Chapter 109: Tied Closure

Alyssa’s POV

I opened my eyes slowly, my vision swimming before settling on the dim outline of an almost empty- dusty room I didn’t recognize.

For a second, nothing made sense.

Then everything hit at once.

My hands felt restricted. They were tied. I could feel sore pain all over my body.

Rough rope dug into my wrists, binding me tightly to the wooden arms of the chair I was seated on. Panic surged through me instantly, my chest rising sharply as I tried to move, but the chair only scraped faintly against the ground.

What happened before now…I was…no…we were locked inside a car boot. And I lost consciousness. Wait…

Louisa…where was she? My heart pulsated.

My gaze snapped forward and I saw her.

She was slumped in a chair opposite me, her head hanging loosely to the side, her body completely still.

Fear punched straight through my chest.

“Louisa…” I whispered urgently, my voice trembling.

She didn’t respond.

My heart began to pound harder.

“Louisa, wake up,” I said again, a little louder this time, my voice still hushed but edged with desperation.

Still nothing.

I forced myself to move, dragging my chair forward inch by inch, the legs scraping harshly against the dusty floor. The sound felt too loud in the silence of the room, making my nerves spike, but I didn’t stop.

When I got close enough, I stretched my leg and hit her chair.

“Louisa.”

Her head jerked slightly.

Relief flooded me. At least, she’s alive.

“Wake up,” I urged again, my voice sharper now.

She stirred sluggishly, her brows furrowing as her eyes slowly opened. She blinked a few times, clearly disoriented, her gaze struggling to adjust to the dim lighting.

“Alyssa…?” Her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

“Yes, I’m here,” I said quickly, leaning forward as much as the ropes allowed.

She looked around weakly, confusion filling her face. “Where… where are we?”

Then her eyes widened. Realization must have just crashed into her.

“My mom…” Her voice broke instantly. “Where is my mom—”

“Shhh.” I cut her off quickly, my eyes darting toward the door instinctively. “Lower your voice.”

She froze.

“If we’re going to get out of here, we need to stay quiet,” I added firmly, trying to steady my own breathing.

Louisa nodded immediately, pressing her lips together tightly as if physically holding back her fear.

But it her restraint wasn’t for long.

Her face crumpled.

Tears slid down her cheeks silently.

“My mom is dead,” she whispered.

Yes. Our mother.

If I ever survived this, I wondered how I would get over all that have happened.

I swallowed hard, forcing my emotions down.

“We need to focus on getting out of here first,” I said, my voice controlled, even though my chest ached at the pain in her eyes. “We can deal with everything else later.”

She slowly lifted her gaze to me.

And then she said something that made my entire body tense.

“In case I die here… I’m really sorry for everything I did.”

My heart dropped.

“You’re not going to die,” I assured, the words coming out stronger than I felt. “Don’t say things like that.”

“Please,” she whispered. “Just let me say it.”

I went silent.

Louisa, my twin sister, sniffed, her shoulders trembling.

“Kayden…” she began, her voice breaking again. “It was never supposed to go like that. I just… I’ve liked him for a long time. Since high school.”

She laughed weakly, but there was nothing humorous in it.

“It wasn’t even that. It was… obsession.”

I didn’t think I wanted to hear this, but I listened.

“I was jealous of you,” she admitted, her voice quieter now. “Because he noticed you. He gave you attention- the type I craved. That’s why I got close to you in the first place… not because I wanted to be your friend.”

“Really?” I asked quietly, unable to hide the sting.

She nodded, tears falling freely.

“But along the line… I actually started liking you,” she continued quickly. “You became a real friend to me. I wanted that. I wanted it to be real.”

She inhaled shakily.

“But then I saw you and him… at the athletic facility.”

My brows pulled together.

“What?”

“He was leaning toward you,” she said, her voice filled with something between bitterness and regret. “Teasing you. I was peeping. And I knew… I knew he found you interesting. But was that supposed to even get to me?”

Her laugh came out broken.

“And I had done everything just to get him to notice me. I even did face surgery.”

My breath caught.

“That’s how low I got,” she said, shaking her head at herself. “I let my insecurity turn me into someone I don’t even recognize.”

Silence stretched between us.

“And then I let it push me into hurting you,” she finished quietly.

Pain settled deep in my chest.

