Theressa met up with Luca, as she had no one else to turn to for help in obtaining Anne's address. Though she could have sought information from her team leader, he was the worst person to ask for help in times of need, leaving Luca as her only choice.
She was right about Luca; from just a text message, she could ascertain her whereabouts.
Theressa wasted no time; Anne's place was far from the city. On her way, she couldn't help but wonder how Anne managed to make it to work on time.
But she arrived in no time. Anne's place was less of a house and more of an old castle, its beauty obscured by webs and dust, making it even creepier. How did Anne manage to stay here? Theressa hadn't even entered the castle when she began sneezing. She tried to control her sneezes, feeling as though something or someone could emerge from anywhere. Just the thought sent shivers up her spine.
Theressa began to regret not bringing Kayden with her, but she shook the thought from her head. This had nothing to do with Marcelo; it was about her friend, her colleague, her personal life, which had no connection to Marcelo. Besides, there was no going back now. She pushed open the large door, noticing that the handle seemed untouched for a long time. The sound of the door opening was another indication that it hadn't been opened in decades. But Theressa didn't dwell on these thoughts; she could only wonder what emergency state Anne might be in.
Her eyes roamed around what must be the parlor. The floor wasn't as dusty as she expected, given the exterior of the house, but it wasn't clean either. The furniture was covered with white materials, which only added to Theressa's curiosity about the creepy house.
"Anne!!" Theressa's voice echoed through the castle as she searched for her friend. She opened every room door, stepping into each room filled with creepy objects, but Theressa didn't stop searching. She had searched through over thirteen rooms and still hadn't found Anne. She was almost ready to give up, already heading towards the exit, planning to ask Marcelo for help, but she hadn't even made it to the stairs when she heard a voice-a female voice.
But it wasn't Anne's carefree voice she used to hear. Theressa swallowed hard. Despite every fiber in her trembling, she managed to turn to Pillar and look into her eyes. Theressa's hands were balled in fists by her side as she mustered the courage to ask a question.
"What are you here for?" Theressa questioned, although she already had a good guess as to what was about to happen, given the number of men Pillar had by her side. There were a lot, and Theressa was just one person. Of course, Pillar was up to no good.
Pillar waved Anne's phone in the air, and Theressa could barely control her expression, barely keep her shock and rage in check.
"Don't worry, I just made her rest, so she won't be a bother. She's too loud about her hatred for me," Pillar said with an excited smile on her lips, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She looked like she had been planning this her whole life, and Theressa couldn't help but see her as a psychopath.
"Leave Anne out of this," Theressa warned, fear gripping her, her heart in her throat as she wondered what Pillar could have done to Anne. Pillar looked vengeful, like a Disney villain who had just lost her daughter.
"Hmm… she's already out from it? You want to see her? I can take you to where she is, I can hand her over to you," Pillar stated, her high-pitched tone hinting at mischief, and Theressa couldn't help but furrow her brows at Pillar's words.
"Come on, let's go see Anne," Pillar's smile grew larger, her grin seemingly boundless as she turned and proceeded to lead Theressa.
"What do you want?" Theressa questioned. She knew Pillar was up to something-trying to play a game, make a deal, or perhaps punish her. Theressa couldn't pinpoint the exact motive, but she knew Pillar was up to no good. She had obviously kidnapped Anne and lured her here. Theressa couldn't help but feel guilty for dragging Anne into her own mess.
"Do you want to come willingly or be forced?" Pillar questioned, her tone changing, firm and devoid of leniency. The men surrounding them began to take steps towards Theressa, and she wasted no time in pulling out her knife. She needed to find a way to escape, inform Marcelo, retrieve Anne, and leave this creepy castle.
"Make sure to bring her back alive," Pillar ordered as she walked away.
Theressa's gaze couldn't focus on any of the men. She gripped her knife firmly, ready to slit and stab anyone who tried to stop her from doing what she needed to do.
But they didn't seem threatened in the slightest. One more step and Theressa could go tumbling down the stairs, possibly ending up dead before Marcelo could even find out about her whereabouts.
Theressa channeled her energy into her legs as she lifted herself from the ground, swirling her whole self as she managed to move further away from the stairs. They seemed to have recognized her ability and wasted no time in attacking. They swarmed in, and Theressa dodged, kicked, slit, stabbed-her whole body stained with blood. She couldn't count how many people she had managed to fend off, how many she had managed to kill. She wasn't given a chance to catch her breath. They never stopped attacking her, but she had to survive. She couldn't get tired, she couldn't give up.
Cut.
A knife slit her, tearing through her slim sleeves and cutting across her arm. The pain was excruciating, but she kept fighting. Another slash came to her leg, stinging, burning, but she didn't stop. Then a punch knocked her down, knocking her weapon away, leaving her defenseless. As she lay on the ground helpless, she finally felt the slashes and kicks that she had ignored while she fought her way through. She tried to get up, to fight back, but it was futile.
Theressa tried to get to her feet, tried to move, but her whole body gave out on her. Blood spilled from her wounds, her skin soaked with her own blood and the blood of those she had slain.
She couldn't fight anymore. They lifted her up like a light sack. She was out of strength, but she noted where they were taking her. It was one of the rooms she had entered while searching for Anne. But they didn't just enter the room; they went into a wardrobe. It had a number in it, and Theressa didn't fail to note it down.
"Fourteen room."
Theressa swallowed, her own blood mingling with her saliva. She was dropped abruptly onto a chair and didn't have time to think as she was being tied up.
"See, I told you I made her rest," Pillar said from somewhere behind.
Theressa's eyes widened in terror. Her heart tightened, her eyes shaking, tears overflowing as she screamed.
"No!" She wailed, she cried, she sobbed. Theressa wanted to close her eyes, to not see her colleague, to not see her friend in such a way. She screamed, struggling to get off the chair, to reach out to Anne.
But she could do nothing. She was probably going to die the same way, and no one would know what would happen in this room.