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Chapter 37 - Chapter 37: Anna is missing?

Anna sat curled on the edge of her bed, her knees pulled tight to her chest, her phone clutched like a lifeline that kept slipping through her fingers. The screen mocked her with silence—no calls, no texts, no messages from Raya. It had been days since her best friend vanished, and the silence was eating her alive.

Where was she?

Was she still alive?

Was she sold?

Or had those loan sharks dragged her into some filthy corner of the world to repay debts with her body?

The thought struck like a knife, and Anna's throat closed up. She pressed her palms to her face, but the tears slipped through anyway. The images wouldn't stop—Raya crying, screaming, broken. Anna shook her head violently as though she could erase them, but her imagination was crueler than any nightmare.

"God, Raya… where are you?" she whispered into the emptiness.

A sharp knock rattled the front door, startling her. She wiped at her wet cheeks, clinging to the sudden rush of hope. Joseph. It had to be Joseph. He always seemed to know when she was crumbling, always there with his steady arms and soft reassurances.

She hurried to the door, yanking it open—only for the hope in her chest to turn to ash.

Leon stood on her doorstep.

Raya's ex-boyfriend. The one who had spent more time charming his way into other women's beds than caring about the girl he claimed was his.

"Anna," Leon said, his expression tight, his jaw set like stone. "Where's Raya? She's not answering her phone, and I've been to her house but no one's there. I've called her a dozen times. She hasn't called me back. Tell me where she is."

Anna blinked at him, incredulous. Then she let out a sharp laugh that held no trace of humor. "Oh, this is rich. All this while when Raya actually needed someone—when she needed you—you were nowhere to be found. And now you show up at my door like some knight in shining armor?"

Leon's eyes narrowed. "This isn't a joke, Anna. I'm serious."

"Do I sound like a joke to you?" Her tone was cool, sharp, each word dipped in venom. "You were serious too, weren't you? Serious about sneaking around, cheating on her, breaking her heart. Serious about disappearing when things got tough. And now what—suddenly you're the concerned boyfriend? Please."

His nostrils flared, and his hand curled into a fist at his side. "I'm not here to fight with you. I just want to know where she is. Do you know or not?"

Anna folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe, deliberately casual. Her lips curled into a smirk that she knew would infuriate him. "And why exactly should I help you? So you can break her all over again? Or maybe this is just your guilty conscience finally waking up."

Leon took a step closer, his voice rising. "Damn it, Anna! I need to find her. She hasn't spoken to me in days—do you even understand how unlike her that is?"

"Oh, I understand perfectly." Anna's voice dripped with sarcasm. "I understand that Raya finally realized what a waste of space you are and decided to do the smart thing—dumping you. Honestly, I'd call it personal growth. Remember, she broke up with you already."

Her words landed like slaps, each one harder than the last.

For a moment, silence stretched between them, thick with tension.

---

Leon clenched his jaw so tightly it ached. Every bitter word out of Anna's mouth stung, not just because they were cruel—but because she wasn't entirely wrong. He had cheated. He had neglected Raya. He hadn't been the man she deserved—but Raya was still his woman.

But this silence from Raya… it wasn't right. She never ignored him this long, no matter how many fights they'd had. Something was wrong—he could feel it, gnawing at the edges of his chest.

And yet, standing here, all Anna saw was the villain. She didn't understand.

He was supposed to be at the Blakes' tonight, dressed and ready for the gala as one of the executives. But how the hell was he supposed to focus on wine lists and silverware arrangements when Raya—his woman—was missing? Her absence gnawed at him like a curse.

Leon forced a steady breath. He wouldn't beg Anna. But if Raya was out there in trouble, he had to find her.

---

She saw the flicker in his eyes, the defensive tightening of his mouth. Good. Let him stew in it. He didn't deserve answers. He didn't deserve Raya.

"Go play your perfect boyfriend act somewhere else, Leon," she said coldly, her hand already on the door. "Because I'm not buying it."

And before he could protest, she slammed the door in his face.

Anna pressed her back against the wood, her chest heaving. Tears pricked her eyes again, but this time not just for Raya—for the fury, the helplessness she couldn't share.

Wherever Raya was, Anna could only pray she was safe and sound.

---

After Leon stormed off, Anna sat back on her bed, trying to calm her pounding heart. She had barely taken a breath when another knock echoed through the apartment.

She groaned, rolling her eyes. "Oh, for God's sake."

If that was Leon again, she swore she'd pull out every single hair on his arrogant head.

She marched to the door and yanked it open—ready to lash out.

But it wasn't Leon.

Two unfamiliar men stood there instead. Tall. Sharp suits. Cold eyes that screamed danger.

"Hi, beautiful," the one on the left said with a grin. "My name is Dante."

Anna's hand tightened on the doorknob. "Who are you people?"

"We're not bad people," Dante replied lightly, still smiling. "We're just here to invite you."

"Invite me?" she repeated suspiciously. "To where? Why?"

The other man, Stone, sighed, clearly losing patience. "Can you stop playing games with her, Dante? We don't have time for this."

Dante shot him a lazy smirk. "Relax, man. You'll ruin the mood."

Anna's throat tightened as her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Something about the way they stood there—too calm, too still—set every nerve on edge.

Her eyes darted toward her phone on the couch. If she could just reach it—

"Stay where you are," Stone warned quietly, his voice deep and cold.

Dante raised his hands as if to calm her. "Easy, sweetheart. We're not here to hurt you."

But Anna took a step back anyway, her breathing quick and sharp. "If you take one more step, I'll scream!"

Stone exchanged a look with Dante, then sighed. "See? I told you she'd make this difficult."

Dante produced a folded handkerchief with a movement so casual Anna barely registered it. He pressed it to her face for a heartbeat—the cloth smelled medicinal, sharp, and clinical.

"Help—"

The cry for help died on her lips as warmth spread from her chest down to her limbs, the edges of sound blurring as if someone had turned the world's volume down.

She struggled, clawing weakly at his arm, but her vision blurred, her strength fading fast.

Stone's voice was low and oddly gentle. "Relax, baby girl," he said.

Her knees gave way. She tried to scream, but the sound dissolved into a soft, helpless whimper that no one heard. Stone slid an arm beneath her as she slumped, Dante grinned once, satisfied. Dante's smile didn't reach his eyes. There was something inhumanly calm about the way he moved.

"Sleep tight, beautiful," Dante murmured with a grin as her knees buckled.

Stone caught her before she hit the floor. "You talk too much," he muttered, glancing toward the hallway. "Let's move before anyone sees."

Dante nodded, scooping her up easily. Within seconds, they were gone—disappearing into the quiet night as though they had never been there.

"And the small apartment, once filled with worry and tears, sank into silence—like the world itself was holding its breath."

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