the other side of the door.
Then-
The door creaked open.
Two men walked in.
I recognized one immediately–the bastard with the clipboard.
The other was taller, built like a tank, with a shaved head and a deep scar running from his temple to his jaw.
I forced my breathing to slow.
Scarface leaned down, grabbing my chin between his fingers, tilting my face up. His grip was rough, his nails digging into my skin.
“She’s awake,” he muttered. His breath reeked of cigarettes.
Clipboard smirked. “Good. Would’ve been a shame if we brought her here just for her to sleep through the fun.”
I glared at him. “Go to hell.”
Scarface chuckled darkly. “Feisty.”
He let go of my face, but not before giving my cheek a not–so–light slap. I jerked away, biting back the sting.
Clipboard crouched in front of me, resting his forearms on his knees. “You’re a very valuable girl, you know that?”
I didn’t answer.
He clicked his tongue. “Dominic has a lot of enemies, sweetheart. And you?” He tilted his head. “You’re leverage.”
My stomach twisted.
Mikael.
This had his name written all over it.
I clenched my fists. “If you think Dominic is going to let you live after this, you’re fucking insane.”
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Chapter 55
Scarface grinned, “Oh, we count on it.”
E
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