Mia's hands were slick with blood. The raw, burning pain from her torn skin was nothing compared to the urgency in her chest. She didn't even notice the blood dripping from her palms, staining the iron bar she gripped with desperation. All that mattered was the door.
With a ragged breath, she shoved the metal into the lock again, gritting her teeth. The door refused to budge, mocking her, as if the very room was trying to keep her from what she knew was waiting just beyond it. She grunted with each push, her entire body trembling with the effort, her fingers slipping on the cold metal.
Ahh, ahh, ahh. The sounds she made—grunts and gasps—were the only life in the suffocating silence. The thick, damp air clung to her skin as if the room itself were alive, pressing in on her, telling her to give up. But Mia would never give in.
She couldn't.
With a final, desperate lunge, she drove the iron against the door one last time. There was a sickening creak, the sound of metal scraping against metal, and then—finally—the door cracked open. The darkness beyond swallowed her whole.
Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest it threatened to burst through her ribs. She reached for her phone, fumbling with it in her trembling hands, and activated the flashlight. The beam cut through the darkness in front of her, revealing a corridor that felt colder than the room she had just escaped.
But it wasn't the darkness or the chill that made her pulse race.
It was the sound—a faint cry—echoing through the hallway.
Her heart skipped a beat. It's her. It's really her.
The cry tugged at her soul. She had dreamed of it, longed for it, imagined this moment for days. And now, it was finally happening.
With reckless determination, Mia ran forward. Her body moved almost of its own accord, guided by the sound that grew louder with each step. She had to reach her. She had to make sure she was okay.
A figure emerged from the shadows—a guard. He was blocking her path, his uniform and stance rigid with authority. He saw her coming, his eyes narrowing as he reached for his weapon.
"Hey! What are you doing here? Who are you?" His voice was demanding, thick with suspicion.
But Mia didn't stop. She didn't even flinch. Her body didn't pause. Her eyes remained fixed ahead, only for a moment—just enough to see the guard before she collided with him, her shoulder driving into his chest.
He staggered back, surprised at the force of her push. Before he could regain his footing, she shoved him hard, sending him sprawling onto the cold floor with a grunt. His hand reached out to grab her ankle, but Mia was already past him, her breath ragged as she sprinted toward the sound of the crying voice.
"Mama! Are you there?" Her voice cracked, raw with emotion, as the words tore from her throat. The cry echoed back at her, bouncing off the walls like a ghost of her own pain.
The voice that responded was faint, but enough to stop Mia in her tracks.
"Mia…"
Tears instantly blurred her vision as she dropped to her knees, her heart breaking into a thousand pieces. She had found her. Her mother was here. She was alive.
"Mama, I'm sorry. Did they hurt you? I'm here now," Mia choked out, her voice a mixture of relief and terror.
She could feel her mother's frail arms wrapping around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Mia held her, not wanting to ever let go. The days of longing, the nightmares, the pain—it all melted away in the warmth of her mother's touch.
"Mama…" Mia whispered again, her voice cracking as she buried her face in her mother's shoulder. "I've missed you so much."
Her mother stroked her hair, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "It's okay, child. I'm okay… Stop crying."
Mia shook her head, unable to stop the tears from flowing. "I'll never let you go again, Mama. Never."
Outside of the moment they shared, the darkness seemed to close in around them. But Mia didn't care. For the first time in so long, she was exactly where she was meant to be.
Far from the tenderness of Mia's reunion, in another part of the building, Alex was fighting for his life.
Surrounded by Sara's men, there was nowhere left for him to run. His breath came in shallow bursts, his body sagging with the weight of his wounds. Every breath was an effort. Every movement felt like it was dragging him down deeper.
But he didn't break. He couldn't. Not when Mia was still out there. Not when he knew she needed him.
"So, you're Sara," Alex said through gritted teeth, his body swaying but still standing tall. His eyes burned with defiance as he looked at the woman who had his love's life a living nightmare. "You really hate Mia that much?"
Sara's smile was cold, devoid of any warmth. Her eyes, though, gleamed with something darker—something far more dangerous.
"Hate?" she scoffed, her lips curling in a mocking smile. "No, Alex. I don't hate Mia. Not exactly."
She stepped closer to him, her heels clicking on the floor as she moved with deliberate, controlled steps. There was no fear in her. No hesitation. She was in full control.
