The doors of the vehicle slammed shut almost at the same time Laura was pushed inside. The sharp sound echoed in her ears, jolting her already frayed nerves. Her heart hammered violently against her ribs that she was sure the men around her could hear it. As soon as she was forced onto the seat, they climbed in after her—one dropping down beside her, close enough that she could feel the heat of his body, while the others took their places in the front with practiced ease. The doors locked, and within seconds the car pulled away smoothly, tires rolling forward as if nothing unusual had just occurred.From the outside, the vehicle blended effortlessly back into the road, just another car moving with purpose toward an ordinary destination. No one would have suspected anything was wrong.Inside, however, fear hung thick in the air, suffocating and heavy, pressing down on Laura’s chest until every breath felt like a struggle.She sat rigid, her back straight and her shoulders tense, h

Laura’s chest rose and fell unevenly as the silence pressed down on her like a physical weight. Each breath felt heavier than the last, as though the air itself had grown thick and resistant. The ropes around her wrists felt tighter now, cutting into her skin, as if they were shrinking with every second that passed. She flexed her fingers instinctively, but the movement only sent a sharp ache up her arms. She forced herself to stop struggling, knowing it would only waste what little strength she had left. Slowly, she lifted her head. Don stood near the door, his arms folded across his chest, his posture relaxed but alert. He wasn’t pacing anymore. He wasn’t speaking. He was simply watching her—patient, focused, and unblinking. The way a predator watched prey it knew couldn’t escape. The realization sent a chill through her spine. “Please,” Laura said at last, breaking the silence. Her voice trembled despite her best effort to keep it steady. She swallowed and tried again. “

The room fell into an uneasy silence the moment Laura said she had something to say.The men who stood around her stopped moving almost at once, as if an invisible signal had been given. One leaned back against the wall, folding his arms slowly across his chest, his gaze never leaving her face. Another rested his hand on the back of a wooden chair, fingers tapping once before going still. The others remained where they were, feet planted, eyes fixed on her with sharp, waiting intensity. The air felt thick, heavy with expectation, as though even the dust particles suspended in the room had paused to listen.“Well?” one of the men said at last, breaking the silence. His voice was casual, almost bored, but there was an edge beneath it. “Go on. We’re listening.”Laura swallowed hard. Her throat felt painfully dry, as though she hadn’t had water in days. Her chest rose and fell too quickly, betraying the fear she could no longer hide no matter how hard she tried. She attempted to slow her

Laura’s voice grew steadier as the fear that had once choked her words slowly transformed into something else—desperation sharpened by resolve. The terror was still there, coiled tightly in her chest, but it no longer ruled her completely. She realized that if she was going to survive this, she could not speak in fragments or half-finished thoughts anymore. Fear alone would not save her. She had to give them something solid, detailed, and valuable enough to outweigh whatever plans they had made for her. Her life now depended on information.“There are records,” Laura began, her voice low but controlled, her eyes fixed on a spot just beyond the men. She avoided looking directly at their faces, afraid that if she saw their expressions too clearly, her composure would fracture. “Records that never leave the inner circle of DeGrand Corporation. They’re not stored in the usual systems. They’re kept separately, guarded by a very small group of executives.”The men shifted almost immediatel

As soon as the man on the other end picked up the call, Donald didn’t bother with pleasantries. His grip tightened around the phone, his knuckles whitening as urgency coursed through him. His jaw was set, his expression hard, and every trace of casual composure stripped away in an instant.“I need you to search for Laura Harrington,” he said, his voice low but commanding, each word deliberate. “She’s Ivy Harrington’s sister. She’s in danger—she’s been kidnapped. I need to know where she is, and I need that information fast.”On the other end of the line, there was a brief pause. It wasn’t the pause of doubt or reluctance, but the sharp, calculated silence of someone immediately assessing the scope of the task. Donald could almost picture the man straightening, already pulling resources together in his mind.The man exhaled slowly. “Understood,” he replied. His tone shifted subtly, slipping into something more professional, more focused. “Give me a few minutes. I’ll get back to you.”B