Louis reached for the window and tried to open it. He tugged a few times, but the window didn’t budge.
“It won’t open,” Hannah said, frustration clear in her voice. “It’s locked from the outside.”
Louis took her hands in his and looked her straight in the eyes. “Don’t worry,” he said, squeezing her fingers gently. “We’ll be fine. No matter what, I’m here for you.”
Hannah gave a small nod, her brows furrowed. “Kimberly’s probably looking everywhere for us right now.”
“She is. I know she won’t stop until she finds us.” Louis gave a hopeful smile, though his eyes betrayed his concern. “We just need to hang on until she gets here.”
They stood in silence, their ears straining for any sound, any clue as to what might happen next. A minute later, they heard footsteps approaching the basement door. Hannah’s breath hitched as they quickly moved to the corner of the room, watching the door swing open.
Joey appeared, carrying a tray with two burgers and a single bottle of water. “Here,” he said, his voice indifferent. “Share the food and water.”
He placed the tray on the floor, but as they moved to take it, Joey pulled it slightly back. “Also, don’t try anything stupid,” he warned, looking up at the ceiling. “See that camera? It’s watching everything you do.”
Hannah and Louis glanced at the small camera in the corner of the room. It was barely noticeable, but now that Joey pointed it out, its presence felt suffocating. Joey left the room without another word, closing the door behind him with a loud thud.
Louis picked up the tray and handed one of the burgers to Hannah. “Here, you should eat.”
Hannah took it but stared at the burger in her hands. “There’s no way out of here, is there?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Louis bit into his burger, forcing himself to sound calm. “We’ll be okay,” he said softly. “Let’s just hope Kimberly finds us soon.”
******
At the same time, Alpha Derrick made his way to the elite cafeteria. He was meeting someone, and as usual, Derrick had made sure the place was empty. No one dared to stay when Derrick ordered the space cleared. His black robe flowed behind him as he entered, his two guards trailing closely.
The man Derrick was meeting stood up as soon as he saw him, bowing his head slightly in respect. “Alpha,” the man greeted.
“Sit down,” Derrick said, taking a seat across from him.
The man sat nervously, avoiding Derrick’s piercing gaze. “What’s your name?” Derrick asked, his voice low but commanding.
“Glenn,” the man replied quietly.
“Good, Glenn. Now tell me what happened at the coffee shop this morning,” Derrick said, leaning forward.
Glenn swallowed hard and cleared his throat. “I was on a break when a man and woman came into the coffee shop. They sat down and were talking, but it looked like they were waiting for someone else to join them. A little later, two men in suits approached them.”
Derrick nodded for him to continue, his eyes never leaving Glenn’s face.
“The woman looked uncomfortable around the two men,” Glenn continued, “but the man with her tried to calm her down. After a while, he got up and followed the two men outside. That’s when things got strange. One of the men pulled a gun and hit the guy on the neck. He passed out right there.”
Derrick’s expression darkened, but he kept his focus on Glenn.
“A few minutes later, the woman came outside, probably looking for the guy. The men grabbed her, forced her into a truck, and drove off.”
Derrick’s eyes narrowed. “Has anyone been to the coffee shop asking about them?”
Glenn nodded. “A woman came by, asking about them, but I stopped my colleague from telling her anything after I got your call.”
Derrick leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile playing at his lips. “Good. Would you recognize the men if you saw them again?”
“Absolutely,” Glenn said quickly. “I remember their faces.”
“Perfect,” Derrick said. “Describe them to my guard so he can make sketches.”
Glenn nodded eagerly. “Will do, boss.”
Derrick stood up, signaling that the conversation was over. “Keep quiet about what happened. You’ll be well rewarded if you do.”
Glenn’s eyes lit up. “Of course, boss. You can count on me.”
Derrick walked out of the cafeteria, his mind already working on the next steps. He pulled out his phone and dialed Mona’s number. As the phone rang, a dark smile crossed his face. He had everything under control.
******
**Kimberly’s POV**
I stared at the phone in my hand, a picture of Hannah and Louis tied to chairs staring back at me. Their faces were pale, lifeless, and they looked unconscious. My knees began knocking, hands trembling as a cold chill ran down my spine. I couldn’t believe it.
“Who would do this to them? What did they do to deserve this? If Mona is behind this, she will regret it.” I vowed to myself, clenching my fists in frustration, my heart pounding in my chest.
I tried calling the number that sent the pictures, but the call failed. The operator informed me the number was invalid. That meant it was a private number. There was no caption, no clues. I had no idea where they were or who sent the photos, and that scared me even more.
