I flinched, not understanding what he meant. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“If this video somehow reaches them–if they’re watching… I just want them to know I love them. I don’t understand why my father was alive all this time and never came for me. I don’t know why my mother stayed silent… why she kept that truth hidden.” My voice cracked a little. “But… I forgive them. Both of them.”

“What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice weak. He leaned in closer, his eyes narrowing.

My body ached from the awkward position I was tied in. My wrists burned, my shoulders were sore, and my stomach kept twisting from hunger and dread. But more than anything, it was my heart that hurt. Because somewhere deep inside… I already knew. Damien wasn’t coming for me. He wouldn’t. I was just a piece in his game. Bait. Not a person worth saving. He had Sofia now. The one he truly loved. The one he thought he lost. And now that she was back, I was… replaceable. Disposable.

“Where is Sofia? Are you holding both of us?” I asked, panicking… strangely, I wanted to meet her.

Time passed–I didn’t know how long–and then the door opened again. It was him. The same man from earlier. He walked in casually, tossing his coat over the back of the chair like we were old friends. Then he pulled out a phone and handed it to one of the guards.

“I hope one day they find peace. I hope they learn to love without hurting… and live without hate. I hope they remember me for who I was before everything fell apart.” I hesitated for a second, my voice dropping to a whisper. “Please… tell them the truth someday. All of it.”

Olivia’s POV

“You’re awake,” he said simply, his voice calm. Too calm. I said nothing. I couldn’t–my mouth was taped shut.

This… this was where I die. The thought settled in my chest like a heavy stone, and I couldn’t stop the tears from falling quietly down my cheeks. I didn’t sob. I didn’t scream. I just… cried in silence.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the man frown slightly, but I didn’t stop.

The man scoffed. “No…. Since she is not important to Damien, I decided to release her back to him and take you instead,” he said simply.

The two men exchanged glances but obeyed, stepping out and closing the door behind them. Now it was just me and him. Alone.

“Leave us,” he ordered.

My eyes widened as everything dawned on me… this was the same man who had Sofia.

“I believe by now you must have received Sofia,” I said slowly, my voice no more than a whisper. “Congratulations on that.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I know my life doesn’t mean much to you. And I know… you’re not coming to save me, Damien. But please,” I paused, drawing in a shaking breath, “let my parents go. I kept to my part of the deal.”

My lips trembled as I took another breath. “I wish things could’ve been different. I wish I had more time to understand, to ask why… but I don’t.”

“Start recording,” he said simply.

A gasp of fear escaped me, but he wasn’t bothered. He just turned to the guards. “Make sure she’s comfortable. Feed her. Keep her alive. She’s more useful breathing.”

“This is your chance,” he said softly. “Look into the camera. Cry. Beg Damien to save you. Plead for your life. Show him how much you need him.”

He tilted his head slightly, studying me like I was some strange puzzle. “You look really pretty,” he muttered. “No wonder Damien married you.”

I stared at him for a moment. Then slowly, I turned to face the camera. But I didn’t cry. And I didn’t beg. I stared straight into the camera, ignoring the burning in my throat, the sting in my eyes. My heart was racing, but my voice stayed steady.

I winced at the pain. I coughed a little, then whispered, “Who are you?”

Then I turned to the man. “I’m done.”

The splash of a bucket of water slammed me back to consciousness. For a moment, my vision swam, blurry shapes shifting until my eyes adjusted, and I realized two men were standing right in front of me. My eyes widened in fear as I looked around and saw

I was in a dimly lit, empty room, tied tightly to a chair… my lips sealed shut.

He stood up, buttoning his coat slowly, never breaking eye contact with me.

And with that… he walked out, leaving only the chill of fear behind. I stared at the door as it slammed shut. The two tall men stood like statues in front of me… their eyes were blank, like they’d done this a hundred times before.

“I’m going to remove the tape,” he said. “Don’t scream. There’s no one here who’ll help you.” He nodded at one of the guards. A second later, the tape was ripped off my lips.

“Not much,” he said. “Just to use you… as bait. Damien steps down, and I send you back to him… if he doesn’t, then I kill you.”

I looked back at the camera, at the little black lens that somehow felt like the eyes of everyone I’d ever loved. “And to the triplets–Lennox, Levi, Louis…” I said their names slowly, gently, like a prayer. “I wish I could tell them this face-to-face, but I forgive them too.” Tears began to spill quietly again, this time without shame.

The guard lifted the phone and pointed it at me. The man walked up and crouched in front of me again, tilting his head up at me. Up close, I noticed how handsome he was–how that made him all the more terrifying.

The man chuckled softly. “Let’s just say… I’m one of Damien’s enemies….” I froze. “But first,” he added smoothly, “I’ll be back to make a video of you to send to your husband. If he loves you as he claims, he’ll step down. If he refuses…” He paused, letting the silence settle like a blade at my throat. “Then I’ll kill you and send your body back to him.”

A gasp escaped my lips as realization sank in. Sofia had been sent back to Damien. That was Damien’s plan all along, and it had worked. Now I was the bait–and I knew, deep down, Damien would never come for me.

He didn’t move right away. He just… stared at me. His expression unreadable. Then he gestured to the guards with a sharp flick of his hand.

I watched the two men, who seemed like guards, move aside, and a man seated on a seat across from me came into view. I stared at him, confused. He wasn’t like the others. He looked to be in his early thirties. Clean-shaven, sharp suit, piercing gray eyes that never left mine. He leaned forward slowly, resting his elbows on his knees.

I sat there in silence, hours ticking by like years. The guards didn’t speak, didn’t move–they just stood there like shadows, breathing but lifeless.