I don't know where they brought me.The last thing I remember was the crushing weight of my migraine, the blur of headlights, the coldness of the pavement—and then… darkness.
Now I was awake.
My head throbbed mercilessly, a sharp pain pulsing behind my eyes. The air was damp and thick, filled with the scent of mold and metal. I could barely breathe. My wrists were sore, red marks lining them from the ropes they'd used. My legs were tied too, but they'd loosened just enough for me to sit up.
Where am I?
The room was pitch-black except for a thin sliver of light from what looked like a broken window above. The walls were concrete, stained and cracked. Every sound echoed: the water dripping somewhere behind me, the occasional scurry of rats, and my own shaky breathing.
I tried to stay calm, but my heart was racing. My body felt cold, like it already knew the danger I was in.
Panic rose in my throat, but I forced it down.
You can't afford to break, Adeline. Not now.
My thoughts turned to Lukas.Would he be looking for me?Would he even know I was missing?
God, I hoped so.
The memory of him—his scent, his warmth, that last kiss—flickered in my mind like a dying flame. And then the fear hit harder.
What if they hurt him too? What if this is about him?
Suddenly, a loud creak came from the door.Footsteps. Heavy ones. Slow.
I froze.
They were coming back.
Suddenly, the door creaked open with a rusty groan, and my breath hitched.
A shadow fell across the room.
A man stepped in—tall, broad, the kind of presence that suffocates you before he even speaks. His face was partially hidden beneath the flickering light, but one thing stood out like a nightmare etched in flesh: a long, jagged scar that ran from his left brow to the edge of his jaw.
And in his hand...A knife.Long. Sharp. Still stained with something dark.
I instinctively scrambled backward, even though I had nowhere to go. My bound legs tangled uselessly beneath me. My back hit the cold wall, and I tried to make myself smaller, tried to disappear into the shadows.
He tilted his head, eyes narrowing at me like I was prey."Well, well," he rasped, voice like gravel, "The little princess is finally awake."
My throat was dry. I couldn't even speak.Terror rooted me in place.
He crouched down, just close enough for me to see the cruelty in his eyes."You have no idea what you've walked into, do you?" he whispered, dragging the knife's edge along the dusty floor. "Or who you're protecting."
He grinned then, and it made my stomach turn.
"I wonder," he murmured, the tip of the blade brushing my cheek ever so slightly, "will Lukas come for you... or let you rot like the rest?"
My eyes welled with tears, but I didn't blink.I refused to give him that satisfaction.
Because deep down, through all the fear and pain, I still believed—no, knew—Lukas would come.
He had to.
He laughed.A cruel, hollow sound that echoed off the cracked walls.
"You and Lukas," he sneered, circling me like a predator, the blade twirling in his fingers. "What a joke. A mafia monster falling for a little princess with weak bones and a weaker heart. Tell me, does he whisper sweet lies to you when he's not busy killing people in cold blood?"
I clenched my jaw, refusing to let the tears fall.
"You don't know him," I hissed, voice shaking but firm.
His smile widened. "Oh, sweetheart… I know exactly what he is. I've seen what he leaves behind. And trust me, he's not coming for you. You're just another pretty face he'll forget."
The words cut deeper than the knife in his hand ever could.
My chest burned with fury.
I jerked against the ropes around my wrists, pain shooting up my arms as I tried to free myself. My skin rubbed raw, but I didn't stop. I pulled harder—until the edge of the rope cut into my skin.
"Look at you," he mocked. "Trying to be brave. It's cute… pathetic, but cute."
"Shut up!" I shouted. "You don't get to talk about him—you don't know anything! And even if he was a monster… he's my monster."
He blinked.
For a moment, just one flicker, his expression shifted—caught off guard by my words.
That was enough for me to keep fighting. I twisted my body, kicked at him with whatever strength I had left. He stumbled slightly, and I managed to roll away from him, scraping my side against the cement floor. My legs were still tied, but I wasn't going to stop.
Because I knew Lukas was coming.
And I wasn't going to let this scar-faced bastard break me before he got here.
Not now.Not ever.
Before I could even take another breath, he lunged forward and grabbed my jaw—rough, bruising fingers digging into my skin.
"Even if he does come," he growled, his face inches from mine, breath reeking of blood and smoke, "do you really think I'll let him take you back?"
I winced, trying to pull away, but his grip tightened like a vice.
"Oh, he'll come, alright," he whispered, eyes gleaming with sick amusement. "But I have plans, sweetheart. You're just the bait."
My heart dropped.
"What… plans?" I croaked.
He smirked, leaning closer. "Let's just say I owe Lukas a few scars—and you're going to help me deliver them. Piece by piece."
I tried not to show fear, but I felt it—cold and crawling up my spine like poison.
"You're insane," I spat.
He laughed. "Maybe. But in this game, sanity gets you killed. And love?" His eyes darkened. "Love is a weakness. One Lukas will pay for."
He finally released my jaw, and I gasped in pain, the throbbing immediate. My lips trembled, not from fear alone, but from rage bubbling deep inside me.
Let him think I'm weak.
Let him think I'm scared.
Because I was done being helpless.
And if Lukas didn't get to him first… I would.