Page 54 of Unworthy Ties
“Fuck,” Felix muttered.
“Rewind it,” I growled, my voice low and lethal.
I leaned in closer, my heart racing as I watched the scene replay. Each frame felt like a razor blade against my skin, slicing deeper into my sanity. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening.
I slammed my fist against the desk, the sound echoing like gunfire in the charged atmosphere of the penthouse.
“We’ll find her,” Felix said, his tone firm yet laced with uncertainty. “But we need to keep our heads.”
“Keep our heads?” I echoed, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. “That’s rich, coming from you.”
Before I could get another word out, Felix’s fist cracked across my jaw, snapping my head to the side. The shock of it tore through the haze of rage, leaving only raw silence in its wake.
“Get it together,” he snarled, his face inches from mine, eyes blazing. “You lose control now, she’s dead.”
I could taste the iron tang of blood in my mouth, my jaw throbbing from the impact. Felix’s words cut through the tumult raging inside me, forcing me to focus, to push aside the overwhelming surge of emotion threatening to consume me.
Breathing deeply, I straightened in my seat, meeting Felix’s intense gaze with a steely resolve. The urgency of the situation pounded in my chest, driving me forward despite the waves of fear and anger crashing against my composure.
Taking a deep breath, I straightened up, the fire in my eyes dimming to a steely resolve. “You’re right,” I conceded, my voice steady despite the throbbing ache in my jaw. “We need a plan.”
Felix nodded, his expression grave but determined. “We’ll track that van, find out where they took her.”
I clenched my fists, the image of Gabriella being dragged into the van seared into my mind. “We won’t have to look too hard.I know exactly who did it. And when we find him,” I growled, “he’ll wish they never crossed us.”
With a renewed sense of purpose, I leaned forward, my focus unwavering as I delved deeper into the footage, searching for a glimmer of hope in the shadows of despair. The battle ahead would be fierce, the odds stacked against us, but I knew one thing for certain—we would fight. And we would not rest until Gabriella was safe once more.
Together, we would navigate the treacherous waters ahead, drawing strength from each other in the face of adversity. And as the first rays of dawn broke through the darkness outside, a silent vow resonated within me—we would find her, no matter the cost.
And justice would be swift and unrelenting.
Chapter 28
Gabriella
Waking up after being chloroformed wasn’t like waking from sleep. It was like drowning in reverse. Consciousness came in fragments, hazy and unreliable, as if I were clawing my way up through heavy water only to sink back down again. Sounds were warped and distant, swirling around me in a disorienting echo. Muffled voices, the hum of an engine would slip through the cracks before vanishing. My body didn’t feel like my own, numb and sluggish, but my mind burned with the stubborn awareness that something was very, very wrong.
Flashes of memory flickered like dying embers as I struggled against the disorienting fog that wrapped around me. A man pulling me into a van, putting a cloth over my mouth and the acrid scent of chemicals. I fought against the unconsciousness that threatened to drag me under again, forcing my eyes to flutter open.
I wasn’t sure if it was my natural surroundings or the chloroform, but everything was very dark. Only a stream of light cut through the black, a blade of pale illumination that seemed to pulse with an eerie rhythm. Shadows danced along the walls, twisting and contorting as if alive, and I realized I was in a confined space.
A strangled scream tore from my throat, raw and ragged. My voice came out weaker than I expected, cracking in the heavy, stale air. Panic clawed at my chest as the confined darkness pressed in from all sides, every shadow seeming to stretch closer. My arms flailed instinctively, though they felt leaden and unresponsive, and I pressed my face into the faint sliver of light, gasping for a sense of orientation. The fear, half-dulled by the lingering fog of chloroform, made my heart hammer erratically, each beat a frantic plea for escape.
The light flickered, momentarily revealing the contours of my prison. Rusty metal walls were lined with a thick layer of grime that spoke of neglect and despair. I strained to listen, my breath hitching as I picked up on the faint sound of a generator thrumming somewhere nearby, a mechanical heartbeat that felt more like a taunt than a comfort.
I screamed again, desperation clawing at my throat. The sound echoed ominously, swallowed by the darkness. Silence followed, thick and suffocating, as if the shadowy corners of the room were conspiring to muffle my cries.
Shit. I had really fucked things up, hadn’t I? If I hadn’t thrown that stupid tantrum and just stayed in the penthouse, maybe I wouldn’t be here, trapped in this suffocating box. The regret coiled around me, and hot tears pooled in my eyes. The tears streamed down my cheeks, mingling with the salt of terror. Each drop was a reminder of my helplessness, and I swallowed hard against the rising tide of despair.
After lying there for what felt like an eternity, but might have only been minutes, I decided I needed my therapist. I lifted a shaky hand and drew a picture of Giuseppe on the grime of the metal on the top of the box.
“I really messed it up this time,” I whispered to the drawn figure. His button eyes felt pitifully inadequate for the comfort I needed, but it was all I had. My chest tightened, a mix of fear and guilt coiling around my ribs, and I hugged my knees closer, wishing the world would let me breathe again.
“Things were going so well,” I continued. “We were having such a good time together. And I—I…” My voice faltered, the words I wanted to say lodged somewhere between my chest and my throat. The truth hovered there, heavy and fragile, but I couldn’t let it escape.
Giuseppe’s steel eyes stared back at me, silent and unwavering, as if urging me to hold on, to survive, even when my courage failed me.
“I don’t know if I can,” I said, letting out a choked sob. “How is Rocco even supposed to find me here?”
