Richard worked fast, hands shaking slightly as he secured the dress with pins. He had never fixed a gown before—never even held one this close—but now wasn't the time to hesitate.
The guard returned, expression unreadable. "Is it done?"
Richard forced a confident nod. "Yeah. Here."
The guard took the dress from his hands and knocked on the door to Jane's changing room.
Jane cracked the door open just enough to take it. The guard's voice was firm. "Miss, we have only five minutes. Please hurry."
She forced a small, polite smile and nodded before closing the door.
Her hands trembled as she slipped into the body suit, then carefully pulled the wedding gown over it.
She stepped in front of the mirror, her heart pounding. The dress fit well enough, but she immediately noticed Richard's handiwork. The pins were randomly placed, sticking out in random directions.
A real disaster.
She let out a small, nervous laugh. Some crappy work you did, Richard.
Taking a deep breath, she turned toward the door.
Richard was gone.
Had the guards kicked him out?
Swallowing hard, she stepped forward, her hand resting on her chest where the small glass bottle was hidden beneath the fabric.
As Jane approached the wedding hall, her steps faltered.
Two guards blocked her path.
She froze.
One of them narrowed his eyes. "Ms. Jane, are you alright?"
Her pulse roared in her ears. His gaze flickered to her hand, right where the hidden bottle was.
She panicked. Did he see it?
Then, a voice cut through the tension.
"Where are you looking?"
Maria.
She stepped beside Jane, her eyes sharp as she glared at the guard.
The man instantly backed off. "Uh... Mmm. I'm sorry, Ms. Jane."
Maria grabbed Jane's hand. "Let's go."
Jane exhaled shakily, letting Maria lead her forward.
She barely had time to process what was happening.
Maria was here. But where had she been all this time?
Something about her looked off—her eyes darted around, her fingers gripping Jane's arm too tightly.
She was nervous.
Jane clenched her jaw.
The plan was about to begin.
They reached the entrance to the wedding hall. Maria gave her a nudge.
The signal.
Jane quickly slid her hand inside her dress, pulled out the bottle, and let it fall to the floor.
The glass shattered.
A thick, white smoke erupted instantly, filling the corridor.
The guards shouted in confusion, backing away as the haze spread.
A figure moved through the smoke.
The dupe.
She stepped into Jane's place seamlessly, her veil covering her face.
Jane barely had time to react before the dupe discreetly pushed her toward the blind spot in the hallway.
She stumbled back, pressing against the cold wall.
Hidden.
The guards quickly surrounded the dupe, their protective instincts kicking in.
"Ms. Jane, are you alright?" one of them asked.
The fake Jane coughed weakly, nodding.
Maria wrapped a hand around the dupe's arm, guiding her forward.
No one questioned them.
The smoke still lingered as the grand doors to the wedding hall opened.
Music played.
Jane held her breath.
The dupe walked slowly down the aisle, Maria at her side.
Paul stood at the far end, dressed immaculately, his eyes locked on the figure in white.
Even through the veil, he admired his bride.
His chosen one.
The dupe never lifted her head, moving carefully, precisely.
No mistakes.
It was time.
Jane yanked the heavy wedding gown off, throwing it aside.
Heart pounding, she sprinted in the opposite direction, ducking behind a corner and slipping through a side exit.
Her lungs burned, but she didn't stop.
The parking lot was empty—just as planned.
Richard's car.
She spotted it instantly, its dark exterior standing out against the pale evening light.
Fumbling, she yanked the door open and slid inside.
Her hands trembled as she shoved the key into the ignition.
Please start. Please start.
The engine roared to life.
She barely glanced back before slamming her foot on the gas.
The mansion shrank in the rearview mirror.
She was free.
She was out.
Jane sucked in sharp breaths, her knuckles white against the steering wheel.
Her eyes flicked to the mirrors—no one followed.
She kept driving, punching in Richard's home address with shaking fingers.
She didn't look back.
She couldn't.
She had made it.
A day before the wedding, Nick and Adam sat in their dimly lit office, tension thick in the air. They had spent hours planning Jane's rescue, but there was another problem—Paul.
Nick leaned forward, his jaw clenched. "I have a plan," he said, voice low. "Paul has a habit of keeping copies of everything. I'm sure he has one hidden somewhere."
Adam frowned. "One copy must be on his phone. But the other..."
"We need to find out where it is." Nick's eyes darkened with determination. Then, suddenly, an idea struck him. "Adam, Paul's assistant—Luke. He's our only shot."