"She ruined everything," Sara continued, her voice soft but laced with venom. "Everything I worked for."
Alex's face hardened as he stared at her, unfazed by the pain that racked his body. His voice was steady, though the effort it took to speak was clear. "Then why? What's your obsession with her?"
Sara's laugh was low, chilling. "Obsession?" She tilted her head, mockingly curious. "No, Alex. I'm not obsessed with Mia. I'm just... correcting a mistake."
Her gaze flicked to her men, and in that moment, they closed in on Alex. Hands grabbed his arms, holding him down, forcing him to the ground with painful strength. He struggled, pushing against them, but it was futile. His body was growing weaker with each passing second, and he was outnumbered.
Sara knelt down in front of him, her eyes gleaming with something cruel. "Tell me, Alex. Where are Mia and Jake?" Her voice was a whisper now, but it held a venomous edge. "Tell me, and maybe... just maybe, I'll let you live."
Alex's chest rose and fell with each labored breath. He met her gaze, defiance still burning in his eyes despite the pain that wracked his body. He wouldn't give in. He couldn't.
"I'll never tell you," he spat, his voice hoarse but resolute. "You'll never break me."
Sara's lips twisted into a smile. There was no kindness in it, no mercy. Only cruelty.
"We'll see about that," she murmured, standing and motioning for her men to continue.
The beating began again. Alex's body was battered, but his mind stayed clear. He wouldn't break. Not for her. Not for anyone.
He had to survive. Mia needed him.
wait wait Sara commanded walking close to the fighting area and she became even more upset as no one of her men stopped pulling out her gun she shoot four of them, I don't like to repeat myself but you never listen. They stepped aside giving her room to pass, so Alex you enjoy talking about Mia she hissed placing a gun on his lips which hurt his lips leaving a burn, swelling. pink mark. Humps sorry did it hurt she smirked "You're lucky I didn't shoot you.
Alex why are you in this state ? hmmmm! "Can you tell me one reason why you're really putting up with all my roughness?" Sara asked, her voice softer now, but still edged with a hint of frustration. She knelt down, her knees pressing into the cold ground, as her hands rested on her thighs, fingers digging into the fabric of her jump suit. Her brow furrowed slightly, lips pressed together in a tight line.
She was trying to hold her composure, but there was a quiver in her voice that betrayed the strength she was desperately clinging to. Her shoulders tensed as she waited for him to respond, her breath shallow.
Alex stared back, an evil smile curling on his lips, his eyes glinting with an almost dangerous amusement. "Mia is everything to me," he said, his voice dripping with a clear tone. "She's so special, I can't even find the words to explain." His tone was mocking, as if daring anyone to challenge him. He thought he was alone in his confession, believing that Jake, Nicky, and James had left when he told them to, but they hadn't gone anywhere. They were still there, lurking in the background, their presence a silent reminder of Alex's overconfidence.
Sara, however, didn't care. She simply stared back at him, her expression unreadable, though the tension in her posture betrayed the conflict brewing beneath her calm exterior. Her arms were crossed tightly, as if shielding herself from the weight of Alex's words. She knew there was more to this than what he was letting on.
"Sara", Alex called out. But you're nothing compared to her," he said the words slipping from his mouth like venom but I think you can only learn from her not becoming a fool! ... "Alex" Sara cut him off before he could finish. 'Mind your language!' she shouted, pointing a gun at his face. Alex didn't flinch. He wasn't like the others, easily swayed by Sara's theatrics. "Hey! If you want to shoot, go ahead. Don't shout at me. Shoot if you're going to shoot." He held his ground, his body tense but unmoving still as he stared her. His eyes, dark and unreadable, locked onto her with a calm intensity that made the room feel like it had suddenly become colder. There was no surprise on his face, no sign of disbelief.
Mia! Mia! Mia! I hate the sound of her name everyone talks about her, Sara's patience grew thin as she rose her gun and started shooting the ceiling forcing all the glasses to fall down on her men injuring some of them and some lost their lives blood was shed as cries accompanied. Alex was just standing in the middle witnessing her level of craziness! He stared didn't blink even when the glass cut his face.
James lunged toward the exit, his body tense with frustration, but Nicky yanked him back, his grip vice-like. "No," he hissed, his voice low. "If you go out there now, you'll make it worse. Let him deal with her.