As Sara walked back to her house, her mind raced with thoughts of how to approach the conversation with Maya. But when she got home, Maya was nowhere to be found. Panic began to set in. She called Maya's phone, but there was no answer. She tried checking Maya's last location on her phone, and it showed the Garden Mitchell Hotel, not far from their house. She tried calling again, but this time, Maya's phone was turned off.
Sara's heart pounded in her chest. She couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had happened. Desperation clawed at her as she dialed Shonn's number.
"Shonn, Maya's missing," she said, her voice trembling. "Her last location was at the Garden Mitchell Hotel, but now her phone is off. I'm scared, Shonn. I think Emmett might have her."
Shonn's voice was urgent on the other end. "Stay calm, Sara. I'll be there soon. Don't leave the house. I'm calling Levi right now."
As soon as she hung up, Sara dialed Steven's number. He picked up on the first ring, his voice tense. "Sara, what's wrong?"
"Maya's gone, Steven," Sara said, her voice breaking. "Her phone's off, and her last location was at the Garden Mitchell Hotel. I think Emmett has her."
Steven's breath caught in his throat. Levi was already on Steven's room. He took her phone from Steven seeing him unstable, "Stay where you are, Sara. Don't leave the house until we call. We'll be there as soon as we find her."
Steven loosened his tie aggressively, sweat beading on his forehead. His veins bulged with stress and fear. "Levi, we need to move," Steven said, his voice shaking. "Emmett has her."
Levi's face hardened. "Let's go. I'll drive."
. . .
Flashback to the morning
Maya stepped out of the grocery store, balancing bags in both hands, her mind preoccupied with the errands she had to complete before Sara returned from university. It was a sunny morning, and the streets were bustling with people. She checked her watch; it was only 10 AM, plenty of time to get everything done. As she walked towards her car, parked a short distance away, she didn't notice the dark figure watching her from across the street.
Emmett had been trailing her for weeks, learning her routine, biding his time. He knew Sara would be at the university and that Maya often ran errands alone in the morning. Today, he decided, was the day he would make his move.
Maya reached her car, setting the bags down to find her keys. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back. She tried to scream, but a hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her cries. Panic surged through her as she struggled, kicking and flailing, but Emmett's grip was too strong.
"Shh, Maya. It's me," Emmett whispered in her ear, his voice sending a chill down her spine. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."
Maya's heart pounded as she recognized the voice. She bit down on his hand, forcing him to let go momentarily. She screamed for help, but Emmett was quick. He slammed her head against the car door, dazing her. The world spun, and before she could regain her senses, he had her in a chokehold.
Dragging her to a nearby alley, he tied her hands and feet with zip ties he had brought. He covered her mouth with duct tape, silencing her. The alley was deserted, and anyone passing by wouldn't have noticed the struggle. Emmett's van was parked just a few feet away, its back doors open. He threw her inside, slamming the doors shut before speeding off.
Inside the van, Maya struggled against the bindings, tears streaming down her face. Her head throbbed from the blow, and fear coursed through her veins. She had no idea where Emmett was taking her or what he planned to do.
They drove for what felt like hours, but in reality, it was only about thirty minutes. The van pulled up to the Garden Mitchell Hotel, a nondescript place that blended in with the surrounding buildings. Emmett parked in the underground garage, far from prying eyes. He checked the area, making sure no one was around, before opening the back doors and hauling Maya out.
She tried to resist, but her body was weak, and her movements sluggish. Emmett half-dragged, half-carried her to the service elevator, bypassing the main lobby. He had planned this meticulously, knowing the hotel's layout and how to avoid detection. He said, "I will hurt Sara if you don't behave like a good girl, Maya." The elevator ride was short, and soon they were on the sixth floor, where Emmett had booked a room.
Flashback Ends
Inside room 607, Emmett shoved Maya onto the bed, her hands still bound. Maya looked around, desperate for any means of escape, but the room was sparse, with no easy way out. Emmett locked the door, pocketing the keycard with a smirk. "You're mine now, Maya," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "And no one is coming to save you."
Maya's eyes widened in fear as Emmett approached. He ripped the duct tape from her mouth, and she gasped for air, her lips trembling. "Please, Emmett, let me go," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.
Emmett's face twisted with rage. "Shut up!" he shouted, slapping her hard across the face. The force of the blow knocked her back onto the bed, her cheek stinging with pain. "You think you can just leave me and be happy with Steven? You think you can escape what you did to me?"
Tears welled up in Maya's eyes as she shook her head. "I didn't do anything to you, Emmett. We broke up. You need to move on."
"Move on?" Emmett laughed, a cruel, bitter sound. "You ruined my life, Maya. I lost everything because of you. Do you know how much I hate seeing you happy with Steven while I suffer?"
He paced the room, his anger boiling over. "Do you remember how Levi humiliated me in front of everyone at the office? He punched me, and you didn't even care. He's your CEO at VISHO, and he has his eyes on you. Everyone knows it."
Maya's eyes widened in shock. "He's just a friend."
"Liar!" Emmett screamed, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her up. "I sent him a video of you, undressed and drunk, from when we were together. I threatened to release it. I wish I could have seen his face. He would be scared, just like you are now, right?" Emmett laughed like a maniac.
Maya's heart sank. She hadn't known about the video. "Why are you doing this, Emmett? Why are you trying to destroy my life?"
"Because you deserve it," Emmett spat, pushing her back onto the bed. "You and Steven and Levi, you all deserve to suffer. I've been watching you, waiting for the right moment. I know you haven't gone to the office. I know you were hiding somewhere."
He tied her hands to the bedpost, making sure she couldn't move. "I thought Steven would watch the video and would break up with you, but he didn't. He's too stupid to see you for what you really are."
Maya struggled against the bindings, her wrists chafing against the rough rope. "Emmett, please, let me go. You don't have to do this."
But Emmett was beyond reason. He slapped her again, harder this time, leaving a red mark on her cheek. "Shut up! You don't get to beg. You don't get to escape. You're mine now, and I'm going to make you pay for everything you've done."
He tortured her for hours, his anger fueling his cruelty. He slapped her, punched her, and tied her up tighter whenever she tried to resist. Maya's cries filled the room, but no one came to help. Emmett enjoyed every moment, his twisted sense of justice driving him to inflict more pain.
As the hours passed, Emmett's rage began to subside, replaced by a cold, calculating demeanor. He sat on the edge of the bed, watching Maya with a cruel smile. "You know, I've been waiting for you to come to the office every day. I thought I'd catch you off guard, but you stopped showing up. I knew something was wrong."
He leaned in close, his breath hot against her face. "I checked in front of your apartment, thinking Steven would have kicked you out after seeing the video. But you were nowhere to be found. No one would want to be with a slut like you."
Maya closed her eyes, trying to block out his words, but they cut deep. She felt a mixture of shame and anger, knowing that Emmett was trying to break her spirit.
"You're wrong, Emmett," she said, her voice shaky but defiant. "Steven loves me. He won't leave me."
Emmett laughed again, a hollow, bitter sound. "We'll see about that. By the time I'm done with you, he won't even recognize you. He'll see you for the worthless, broken woman you really are."