Noah's mind raced with thoughts while he stood by himself in the café with echoes of Mia disappearing still ringing in his ears. The man in a dark suit had taken her off without hesitation and Noah was powerless to save her. The air felt heavy with unanswered questions.He quickly grabbed his phone and with trembling fingers punched in Derek's number. He would have to get answers. The urgency in his voice was unmistakable as Derek answered the call."Derek," Noah said, trying hard to keep his voice calm as he struggled to keep his thoughts under control. "Mia's been taken. She's gone, and I don't know what to do."Derek's response was sharp and to the point. "Don't panic. You need to find her. I told you this would happen—she's not innocent in all of this, Noah."Noah felt a flare of irritation. "I know that, but I need to know where she is. I need to understand what's going on.""Marcus doesn't work alone," Derek continued. "Mia's been brought into this to trap you, make you vulnerable. If she was taken by Marcus's people, it is because they think you are the key to breaking your mother past wide open."Noah's stomach twisted into knots. "What do they want from me? Why me?""They want your knowledge, your connection to Sara. They know you'll go to any legnth to protect her," Derek replied, his voice cold. "They are playing a game, and that's their first move." Noah gritted his teeth; he wasn't going to allow it. He did not care how deep the web of lies stretched. He wasn't going to lose Mia without a fight.Mia: Noah went out to find Mia. He knew danger lurked around her, but the reason remained a pestering question in his mind. For what reason was she sent to him in the first instance? Was she just a pawn? Or was she also trapped in her circumstances as he was in his own?The city slipped into a blur around him as he drove. Every red light, every right turn was another tick of the clock, another second slipping through his fingers. He needed answers, and right now.After hours of driving, he found himself parked in front of an empty warehouse at the city outskirts. Eerily silent, the place sent chills down his spine. The place was deserted, with cracked windows allowing little light inside. It had to be where they were keeping Mia.He stepped out of the car, breath steady but heart thudding. Noah glanced about to see if anyone noticed his arrival. At that moment, he was nearing the warehouse, when he heard voices-muffled murmurings. Crouching down, he strained to hear the conversation."Are you sure the boy will come for her?" a deep voice asked."He has to. We've got the leverage. He'll come," another voice replied.Noah's blood turned to ice. They were waiting for him.Suddenly, there came the voice of someone familiar from inside the building; Mia's pretty voice."Let me go!" she screamed. "You don't know who you're dealing with!"Noah's instincts took over. He didn't have time to think; he just had to save her.He was moving swiftly, darting through the shadows, avoiding detection. Creeping up near the entrance, he saw two men standing guard outside. Noah knew he couldn't take them both on at once. He needed to be smart.He waited for the right moment, then lunged, tackling one of the guards to the ground. The other man barely had time to react before Noah knocked him out cold. His heart raced as he entered the warehouse, the dim lighting casting long shadows on the walls.Inside, Mia was strapped to a chair, her face bruised but defiant. The sight of her made Noah's blood boil. They had hurt her, and for what?"Mia!" Noah shouted as he rushed toward her.She glanced up at him, wide-eyed with fear and something else-regret? -"Noah, you shouldn't have come. It's too dangerous.""I'm not leaving without you," Noah said definitively, slashing the ropes that tied her.Mia stood up, trembling slightly, but her eyes fixed to his in a mix of relief and guilt. "They'll come after us. You can't keep doing this."Noah ignored her words. "We have to get out, now."As they reached the exit, a voice rang out from the shadows."Going somewhere?"Noah's heart sank. In front of him stood the one person he would never have wished to see-Marcus."You," Noah spat out, fists clenched at the side. "You did all this-you sent them after me."Marcus smirked, his cold eyes glimmering. "Think you can run away from this, Noah? Your mother thought so too, but look where that got her. Now it's your turn."Mia stepped forward, voice trembling. "Marcus, please. I never wanted this. I never wanted to hurt him."Marcus turned his cruel gleeful laughter towards her, revealing "Too late for regrets, Mia. You're already too far gone."He stepped forward, voice compressed with determination but steady despite the rage building in him. "I'll make you wish you never crossed my family."Marcus took a step forward with narrowed eyes. "You're just like your mother. But that's your biggest mistake."Noah's heart raced hard in his chest. It had come down to this-everything to fight against the man who had haunted his mother's life, but he couldn't do it alone.Mia looked at him, and for a brief moment, the two shared a silent understanding. "I'll help you," she said in a whisper.Noah had no hesitation at that. "We do it together."Marcus was taking a step forward when another crash resounded beyond them, causing Noah to turn in surprise. A dozen men crashed into the building, weapons raised. He might be outnumbered but he was no longer afraid.---
To Be Continued...