Chapter 4 Perefect Stranger

CORALINE POV

I took a deep breath, the warm night air carrying the faint scent of salt from the sea. It felt good to be here, to be doing something for myself again. No work. No responsibilities. No boyfriends. Just me and my best friend, living life. Billie and I took a one week vacation break from work to visit Greece and it had been the best time of our lives.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Billie nudged my arm, her eyes bright with mischief. "No men. No stress. Just us."

I chuckled, nodding. The past three days in Greece had been nothing short of perfect. We'd explored the breathtaking sights of Santorini, wandered through Oia's winding streets, and marveled at artifacts in the Museum of Prehistoric Thira.

By the time exhaustion hit, we collapsed on the red sandy beach, watching the waves roll under the golden hues of sunset. Dinner was spent on a patio overlooking the ocean, the salty breeze mixing with the scent of grilled seafood.But the realization that our trip was nearing its end left an ache in my chest.

"Tonight, we party!" Billie declared later, swiping red lipstick across my lips. She stepped back, admiring her work before shoving a pair of stilettos into my hands."

Heels, Billie? Really?"

"Heels, Coraline. Always."The club pulsed with energy the moment we stepped inside. Neon blue and red lights flickered across the walls, shadows shifting with every beat of the music. Billie led the way to the bar, where a barely-dressed blonde bartender leaned forward with a flirtatious smile."Sex on the Beach," I ordered, ignoring the suggestive arch of her brow.

"Make it two," Billie added.

We danced. We drank. I felt lighter, freer, the weight of reality slipping away with every sip of alcohol. It was reckless and exhilarating, and for a brief moment, I allowed myself to forget.

Then my phone buzzed.

Two picture messages from an unknown number.My stomach twisted as I opened them.

I stopped breathing.

Billie frowned. "What's wrong?"

Wordlessly, I shoved my phone toward her.

She took one look and cursed. "That's Dylan. And-" She swiped to the next photo, her expression darkening. "Oh, fuck. He's making out with someone. And it's recent."

The club noise faded to nothing. My chest ached, a dull, crushing pressure that stole my breath. "I leave for three days, and he buries his dick in someone else?" My voice cracked at the sight of my fiance with another woman.

"He's been cheating for a long time."

"What?" Billie's eyes widened.

I exhaled shakily.

"He's been distant. Picking fights over nothing. I should've known."

Billie's grip on my arm tightened. "Don't waste your tears on him. Let's drink."

I nodded. "Yeah. Let's get drunk."

So we did. Billie kept the drinks coming, pulling me onto the dance floor, forcing me to lose myself in the music. I danced until my limbs felt heavy, until my vision blurred at the edges.

"Where are you going?" Billie grabbed my wrist when I started to move away.

"Fresh air. I'll be back."

Outside, the cool night air hit my flushed skin, but it did nothing to ease the storm raging inside me. Seven years. Seven years of my life, wasted on a man who never valued me. We were supposed to get married. Build a life together. Now what?A noise snapped me from my thoughts.

"Hey, pretty lady."

The voice came from the shadows, thick with an unsettling edge.

Panic surged through me. I turned to run, but my heels slowed me down. Before I could think to kick them off, my legs gave out.

I crashed into something solid. No-someone.

A large, muscular figure loomed over me. The scent of expensive cologne mixed with the crisp night air. I barely had time to look up before a cloth was pressed to my nose.

The world tilted.

Darkness swallowed me whole.A dull, relentless ache pounded behind my eyes. My body felt heavy, sluggish. I groaned, forcing myself upright.Where was I?

The room was lavish, with a king-size bed beneath me. A glass of water and a pill sat on the bedside table, along with a note in neat, precise handwriting.

'Eat me'

My stomach twisted.

Ignoring the eerie message, I swallowed the aspirin.

The relief was almost instant, but panic crept in when I stumbled to the door and twisted the handle.

Locked.

I banged against it. "Hey! Let me out!"

Silence.

My heart pounded as I stepped back, my mind racing. How did this happen? Who took me?

"Billie!" I yelled but no response.

Exhaustion won, pulling me back under. When I woke again, the sound of the door unlocking jolted me upright.

A hulking man stepped inside, carrying a tray of food."Eat," he grunted, setting it down before turning to leave."Wait!"

I shot up. "Who are you? Where am I? Why the fuck am I here?"

He didn't flinch. "Nothing you need to know yet. The boss wants you to eat and rest."

"The boss?" My stomach clenched. "Who the hell is 'the boss'?"

He ignored me, stepping out and locking the door behind him.

Panic clawed at my throat. I needed to get out. Fast.My gaze darted to the window.

Stripping the sheets from the bed, I knotted them together, tying one end to the bedpost before tossing the other out. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do.

Carefully, I began my descent, wincing as my fingers burned from the friction. Halfway down, voices drifted below.I froze.

A group of men stood in a courtyard. One of them knelt, blood dripping down his face.

Then-Bang.A gunshot.

I choked back a scream as the man collapsed, lifeless.The shooter turned.

Our eyes met.Recognition slammed into me like a freight train. It was him. Again. The man from the hotel. But unlike when we met at the Hotel suite or the bar when he helped me from that pervert of a man, his eyes were colder this time. No surprises there, he just shot a man dead.

I clench my stomach forcing myself not to throw up st the sight of blood in front of me but it was effortless. I gave off everything I'd eaten previously as my knees buckled.

Why do I keep running into him. Was he the one that took me?

His icy gaze locked onto mine.

Before I could process what was happening, the world tilted again.

Darkness took me.