Adam stiffened. "Nick, Luke is Paul's best friend. If we approach him, he might betray us. It's too risky."
Nick shook his head. "We don't have time for another way. Paul comes to the office every day, and we already know his routine. He only ever goes two places—his office and his penthouse. Nowhere in between."
Adam ran a hand down his face. "Even if we get to his penthouse, it's locked with fingerprint access. How do we get past that?"
Nick's frustration boiled over. "I don't know! But we need—"
A sudden knock on the door made both of them freeze.
Their eyes darted to the iPad they had been using to plan. In an instant, Adam grabbed it and shoved it under a pile of files.
The door opened.
Luke stepped inside, his expression unreadable.
Nick and Adam tensed.
Had he heard them?
Luke walked over to Nick's desk and set down a file. "Need your signature."
Nick cleared his throat, forcing himself to act normal. He quickly signed the document. "Where's Paul?" he asked, keeping his voice steady.
Luke smiled slightly. "At the wedding venue. He and Miss Jane are getting married tomorrow."
Nick swallowed hard.
"Very well," he said, keeping his face expressionless.
Luke turned to leave but then hesitated.
Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He placed it on Nick's desk. "I hope this helps," he murmured before walking out and shutting the door behind him.
Nick and Adam exchanged wide-eyed glances.
Nick and Adam exchanged wide-eyed glances.
Cautiously, Nick opened the box. Inside was a thin strip of plastic. He held it up to the light and sucked in a breath.
Fingerprints.
Paul's fingerprints.
Nick's heart pounded as he noticed a small note beneath the strip.
Morning. 7 AM. 4525.
Adam exhaled sharply. "Luke... he wants us to go to Paul's place at 7 AM."
They didn't question why. They didn't have time to.
The next morning, before the sun even rose, Nick and Adam sat in a rental car outside Paul's apartment.
The city was eerily quiet, the sky still a deep shade of blue.
Nick's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "We're early."
Adam checked his watch. 5 AM.
They had two hours to wait.
They watched as time crawled by, every passing second stretching their nerves to the breaking point.
Finally, at exactly 7 AM, Paul stepped out of the building, dressed in his wedding suit, Luke following behind him.
As soon as Paul's car disappeared down the street, Nick turned to Adam. "Stay in the lobby. Keep watch."
Adam nodded and got out.
Nick pulled up his mask and entered the building.
The ride to the 27th floor felt like an eternity. When the doors finally slid open, he stepped into the empty hallway.
No guards.
Good.
His hands were steady as he took out the fingerprint strip and pressed it against the scanner.
A beep.
The door clicked open.
Nick slipped inside.
The penthouse was silent, cold.
Moving quickly, he found Paul's office and rushed in.
His eyes scanned the room. No safe. No obvious hiding spots.
Then, his fingers tightened around the note Luke had given him.
4525.
The laptop.
Nick spotted it on the desk. He opened it, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he typed in the numbers.
The screen unlocked instantly.
He muttered a quiet thank you to Luke under his breath and clicked through the files.
One folder caught his eye.
Personal.
He opened it.
Hundreds of video clips.
Nick's stomach turned as he clicked on one. Jane's face appeared on the screen—terrified, helpless. The footage was from the night she was taken.
There wasn't time to watch them all.
He grabbed a USB from his pocket and started transferring everything.
Then, he noticed another folder.
Photos.
There was only one picture inside.
Nick's jaw tightened.
It was the photo. The one Paul had used to blackmail him.
Without hesitation, he transferred it to the USB and deleted the original. Then, he made sure it was wiped clean from the laptop entirely.
He had just closed the laptop when—
The door clicked open.
His heart stopped.
Someone was inside.
Nick dove behind the cabinet, pressing himself against the wood as silently as death.
Footsteps.
Paul.
Nick held his breath, every muscle in his body coiled tight.
Paul paused just outside the study. He didn't move for several seconds.
Nick could feel his suspicion.
Then, Paul took a step forward.
Nick squeezed his eyes shut. One more step and he'd be caught.
But then—
"Paul."
Luke's voice.
Paul turned. "What?"
"The rings. You left them in the car."
A heavy silence. Then, Paul let out a breath. "I thought I lost them for a second."
Nick heard rustling—Paul taking the box from Luke's hand.
Then, footsteps.
The door shut.
Silence.
Nick finally released the breath he had been holding.
He waited.
One minute.
Two.
Then, carefully, he peeked through the window.
Paul's car pulled away from the building.
Nick clutched the USB in his fist.
He had what he came for.
Now, it was time to get out.