The day now dark as Joi stepped out of Emily's apartment, the lingering warmth of their laughter still lighting her smile. She pulled her coat tighter against the crisp evening air, her footsteps echoing softly along the quiet street.
She didn't notice the black car idling at the corner. She didn't see the figure slipping out of the shadows, his cap pulled low, his movements deliberate.
A chill prickled at the back of her neck, a whisper of instinct telling her something was wrong.
Too late.
A hand clamped down on her arm, yanking her back with bone-jarring force. "What—!" Joi gasped, spinning to fight, but the man was already there, too close.
A white cloth pressed hard against her mouth. The sickly sweet scent hit her nostrils, sharp and suffocating. Panic slammed into her chest, her heart racing as adrenaline flooded her veins.
"No!" Joi's muffled scream tore from her throat as she flailed, her nails clawing at the hand holding the cloth. Her legs kicked wildly, heels scraping against the pavement. She twisted, desperate to break free, but her limbs felt sluggish, heavy.
Her vision swam. The world tilted dangerously as strength bled out of her body. "Help…" she croaked, the sound barely escaping as her eyes darted frantically, searching for anyone—anything.
The man said nothing. Cold. Silent. Efficient.
Joi's knees buckled, her frantic struggles reduced to weak jerks. Tears stung her eyes as the fight slipped from her grasp.
"No, no, no."
Darkness crept into the edges of her vision, swallowing the street, the faceless man, the sky overhead.
Her final thought before everything went black was a mix of terror and disbelief—
"Adrian… help me."
When Joi woke, the air was thick and suffocating, clinging to her skin like a damp shroud. Her body ached with dull, throbbing pain as she pushed herself upright, her pulse quickening. Shadows swallowed the corners of the room, the only light filtering through cracks in the wooden walls.
She froze.
The faint creak of footsteps echoed on the porch outside. The sound sent ice crawling through her veins.
"No… no, no…" she whispered, stumbling to her feet. Her heart hammered as she staggered to the window, hands trembling as she pulled back the curtain.
Thick forest stretched endlessly in every direction, a suffocating sea of trees. No roads. No lights. No one to hear her scream.
Her breath hitched, panic clawing at her chest. "Where am I?"
The door creaked open.
She spun around, a gasp choking in her throat.
Shane stepped inside, his tall frame eclipsing the dim light. His presence filled the room like a predator stalking prey—deliberate, controlled, but brimming with menace. His gaze met hers, cold and unrelenting, his dark eyes stripped of the warmth she'd once known.
"Shane?" Her voice shook, disbelief lacing every syllable. "What… what is this? Why am I here?"
He didn't answer right away. He didn't have to. The look in his eyes was enough.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low and unnervingly calm. "Adrian will come for you. But until then…" He stepped closer, his presence bearing down on her like a heavy weight. "You're mine."
Her stomach dropped. "You don't have to do this," she pleaded, her voice breaking. "Shane, please—"
"Don't beg," he cut her off sharply, closing the distance. The air turned stifling, making it hard to breathe. "I warned you to stay away from Adrian. You didn't listen."
He grabbed her chin, his grip firm, his fingers biting into her skin as he forced her to look up at him. Her wide, fearful eyes met his unreadable gaze, searching for a trace of the Shane she knew.
All she found was a stranger.
"If he doesn't back off…" His voice dropped, each word chilling and deliberate. "I'll destroy you, Joi. And I don't make empty threats."
Her chest rose and fell in rapid bursts, panic twisting inside her. Tears stung her eyes as she shook her head, her voice trembling. "You're… you're a monster."
Shane's lip curled, a cruel mockery of a smile. He released her roughly, his disdain cutting sharper than his grip.
"Maybe," he said, his tone almost a whisper. "But you'll learn to listen."
With that, he turned, his boots thudding heavily against the creaking wooden floor as he strode out.
The door slammed shut, the sound reverberating through the small room like a gunshot.
The sharp click of the lock echoed in her ears, and she collapsed to her knees, her hands shaking violently as she covered her face.
The only sound that remained was the distant hum of the forest outside—and the ragged rhythm of her own breathing.
---
Back in Adrian's penthouse, the atmosphere was colder than ever.
Sophia stood at the dining table, watching Adrian with hopeful eyes. He sat on the far end of the couch, a glass of whiskey dangling loosely in his hand as he stared out the window, his jaw tight. His silence was deafening.
"Adrian," Sophia tried, her voice softer than usual. She took a tentative step forward. "I know you're worried about Joi, but you don't have to go through this alone. I'm here… for you."
Adrian didn't move. His gaze remained fixed on the city lights. "Get out!" he said, his tone as sharp as glass.
Sophia flinched, her nails digging into her palm. "Why are you doing this? I—Isabella is your daughter. Can't you at least—"
"Don't." He finally turned his head to look at her, his icy stare slicing through whatever veneer of confidence she still wore. "Don't bring her into this."
Sophia's breath hitched. For a moment, she couldn't speak, couldn't argue. Adrian's detachment was suffocating. She hadn't expected him to care this deeply for Joi, not to the point of freezing her out completely.
Her voice trembled with forced calm. "You're being irrational, Adrian. She's not coming back—"
He cut her off with a glare. "You don't know that. And you won't speak her name in this house."
Sophia swallowed hard. The conversation was a dead end. She could feel him slipping further away, and every inch of distance drove her to the edge of desperation. She didn't wait to argue anymore—she stormed out of the living room, her heels clicking violently against the marble floors as she made her way to her room.