Chapter 28: The Devil In The Dark

The van drove for what felt like hours. Every time the tires hit a bump, my body bounced against the cold metal floor. My hands were starting to go numb from the plastic ties cutting into my wrists. The black hood over my head made everything feel like a bad dream I could not wake up from. I could not see anything, but I could hear the two men talking in the front seat.

"The boss is going to be happy," the driver said.

"She better be," the other one replied. "This girl was harder to catch than we thought. That Vance guy keeps her close."

"Well, she’s not close to him now."

I tried to sit up, but the van turned fast, and I slid across the floor. I hit my shoulder on something hard. A sharp pain went through my arm and reminded me of my cut from the hospital. I bit my lip to stop myself from screaming. I had to be strong. I had to stay calm for my baby.

"Where are you taking me?" I shouted. My voice was hard to hear under the thick hood. "If you want money, Edward will pay you. Just name your price!"

The men laughed.

"We already got paid, Mrs. Vance," the driver said. "And the person paying us does not want your money. They want you to be quiet."

The van finally slowed down. I heard the sound of small rocks under the tires. The engine turned off, and for a moment, it was very quiet. Then the sliding door opened. Cold air rushed in. It smelled like salt and old wood. I knew we must be near the docks or an old building by the water.

A pair of rough hands grabbed my boots and pulled me out. I hit the ground hard.

"Get up," the man said in a mean voice.

He pulled me to my feet. I stumbled because I could not see where I was going. They pushed me forward, walking me through a door that made a loud sound. The air inside was heavy. It smelled like dust and water. We walked for a while until they pushed me into a chair.

Someone grabbed the hood and pulled it off my head.

The bright light hurt my eyes for a second. I blinked fast, trying to see. I was in a large, empty office inside a warehouse. The windows were covered with dirt. In front of me was a large wooden desk.

And behind the desk sat Lily Bennet.

She did not look like the woman I saw at the hospital. Her hair was perfect, and she was wearing a sharp, red suit. She was drinking a glass of wine. She looked at me like I was nothing.

"Welcome, Serena," Lily said. "I hope the ride was not too bad."

"Lily," I said, my voice shaking. "You can't do this. Edward knows I went to the apartment. He’s already calling the police."

Lily laughed. She leaned forward and put her chin on her hands. "Oh, Serena. Edward thinks you are talking with your sad mother. By the time he knows you are not coming back, it will be too late."

"The DNA results are zero percent!" I shouted. "We aren't related! Your plan failed, Lily. You can't stop the marriage or the trust now."

Lily’s eyes got red. She put her wine glass down.

"Do you really think I care about that paper?" she asked. "The DNA test was just to keep you busy. I knew Arthur was a fool for your mother, but I also knew he was too smart to leave proof. The test was meant to keep Edward busy while I moved the money."

"What are you talking about?"

Lily stood up and walked around the desk. She stopped right in front of me. "Arthur was weak. He wanted to give half of everything to his 'grandchild.' But if there’s no grandchild or wife... then everything stays with me.

“Edward will be too busy looking for a ghost to stop me from taking the company."

I felt cold inside. She had planned everything. She was not just taking me. She was making me disappear.

"You're a monster," I said.

Lily slapped me. The hit made my head turn. My cheek burned, and I tasted blood in my mouth.

"I am a woman who worked for thirty years to build the Vance business while my husband spent his time in a small apartment with a mechanic man's wife," Lily said angrily. "I will not let a girl like you take what is mine."

She turned to the two men by the door. "Take her to the lower floor. Keep her quiet. I have a board meeting. Once the vote is done, we will take her to the boat."

"The boat?" I asked, my heart beating fast. "Where are you taking me?"

Lily looked back at me over her shoulder. "Somewhere you can never be found, Serena. Somewhere your 'best lawyer' husband can't reach."

The men grabbed my arms and pulled me out of the room. I fought back, screaming for help, but the warehouse was too big and empty. They pulled me down a set of thin metal stairs into a dark, wet basement. There was a small room with a heavy iron door.

They threw me inside. I landed on a dirty mattress.

"Stay quiet and maybe you'll get some water later," the driver said.

The door slammed shut, and I heard the lock turn. Clang.

I was alone in the dark. I crawled to the door and hit my tied hands against the metal.

""Edward!  I cried out, even though I knew he could not hear me. "Edward, please find me!"

I sat on the floor and pulled my knees to my chest. I thought about the car outside my parents' apartment. I thought about Edward at the estate, looking at his watch, asking why I was late. Would he find me?

I put my hand on my stomach. "I’ll get us out of here," I whispered to my baby. "I promise."

I started to look around the room. It was small, with only a tiny, high window that let in a little gray light. In the corner, I saw something shiny. I crawled toward it. It was a rusted piece of metal. The edge was sharp.

It was not much, but it was a start.

Outside, I heard the sound of a car driving away. Lily was going to the meeting. She was going to tell the world I was gone. I had to move fast. My hands were still tied, and the room was a jail, but I was a Vance now. And Vances do not give up without a fight.

I grabbed the piece of metal and started to cut the plastic ties on my wrists.

"Just you wait, Lily," I whispered in the dark. "The war is not over yet."