“Don’t talk about it anymore,” I said after a moment, forcing steadiness into my voice. “We need to focus on getting out of here.”

“I have to,” she insisted softly. “What if I don’t get another chance?”

My body went cold at her words.

“We are not dying here,” I said firmly.

She looked at me for a long moment, her eyes filled with hurt and regret.

“Promise me one thing,” she said.

My throat tightened. “What?”

“Live,” she whispered.

My chest constricted painfully.

“We will both live,” I said through gritted teeth.

She shook her head.

“I have nothing left,” Her voice hollowed out. “My mom is gone. And I’m letting Kayden go… completely. I don’t even want him anymore. I just… I hate what I became.”

More tears fell down her face.

“If I die here… I won’t mind. As long as you forgive me, Alyssa.”

“You’re not dying,” I repeated, my voice stronger now. “We’re both getting out of here. End of discussion.”

As I said that, my eyes began scanning the room again, searching for anything—anything at all—that could help us.

Dust covered almost everything. Broken furniture. Scattered debris. Nothing useful was in sight.

“How?” Louisa asked weakly.

I clenched my jaw.

“Kayden…he will find me if he when he learns I’m missing.” I muttered with hope.

“That’s a very small chance,” Louisa said tiredly, dropping her head back against the chair.

Then suddenly, she stilled. Her head snapped up.

“What?” I asked, my breath uneven.

“Can you move closer?” she whispered urgently. “I think… In my pocket…”

I listened, waiting for her to continue, but then…we heard the sound of footsteps.

Both of us froze instantly as the sound started to echoe closer, boots clicking against the rough floor. I swallowed.

And then the door creaked open.

Fred stepped in and the tiny hope I had began to die.

A slow, satisfied smile spread across his face as his eyes landed on us. “So, you’re both awake.”

Louisa looked at him, her face suddenly blank, devoid of any kind of emotions.

“What time is it?” she asked.

Fred chuckled, glancing at his wristwatch.

“A few minutes past 1 a.m.” Shit. We’ve been knocked out for long.

Louisa’s eyes narrowed at him with an hatred that burned vividly. “Where are we?”

He smirked. “Somewhere very far away where no one will find you… unless they pay the ransom I placed on your heads.”

My breath hitched.

“You placed ransom on us?” I asked, disbelief slipping into my voice.

He glanced my way, looking at me as if I just said something foolish. “Of course. Why did you think I went through the stress of bringing you here without killing you both immediately?”

Louisa snorted. “I hope they don’t pay,”

Fred’s brows lifted at her, a taunting smile tugging at his lips. “And why is that?”

“Because you won’t let us go anyway,” she said flatly. “We’ve seen your face. You wouldn’t want to risk being exposed.”

Silence stretched for a second, then Fred’s smile widened. “Smart girl.”

And again, my hope died. I closed my eyes briefly to savor the beating of my heart while it lasted. I wouldn’t cry.

I opened my eyes back to see Fred stretching then yawning.

“I’ve had a long day,” he said. “So behave yourselves while I return upstairs. Or I’ll let my dogs have some fun with you.”

He turned to leave.

“Wait,” Louisa called.

He paused, glancing back with mild annoyance.

“Whatever you have to say better be worth my little time.” He sneered.

“Let Alyssa go and keep me,” Louisa said quietly. “Please,” She added.

My heart slammed violently.

“What are you talking about?” I snapped. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”

Fred grinned and walked back toward her slowly, crouching slightly so his face was closer to hers.

“That bond you two have…” he said softly, almost amused. “I think I’ll enjoy watching it break.”

Before I could react—Louisa spat in his face, unable to hide the disgust she felt. Fear coursed through my veins on her behalf.

The spit slid down slowly across his face and he closed his eyes.

He opened them back and lashed the back of his hand against Louisa’s face. Hard. I gasped.

The sound echoed in the room as her chair rocked violently to the side.

“Louisa!” I shouted.

Her head snapped back, her cheek instantly turning red.

Fred straightened, his expression cold now.

“Next time,” he said calmly, “I won’t use my hand. I will use my gun.”

He turned and walked out without another word.

The door shut and silence returned.

My chest heaved as I looked at her.

“Are you okay?” I asked quickly.

She lifted her head lazily, her breathing uneven.

Then she met my eyes.

“You need to take something from my pocket,” she whispered.