Chapter 9 SOMETHING IS WRONG

Damien stared at his phone. The message remained exactly where he left it. Delivered but not seen.

His jaw tightened slightly. That wasn't like her.

Arianna didn't feel like the type to ignore a message, not after the night they'd had. Not after the way she had looked at him before stepping out of the car.

Something about it didn't sit right. He exhaled slowly, running a hand over his jaw as he leaned back against his seat.

"Relax," he muttered under his breath.

"She was probably in the shower. Or asleep. Or deliberately ignoring him just to prove a point.

That sounded more like her."

Still...His fingers moved before his thoughts could stop him.

He tapped her name and pressed call, the line rang, once, twice, three times and no answer.

His expression didn't change, but something colder settled beneath the surface.

He ended the call and tried again. Longer this time but still nothing.

Damien leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees, his phone still pressed to his ear.

"Pick up," he murmured, voice low.

The call dropped. He stared at the screen for a second too long. He stood up as his instinct lingered.

"Something must be wrong," he whispered.

***

Across the city, Arianna's world came back in fragments. Darkness. Then pressure. Then pain.

A sharp ache throbbed at the back of her head as consciousness slowly forced its way through the fog.

Her breathing came first–uneven, shallow, then awareness. Her eyes fluttered open.

Everything was blurred at first. Shadows melting into shapes that didn't make sense.

She blinked hard, trying to focus.

Where...?

The air felt wrong. Her body shifted slightly and froze. Her hands wouldn't move.

A sudden wave of panic crashed into her chest.

"No, no, no..." She pulled against the restraint.

Her heart slammed violently against her ribs as fear flooded her system.

"Hello?" Her voice came out rough, barely above a whisper. No response, only silence.

The kind that pressed against your ears. The kind that made everything worse. Her breathing quickened.

Think, think, Arianna. Her eyes moved slowly around the space, forcing herself to stay calm.

The room was dim, bare and unfamiliar. No windows, one door which was closed.

Her throat tightened. Memory rushed back all at once. The hallway, the sound, the hand over her mouth, the voice, don't fight.

A shudder ran through her.

"Oh God..."

***

Damien was already in his car. The engine roared to life before he even fully shut the door.

He didn't hesitate, and didn't question it either.

Instinct had already taken over. Something was wrong and he wasn't going to sit still long enough to find out how bad.

He dialed her again as he pulled into the street.

No answer again and that alone sent chills to his bones.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Traffic lights blurred past him. His mind ran through possibilities and none of them settling, none of them making sense.

Arianna wasn't careless. She wasn't reckless.

She wouldn't just disappear. Unless...

His jaw clenched. No. He wasn't jumping to conclusions. Not yet.

But the feeling in his chest wasn't going away.

***

Arianna forced herself to breathe slower. Panic would not help her. Panic would get her killed.

Her fingers twisted again against the restraint, testing it more carefully this time.

Rope around her hands and tight enough to cut circulation if she struggled too hard. Her stomach twisted.

"Who did this?"

"Why?"

Her mind raced through faces...clients, coworkers, strangers...and none of them made sense.

This wasn't random. It couldn't be.Her heart pounded harder as a new fear crept in. This was intentional. Someone had planned this.

A soft sound came from outside the door.

Arianna froze instantly..Her entire body went still.

Footsteps were slow, measured and moving closer. Her breath caught in her throat.

The handle shifted slightly, her pulse skyrocketed and the door creaked open.

A figure stepped inside, tall, composed and hidden in shadow. Arianna's lips parted, her voice trembling despite herself.

"Who are you...?"

The figure didn't answer and didn't move closer immediately...just stood there watching.

And somehow, that was worse.

"Not you," the voice replied softly.

Silent sentences in between them.

"Not really." Arianna's heart skipped.

Cold dread settled deep in her bones.

If it wasn't about her...

***

Damien reached her door and there he saw it was slightly open. He stopped. Every instinct sharpened instantly.

Slowly, he pushed it open, silence greeted him.

His eyes scanned the apartment quickly. Nothing looked obviously wrong and yet, everything felt off.

"Arianna?" No response.

He stepped further inside. Then he saw it.

Her phone. It was on the floor and the screen cracked.

Still glowing faintly. Damien bent down, picking it up slowly.

His gaze darkened. That was enough. No more doubt and no more questions.

This wasn't a coincidence and wasn't her ignoring him either.

This was something else, something deliberate

and something dangerous.

His jaw tightened and when he spoke, his voice dropped into something cold enough to freeze the room.

"Whoever took you..." His grip tightened around the phone. "...just made a mistake."