The night outside was quiet, but Kieran's car carried a storm inside it. He sat in the driver's seat, the glow from his phone screen reflecting in his sharp brown eyes. One by one, he flipped through the photos Alena had risked everything to capture.
The image of Razer Luca lying on a cot in the basement angered him. Luca's face was pale, his right leg tightly bandaged, with a bullet wound, fresh and untreated by proper hands. He was hiding, nursing himself back to strength, and Kieran finally had proof.
A knock at the window broke his focus. Aiden slipped into the passenger seat, shutting the door behind him. His gaze was immediately drawn to the photos.
"Boss," Aiden said, his tone serious, "is that…?"
Kieran turned the phone toward him. "Luca. Injured. He's hiding in that basement."
Aiden leaned closer, eyes scanning every detail. "His leg's busted. That explains why he went dark." His gaze moved to the next set of images, rows of stacked boxes, some marked with a bold W, others with a sharp D. "What are these?"
Kieran narrowed his eyes. "Not sure yet. But if Luca is hiding with them, they're not ordinary goods. Stocks, maybe something important. Whatever it is, it's important enough for him to guard underground."
Aiden's lips pressed into a thin line.
Kieran slid the phone into his pocket and handed over a small black device. "I planted microphones in the basement. Track every word. If you catch anything suspicious, I want to know immediately."
"Yes, boss."
"Within two days," Kieran continued, his voice like steel, "we attack. By tomorrow, I'll have the full blueprint of that building. If everything checks out, the day after tomorrow, we strike. This time, Luca doesn't leave alive." His jaw tightened, teeth grinding. "I'll make sure of it."
Aiden nodded firmly. "I'll ready the men and the weapons."
"Good." Kieran started the car. "I need to head back to the mansion. Father wants proof, and now I have it. Show him Luca's face, and he'll stay off my back."
"Yes, boss."
Aiden slipped out, shutting the door quietly. Kieran exhaled, gripping the wheel tighter than necessary, and drove toward the Moretti mansion.
Red light district. 3 am.
It was 3 a.m., the streets quiet except for the faint hum of distant neon. As usual, Alena was wide awake, waiting for the building to go silent so that she could get on her mission, the last task. After this night, she will be set free. Her freedom will be back. She will get out of this filth, abuse, and misery. She took a deep breath. As soon as she felt that the building was still and silent, she slipped out of bed. Picking up the small device and the spray bottle.
She remembers Kieran's advice, "If you get caught again, instead of honey trapping, just kick them in the balls and spray the liquid and run." She smiled to herself. Then, silently, she opened the door and tiptoed outside, walking carefully.
Then, without warning, all the lights snapped on.
Alena froze. Her stomach dropped as she caught sight of Madam Rosa standing at the end of the hallway, a smirk twisting her face.
"You really thought you could get away, b*tch?" Rosa's voice was low, dangerous, carrying through the silent corridor.
Alena tried to hide her panic behind a small, awkward smile. "Madam…"
Rosa's smirk widened. "Don't even try to act innocent. You've been caught. you little wh*re."
Rosa moved towards her with an intimidating look. Alena's hands shook. She lunged for the spray in a panic. But a bouncer stepped up behind her, trapping her arms and snatching the bottle from her hands.
Alena tried to wiggle out of his hold, but her strength didn't work in front of that giant man.
Rosa slapped her so hard that Alena's lips started bleeding. Tears welled up in her eyes due to pain and fear.
Rosa held her jaw tightly, making Alena look at her, "You little b*tch, you really thought you could fool us and escape from here? Did you forget the lesson we taught you back then? You dared to team up with Kieran Moretti and tried to backstab us?"
Alena swallowed hard, feeling the weight of hopelessness settle on her chest. Every plan she had carefully prepared seemed to fail in an instant.
"You'll regret it. Every moment you breathe in this building will remind you what happens to those who try to betray me." Her wicked smile gave shivers to Alena.
Rosa called all the girls over there in a commanding voice and said, "This little b*tch betrayed us and planned to escape from here, and she will be punished for this betrayal. For the rest of your life. Anyone who even thinks about escaping will learn exactly what happens."
Rosa's words hung in the air like a noose. Three bouncers flanked her, eyes sharp, waiting for instructions.
"Take her," Rosa commanded. "Teach her what defiance costs. Let her feel the weight of her actions physically, mentally, in every way we can manage to break her permanently. Understand?"
"Yes, Madam," they said in unison.
Alena struggled, but their grip was firm. They dragged her down the hall, her mind spinning with terror. She kicked, twisted, and shouted. She fought with every ounce of strength. But the three of them were a wall she could not break. Each step felt like a mile as they pushed her toward a room at the far end.
The bouncer threw her on the bed, ripped her clothes, and laughed wickedly. He grabbed her hair, and she cried in pain.
The bouncer said, gripping her hair, "You thought you could make plans inside the room with that man pretending to be moaning?" Alena was looking at him, struggling.
"I heard you b*tch," he smiled wickedly, "you should have told that man not to growl loudly. Now let me show you what actual hell looks like."
Alena was looking at him with bloodshot, teary eyes. Her face was red. She spat on his face. The bouncer's anger spiked up, and he ripped his pants before ripping her apart, breaking her physically and spiritually.
Alena screamed her lungs out, fought back, but nothing was useful.
Her body was shattering, her soul was breaking every way possible. That night she cried louder, her scream echoed in the building as the three wicked men were breaking her every way possible.
But nobody was there to save her, to fight for her. Her throat went dry, tears slipping out of her eyes nonstop, her soul was dying slowly as they broke her body. Her screams went low, giving up, her breath low.
She lay on the bed, trembling, her mind echoing with despair. She had imagined freedom, a life outside these walls. But now it seemed impossible. And nobody was there to hear her, and the one who promised that he would take her out of here was nowhere to be found.
Kieran was fast asleep in his mansion when the phone rang. He picked it up, voice low and alert.
"Hello?"
"Boss," Aiden's panicked voice cut through, "your plan's been leaked, Luca is escaping!"
Kieran shot upright, heart slamming against his chest. "What?"
A single thought crashed through his mind, louder than anything else.
Alena.