Somewhere in the City – 3:42 AM
The streets were eerily quiet.
Isabella's breath came in short, shallow bursts as she pressed herself against the cold brick wall of a dark alley. Her phone was still clenched in her trembling fingers, the screen glowing with another message.
Unknown Number:You need to keep moving. He's close.
She swallowed hard.
Who was this?
And more importantly… how did they know where Ethan was?
A gust of wind blew past, sending shivers down her spine. The city felt different at night—darker, heavier, like it was closing in on her.
Was she really free?
Or had she just traded one cage for another?
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag as she peeked out from the alley. The black car she had seen earlier was gone.
But that didn't mean she was safe.
Run.
Every instinct screamed at her to run.
But where?
Who could she trust?
She took a shaky breath and turned right, blending into the shadows.
She had to keep moving.
Ethan's Office – 4:10 AM
The city glittered outside his window, but Ethan's eyes weren't focused on the view.
His fingers drummed against the desk, his patience thinning with every passing second.
She was out there.
Alone. Afraid.
His Isabella.
And someone was helping her.
His jaw clenched as he read the latest report from his men.
No sightings. No leads.
Impossible.
She wasn't that smart.
She wasn't that careful.
Someone was guiding her.
A name flickered in his mind.
Lena.
His lips curled into a cold smile.
If Isabella thought she could outsmart him, she was wrong.
Very, very wrong.
He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
The voice on the other end answered immediately.
"Find Lena."
A pause.
Then—"Understood."
Ethan leaned back, his fingers tapping against the armrest.
Let's see how far Isabella could run… when he was always one step ahead.
Lena's Apartment – 4:25 AM
Lena yanked on her jacket, her heart pounding as she grabbed her keys.
Something was wrong.
She could feel it.
She had checked Isabella's location through their shared phone app, but the dot had disappeared.
Was it turned off? Or… taken?
She dialed Isabella's number again.
Straight to voicemail.
Her stomach twisted.
This wasn't good.
She shoved her phone into her pocket and headed for the door.
Then—
A sharp knock.
Her breath hitched.
Who the hell would be here at this hour?
Slowly, she reached for the doorknob, her fingers trembling slightly.
The knock came again. Harder this time.
She exhaled, forcing herself to stay calm.
She unlocked the door—
And froze.
A man stood there.
Tall. Dark suit. Expression unreadable.
But it wasn't his face that made her blood run cold.
It was the way he stood.
Calm. Controlled.
Like he knew she wouldn't refuse him.
"Miss Lena," he said smoothly. "We need to talk."
Isabella – Running Out of Time
She had lost track of how long she had been walking.
Her legs ached.
Her fingers were numb.
She had no idea where she was going—just that she couldn't stop.
Her phone buzzed again.
She hesitated.
Did she even want to see what it said?
Finally, she forced herself to look.
Unknown Number:He's not looking for you anymore.
Her breath caught.
What?
A second message followed.
Unknown Number:He's looking for her.
Her stomach twisted violently.
Lena.
She turned on her heel and ran.
Ethan – The Game Changes
His fingers tightened around his glass as he stared at the city lights.
She thought she could escape.
She thought she could leave him.
But Isabella didn't realize something.
She had never belonged to herself.
Not since the moment he had decided she was his.
A small smirk tugged at his lips.
She would return to him.
Not because she wanted to.
But because he had something she couldn't walk away from.
Lena.
And when she came crawling back…
He would remind her what it meant to belong to him.
Completely.