Chapter 101 The room with the bright light
The two masked men dragged Sienna into the bright room.
Her eyes burned from the sudden light.
Her breathing turned uneven, fast, shaky, every breath felt sharp, like swallowing glass.
The shadow she’d seen earlier stood in the center of the room.
Now, it stepped forward.
And it wasn’t a shadow anymore, it was a person.
A person covered head to toe in black, wore a mask, black gloves, heavy boots.
No skin visible. No hair. No shape she could even guess a gender from.
Her heart dropped into her stomach.
This wasn’t random. This wasn’t a robbery.
This wasn’t an accident.
This was planned.
Her mind raced, flipping back to London.
To the people who chased her for the drive she got from Clara's apartment. The people she thought she’d escaped.
No, it can’t be. It can’t be them.
But deep inside, she knew.
It was them.
Her whole body went cold.
The two men forced her into a chair in the middle of the room. They tied her hands together, the ropes bit into her wrists so painfully she hissed under her breath.
She bent her head down, afraid to lift her eyes.
The leader didn’t speak. Didn’t move.The person just watched her.
Her lips trembled. “Wh..why am I here?” she whispered, her voice cracking. “What do you want from me?”
She got no response.
The leader only tilted their head, like studying an insect caught under glass.
Sienna swallowed hard. Her throat hurt. Her heartbeat felt too loud in her ears.
“Please.” she tried again. “I don’t have anything you want. I don’t… I don’t have the drive anymore.”
Still no response. The person was just breathing behind the mask.
She felt tears sting her eyes. “Please talk to me”
Then, a low sound came from behind the mask.
A laugh. But it wasn’t a normal laugh.
It was muffled, distorted, like the person was purposely hiding their real voice.
Chills ran through Sienna’s spine.
She stared at the figure, fear pushing her to the edge. “Why are you doing this? Why kidnap me? What do you want from me?!”
Another laugh. This time it was slow and mocking.
Sienna squeezed her eyes shut. Her chest tightened, and panic clawed up her throat.
Then she snapped.
“Isabelle!” she shouted.
The men on the sides stiffened. Even the leader’s head stilled.
Sienna glared at the figure. “Isabelle, I know you’re behind this! You’re the only one who can pull something like this. You think Dante will marry you after this?!”
The room fell silent
Then, a slow clap.
The leader’s shoulders shook, as if amused. And then another laugh came, longer this time, mocking her.
It was impossible to tell if it was Isabelle’s voice. The mask made it strange, deeper, and blurred.
Sienna’s stomach knotted. She couldn’t tell anymore if she was right or if she was losing her mind.
Her voice broke. “Isabelle… you’re sick…”
The leader lifted one hand.
A single gesture.
The two masked men immediately grabbed her again.
“No..No! Let me go!” she screamed. “Answer me! Say Something! Say something!”
But they didn’t.
One of the men lifted her roughly.
The other opened the door back as they dragged her out of the room into the hallway.
Sienna thrashed with every ounce of strength she had left. “Stop! Please! Someone help me!”
Her cries echoed in the hallway, bouncing off the walls like broken glass.
When they reached the dim room
One man punched her sharply at the side of the head.
Sienna gasped. The world spun and everything went blurry.
And she fell into darkness.
“She was loud,” the man who hit her muttered, stepping away.
The other sighed. “Was that necessary?”
“She asked for it,” the first replied coldly. “The leader said no noise.”
They shut the door.
And left her unconscious in silence.
The air inside the station felt heavy, thick with worry.
Dante stood at the counter, hands on the desk, knuckles white. His shoulders were tense, jaw clenched. His heart was still pounding from everything that had happened today, the footage, the fear, and how helpless Sienna must have felt.
He felt like he couldn’t breathe unless he knew where Sienna was.
Luca stood beside him, quieter than usual. His eyes were red from stress, guilt, and sleeplessness.
