Chapter 25: Hiding

Lucian walked back and forth in the luxurious back garden, his expression a mixture of anxiety and determination. He glanced at the clock for the umpteenth time, his mind filled with worry for his daughter, Sarah.

"Are you sure she'll do it?" Lucian asked, his voice sounding worried as he turned to his trusted bodyguard.

"I am sure, sir," the bodyguard replied with a confident, determined demeanor.

With a nod of acknowledgment, Lucian watched as his bodyguard quickly grabbed a cell phone, contacting Daniel; moments later, Daniel's face appeared on the screen, his expression full of conviction.

"Have you done it?" Lucian's voice sounded strained, his gaze fixed on Daniel.

"It's done," Daniel confirmed, his words heavy with the weight of the dark deed he'd committed. He then sent a gruesome image of Hazel lying helpless in the back seat of his car.

Without hesitation, he nodded at his guards, giving a silent order as they prepared to carry out their mission to retrieve Sarah at any cost.

Once there, Lucian wasted no time, his steps steady as he approached the door, accompanied by his loyal bodyguards. With a single nod, they moved quickly, their movements swift and coordinated as they breached the threshold of Hazel's home.

As Sarah heard the door forcibly opened, her heart skipped a beat in panic. A fear that didn't force her to think quickly. With teary eyes, she saw the eerie movement of shadows under the closet door where she was hiding. She knew they were coming for her.

Her breath was pounding as she tried hard to calm herself down. However, the fear continued to ambush her, seeping into her mind and soul and filling her with unsettling uncertainty. Would she be caught? Would she be hurt? Those dark thoughts continued to haunt him, causing his body to tremble in uncontrollable fear.

"I hope you wake up soon, Hazel," Daniel said, his voice full of regret. He stared at Hazel's pale face with great anxiety. Every second felt like centuries to Daniel, thinking about his unforgivable deed.

A few hours earlier, Daniel had been harassed by a group of intimidating men. They appeared like eerie shadows at his door, their weapons glinting in the dim light.

"You're Daniel, aren't you?" asked one of the bodyguards, the weapons posing an obvious threat in front of him.

Daniel swallowed hard with fear. "What do you want from me?" he muttered, his fear creating a lump in his throat.

"Do something for us," one of them said in an eerie tone. "Come to Hazel's house and distract her. Take her somewhere far away. Then, give her this drink. And don't come to the hospital after she faints."

Daniel's body trembled in disbelief. "But, how could I do that to my friend?" he protested in a barely audible voice.

The bodyguard's eyes narrowed sharply. "You want to die?" he threatened coldly.

Without another word, Daniel accepted the bottle with a shudder. Now, sitting beside the unconscious Hazel, he reflected on what a coward he was. The apologies that kept escaping his lips. He was beating himself up.

Leo's heartbeat raced as he read the message from Hazel, his fingers trembling as he tried to call her. However, every attempt to reach her went unanswered, leaving him with a creeping feeling of worry.

"Why isn't she picking up after asking me to look after Sarah? Is something terrible going on?" He thought.

With a sense of urgency pushing him forward, Leo wasted no time. He grabbed his keys and rushed out of his apartment, his mind filled with the fear of the unknown.

"Sarah, come out, or your friend will die!"

Lucian's threatening voice made her even more scared and desperate. As the door to the room slowly opened, Sarah held her breath with difficulty, her eyes tightly closed to avoid the gaze of those looking for her. The sound of approaching footsteps made her heart rate quicken, echoing in her ears like booming thunder.

Every beat of her heart felt like an inevitable death knell, reminding her of the danger lurking. But she persisted even though her fear rolled over her like a fierce wave.

However, as the footsteps drew closer, she knew that time was running out. In the closet's darkness covering her, Sarah closed her eyes tightly, praying that she could get through this moment safely.

The closet door opened simultaneously, welcoming Sarah with a gust of wind gently caressing her face. Lucian, squatting beside the closet door, greeted her casually, "You were hiding here, Sarah?"

Lucian gave her a sharp look, "Get out of here yourself, or I'll pull you out."

Heart pounding, Sarah crept out from behind Hazel's closet. Her steps trembled as she followed Lucian out of the room. A bodyguard deftly opened the car door for her. As soon as Sarah got in, without a word, Lucian slapped her hard.

"Why do you dare to walk away from me?" snapped Lucian angrily. "Didn't you think of the consequences? I've warned you many times not to try to escape!"

Sarah held back the pain in her cheeks, her eyes glazed over as she tried to explain, "I... I can't stay with someone cruel and don't love you."

"What are you saying? No matter if you love me or not, you're already mine. You're already sold and can't escape from me!" snapped Lucian.

Lucian called Daniel sternly, "Daniel, show me the girl's face!"

Daniel, who was surprised by the sudden request, replied quickly, "Okay, I'll do it. Just a moment."

Meanwhile, Sarah, next to Lucian, was shocked to see her best friend faint. She shouted, trying to wake Hazel, "Hazel, wake up! Please, don't let anything happen to you."

However, Lucian quickly hung up his phone call and gave Sarah a sharp look. He threatened in a cold tone, "If you once again exceed the limits of my patience, the consequences will be very severe. Understood?"

Sarah nodded quickly, driven by fear of Lucian's threat. She knew she had to be careful in her every move if she did not want to endanger her loved people.

When they arrived at Lucian's residence, Sarah let out a long sigh. She felt exhausted and overwhelmed by this difficult situation. For Sarah, being in Lucian's house meant she had to serve and obey his wishes again, which made her feel trapped in a never-ending loop.

"Everything is done. It's up to you what you want to do with the girl!" said Lucian's bodyguard.

Daniel, without hesitation, immediately took Hazel to the hospital.