Inside the building,a chair scraped loudly against the floor.

The next second, I was shoved down onto it.

Rough rope tightened around my wrists, binding me firmly to the chair.

I struggled instinctively, trying to pull free.

"Let me go—!"

Before I could finish speaking, a sharp force struck my face.

Smack.

The sound echoed harshly through the empty building.

The impact sent me crashing sideways onto the floor.

Pain exploded across my cheek instantly, followed by a burning numbness that spread slowly to my lips.

For a moment, I could barely feel half my face at all.

My cheek swelled rapidly, sharp pain stinging where nails had scraped across my skin. I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth as I lay motionless on the cold floor.

One of the men grabbed my hair roughly, forcing my head back before shoving me upright against the chair again. The sudden pull sent pain shooting across my scalp, making me wince.

A weak sound escaped my throat.

Then footsteps echoed through the abandoned building.

A man in a dark suit walked inside.

The others immediately stepped aside.

At first, I could only make out his silhouette beneath the dim lighting, but something about him felt familiar.

"We finally meet again, Alicia Sinclair."

The moment he spoke, my body stiffened.

That voice—

He stepped closer and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up.

And finally, I saw his face clearly.

Lucas Summer.

So this had all been arranged by him.

But why?

What had I ever done to deserve this?

Lucas studied my face coldly.

"Looking at you up close..." he said slowly, "I can finally understand why Alexander has been losing his mind over you."

My breathing trembled painfully.

"What do you want from me?" I forced out weakly. "What did I ever do to you?"

A cold laugh escaped him.

"What did you do?"

His grip tightened slightly.

"You took something that never belonged to you."

I turned my face away instinctively, but he yanked my hair sharply, forcing me to face him again.

"Do you really think someone like you deserves to stand beside Alexander?"

Something cold flashed in his hand.

Before I could react, a sharp pain tore across my cheek.

I gasped violently.

Warm blood began running down my skin almost immediately.

Lucas stared down at me emotionlessly, the small blade glinting faintly beneath the dim light.

My vision blurred from the pain.

The metallic scent of blood filled the air.

"You care a lot about this face, don’t you?" he said quietly. "Let’s see whether Alexander still wants you now."

Another sharp sting cut across my skin.

My body trembled uncontrollably.

The room around me began spinning.

I tried to steady myself, but the chair tipped sideways, crashing onto the floor along with me.

Lucas looked down at me coldly, as though admiring my misery.

Then he turned toward the others nearby.

"Handle the rest," he said indifferently. "And make sure there are no problems afterward."

Fear surged through me instantly.

I tried to move, but my entire body felt weak and heavy.

The men approached slowly.

Their footsteps echoed closer and closer across the empty building.

At the same time, a strange dizziness began spreading through my body.

My lower abdomen twisted painfully.

Then I heard them talking.

"‎"This woman’s got a nice body!" One of the men said as they came closer.

"She’s Alexander’s woman, what do you expect!" another one chimed in.

But I couldn’t do anything.

My vision grew darker.

And little by little, consciousness began slipping away.

Alexander’s POV

I was still working late at the office tonight.

Ever since Alicia asked for a divorce, she had become increasingly distant toward me.

And lately, I found myself burying everything in work—the frustration, the sorrow, the constant ache in my chest.

Tonight was no different.

Documents were scattered across my desk when my phone suddenly rang.

Jim.

I assumed he was calling to let me know Alicia had gotten home safely.

But the moment I answered, his panicked voice came through the line.

"Sir... we have a problem."

Something inside me sank instantly.

"What happened?"

"It’s Mrs. Alicia..." Jim stammered anxiously. "She said she would wait for me outside the building, but when I arrived, she was gone. I tried calling her, but the call was rejected immediately. After that, her phone became unreachable."

I shot to my feet so abruptly that the chair behind me slammed against the floor.

"What do you mean she’s gone?" My voice turned cold immediately. "Where is Alicia?"

"I—I don’t know, sir."

Before he could finish speaking, I hung up and rushed out of the office.

A heavy sense of dread spread through my chest with every passing second.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

By the time I arrived at the security department, Jim was already there waiting anxiously.

"Pull up the surveillance footage outside the building," I ordered sharply.

The staff hurried to replay the cameras.

I stared at the screen without blinking.

The footage showed Alicia leaving the building alone before stopping near the roadside.

A few moments later, a van pulled up beside her.

My brows furrowed instantly.

Two men jumped out.

In less than a minute, they dragged Alicia into the van and drove away.

Everything had been executed with terrifying precision.

The entire security room fell silent.

I stared at the frozen footage on the screen, my jaw tightening violently.

"Pause it."

The video stopped immediately.

"Zoom in on the plate number."

After enhancing the footage, the numbers finally became visible.

I pulled out my phone immediately, and forwarded it to a contact.

"Track this vehicle for me right now," I said coldly.

"Understood. Give me five minutes."

I turned and headed straight toward the underground garage with Jim following closely behind me.

The moment we got into the car, my phone vibrated.

A location had already been sent over.

My grip around the phone tightened instantly.

I forwarded the location to the police and called them directly.

"Send officers there immediately," I ordered coldly. "This is a kidnapping case."

The engine roared as we sped out of the garage.

For the first time in a very long while—

I felt genuinely afraid.