A police officer typed slowly on the computer, asking questions.
“Describe the missing person.”
Dante’s voice came out low, almost breaking. “Sienna Hale, She's twenty-six. Dark brown hair. Brown eyes. Height…”
Luca continued quietly, “She’s five-six. She was wearing a light blue top and black pants.”
“And the last time you saw her?” the officer asked.
Luca swallowed, guilt burning through him. “At the supermarket. She was… she was right next to me. I just… I walked inside for a moment to get my keys.”
Dante’s head snapped toward him sharply.
He wasn’t angry. He was terrified.
And fear always made him sound sharper than he wanted.
“Why didn’t you call the police right away?” Dante asked, his voice low but cutting.
Luca didn’t look at him.
He stared at the desk.
At nothing.
He couldn’t answer.Because he didn’t know either. He only felt shame crashing over him like waves.
The officer glanced up. “Is everything alright?”
“No,” Dante said sharply. “Nothing is alright.”
Luca still didn’t speak.
He just clenched his jaw and kept staring down.
He replayed everything in his head, leaving her alone, thinking she wandered off, thinking she was upset, convincing himself she went home.
A heavy ache settled in his chest.
“How could I leave her alone?” he whispered, barely audible.
Dante looked at him but didn’t say anything.
Because deep down, Dante had his own guilt too.
His own fear. His own panic.
The officer finished typing. “We’ll start by checking nearby cameras, traffic footage, and we’ll alert all patrol units. If the vehicle is still in the area, we’ll know.”
“The vehicle didn’t have a plate number,” Dante said bitterly.
The officer stopped typing. “What?”
“No plates,” Luca echoed quietly. “It was planned.”
The officer’s expression darkened.
Dante stepped closer to the counter. “Officer, whoever took her knew exactly what they were doing. So you need to move fast.”
The officer nodded.
“We will. We’re sending a team to the supermarket now.”
Dante exhaled shakily, running a hand through his hair.
Luca placed a hand on his shoulder, his voice softer. “She’s strong, Dante.”
Dante didn’t answer.
He didn’t feel strong. He didn’t feel brave.
He felt terrified.He felt like he was losing control of everything.
He felt like he’d lose Sienna forever if he didn’t find her soon.
The officer stood up. “We’ll need one of you to sign the formal report.”
Luca reached for the pen.
But Dante grabbed it first.
“I’ll do it,” Dante said.
His handwriting came out messy, uneven. He had to stop twice because his fingers shook.
When he finished, the officer took the file and left the room.
Dante and Luca were left alone in the small waiting area.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Luca said quietly, “Dante.”
But Dante didn’t let him finish.
He stood up. “I’m going home,” Dante said.
Luca rose too. “To do what?”
Dante didn’t answer.
His eyes darkened.His jaw tightened.
And Luca suddenly knew Dante wasn’t going home.
He was going to meet their father again and this time,things might get messy.
“Dante,” Luca said again, worried. “Tell me where you’re going.”
Dante walked toward the door with long, fast steps.
“I’ll keep in touch,” he said without turning around.
And he walked out of the police station.
Luca watched him go, fear twisting in his chest.
Because he knew Dante’s next move would not be calm.
It would not be safe.
And it would not be legal.
The station doors closed behind Dante.
Luca must have stood there for a few minutes watching Dante leave and he didn't notice someone stepping beside him quietly.
“I heard you filed a report.”
A familiar voice, that's all Luca knew.
Luca froze.
He slowly turned and found Isabelle standing behind him.
Her arms folded with a cold smile on her lips, and eyes that held something dark.
Something dangerous. Something that made the hairs on Luca’s neck rise.
“Tell me,” she said softly, almost sweetly.
“Why are you two making such a big deal over one missing girl?”
Luca’s stomach dropped.
Her smile widened like she knew something.
Luca just stared at her without uttering a word. Is Isabelle involved? Did she know before anyone else? Why is she here?