---
As the van sped away, panic consumed me.
I tried to struggle, but my hands were bound behind my back, and the bag over my head made it hard to breathe.
Every bump in the road sent my thoughts spiraling.
Josh… Was he trying to protect me? Or had it all been a lie?
The van came to a sudden stop.
Rough hands dragged me out, and I stumbled—my knees hitting the ground hard.
The bag was yanked off my head, and I blinked against the dim, flickering light.
Concrete walls. Cold floor.
A single chair sat in the middle of the room.
They shoved me into it.
Then he stepped forward—tall, imposing, his presence like a shadow swallowing the air.
"So, you're the one," he said, voice low and threatening.
"You're the key to everything."
I looked up, defiant despite the fear in my chest.
"Who are you?" I whispered.
"What do you want?"
He smirked, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.
"You really don't know, do you?"
"You don't know your worth."
My pulse quickened.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice trembling.
He leaned in, his breath icy against my ear.
"You're leverage, Stephanie. You're the key to getting what we want."
"And what we want… is Josh."
My heart skipped a beat.
*Leverage? Me?*
I twisted in my restraints, trying to break free. But they were tight—too tight.
Still, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
"You're not going to get away with this," I said through clenched teeth.
"Josh will find me. He'll stop you—whatever your plan is."
The man let out a mirthless laugh.
"Oh, we're counting on it," he said coldly.
"We want him to come. When he does… well, let's just say the plan might change."
His words sent ice through my veins.
I needed time—needed to think. But my mind was chaos.
Then—footsteps.
Heavy, deliberate. Outside the room.
The man's eyes flicked to the door. For a second, just a second, I saw something unexpected: doubt.
The door burst open.
Josh.
He stood tall, eyes scanning the room until they locked onto mine.
"Let her go," he growled, voice low and deadly.
The man sneered.
"Or what? You'll stop us?"
Josh's gaze hardened.
"I'll make sure you pay for this."
Another cold laugh.
"You're too late," the man hissed.
"We've already won."
And then—
Everything went black.
—
I woke up to the sterile white light of a hospital room.
Alone.
No family.
No friends.
Not even Josh.
Just a single letter on the bedside table.
I reached for it with trembling fingers, unfolded the paper, and read:
*"I had somewhere urgent to be. But I promise, I'll call you. – Josh"*
A soft sigh escaped my lips.
Yeah.
I unblocked him.
I looked at the IV drip beside me—it was almost empty.
The steady beeping of the machines, the cold scent of disinfectant, the sterile whiteness of it all—it made me feel like I was floating somewhere between a nightmare and a bad memory.
I laid back, exhaling slowly.
This whole season of my life had been chaos.
Confusion.
Pain.
How did I even end up here?
How did I get so tangled in something I didn't even understand?
I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts swirling until a quiet knock and the sound of footsteps pulled me back to reality.
A nurse stepped into the room—
And behind her stood a woman.
I froze.
My heart dropped to my stomach.
*No. No, no, no…*
That was my mother.
"What is she doing here?" I whispered to myself.
My chest tightened as our eyes locked. Her expression was a mix of shock, worry… and something unreadable.
A wave of panic rolled over me.
She couldn't get involved.
Not in this.
Not with people who'd just dragged me out of my house, threatened my life, and used me as bait.
I went pale, praying silently:
*Please… don't let her get tangled in this too.*
---