I needed to think. Heading to my room, I tried to calm myself, my mind racing with questions. Should I tell my father? Could he help? But as soon as I opened the door, I froze.
Damien. He was sitting on my bed, looking as comfortable as ever.
“H-how did you get in here?” I stammered, shocked.
“Kimberly, you should be used to this by now,” Damien chuckled, waving me over.
I hurried inside, closing the door behind me. I wasn’t mad to see him, actually relieved. Maybe he could help, maybe he could be the one person I could confide in.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, sitting next to him.
“Checking up on you. You probably felt bad about making me leave last night, right? I bet you missed me,” he teased, a playful smile on his face.
“I didn’t regret it. I had to,” I sighed, trying to stay cool. The truth was, I had missed him, but I wasn’t about to admit that.
“Alright, alright,” he laughed. “But how are you really?”
I hesitated. Should I tell him about the pictures? About everything going on? He was the only one I could talk to right now, but I wasn’t sure how much I should say.
“I’m not okay,” I finally admitted, my voice shaky. “Two of my friends have gone missing, and I haven’t been the same since.”
“Your friends? You mean Hannah and Louis?” Damien asked, his voice suddenly serious.
I looked at him in surprise. “How do you know their names?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you, remember? I know all about you, Kimberly.”
I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “Why have you been following me?” I asked cautiously.
“Because I like you,” Damien said softly, leaning closer. “I’ve liked you from the moment I saw you. The night we met was one of the best nights of my life.”
His words caught me off guard, and I felt my cheeks heat up. No one had ever spoken to me like that before. Damien was… different.
“How long have you been watching me?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.
He smiled but dodged the question. “That’s a story for another time. Tell me more about your friends. What happened?”
I shook my head, pulling myself back to reality. “I don’t know. They were supposed to meet me at the coffee shop this morning, but when I got there, they were already gone.”
“And you didn’t ask anyone about them?”
“I did,” I said, remembering. “One of the waiters was about to tell me something, but another one stopped him. Something felt off, Damien. Really off.”
“Did you run into any problems after you came home?” He asked, his expression thoughtful.
“My dad said he would find them within twenty-four hours, but…” I trailed off, biting my lip. Should I tell him about the photos? I wasn’t sure I could trust him, but something in his eyes made me want to.
“Kimberly?” Damien’s voice broke through my thoughts. “What’s on your mind?”
“I…” I hesitated again. “I don’t know if I should tell you.”
“Kimberly, come on. You can trust me. I’m here to help you,” he said softly, taking my hand in his. His touch sent a warmth through me, making me want to open up.
“Earlier, I got a-” My phone rang, cutting me off. I jumped, startled.
“Go ahead, answer it,” Damien said, giving me a reassuring nod.
I picked up the phone, frowning at the unknown number. Who could it be? After a second of hesitation, I answered, “Hello?”
“Listen carefully.” The voice was a woman’s, cold and detached. “I have your friends. I’ve been paid to kill them.”
“What?” I gasped, my heart racing. Damien shot up from the bed, concerned, mouthing, *Who is it?*
“Don’t speak,” the voice continued. “Don’t tell anyone about this call. I’ll give you instructions after we hang up. If you want to save them, you’ll follow what I say.”
I nodded, swallowing hard. “Okay,” I whispered.
The call ended abruptly, leaving me frozen. I stood there for a moment, processing what had just happened. Who was this woman? Who paid her to kill Hannah and Louis? I felt like the ground was falling away beneath me.
Damien walked over, looking more worried now. “What happened? Who was that?”
“I… I can’t tell you,” I said, forcing a smile. “It’s nothing.”
“You’re lying, Kimberly. Something’s wrong. Tell me,” he urged, stepping closer.
“No,” I insisted, backing away. “Please, just leave. My dad’s on his way home. I need to be alone.”
Damien frowned, his eyes narrowing. “Whoever called you made you change. Why are you pushing me away?”
“Just go!” I snapped, my voice rising. “You keep prying into my life, and I can’t deal with it right now. Just leave!”
He stared at me, his jaw clenched. “Fine. This is the last time you’ll see me, Kimberly. I’m done playing the fool for you.”
His words stung, but I didn’t respond. I watched as he walked to the window and disappeared without another word. The moment he was gone, I felt a pang of regret, but I shook it off. I had bigger things to worry about.
Moments later, I got a message with an address. It must be where Hannah and Louis were being held. I didn’t waste time. I rushed to the living room, hoping my father would be home soon.