Welcome to East Bridge
The morning air stung against Mira’s skin as she stepped out of the house. The door shut behind her with a soft click, but it sounded louder than thunder in her ears. For a moment, she just stood there on the porch, her small bag hanging from one hand, the bracelet clenched tightly in the other.
She took another glance at Talia’s house before finally stepping into the world.
The world felt strange to her. Unfamiliar. Hostile. Even though her memories had returned, the streets seemed like shadows of themselves, as if she were walking through a dream that no longer belonged to her.
At first, her intention was to go home and return as the chairwoman of LBH. She muttered to herself, “Why are you sad because she pushed you out of that tiny apartment? Come on, you are Sophie Langford. Heiress of everything your father built. You have a twelve-bedroom royal and luxury mansion, plenty of luxurious cars, and so many housekeepers to attend to you. To crown it all, you have LBH, the biggest fashion house in the whole country, to return to. Then why get angry or sad over her tiny apartment…” she said, reassuring herself she was fine without Talia. But though she said that, her heart was strictly opposing it.
She tightened her grip on the bracelet and quickened her pace, assuring herself everything would go back to normal again.
The road stretched out, quiet, the countryside giving way to the faint hum of life ahead.
And then, as she reached the crest of the hill, her eyes fell on the tall signboard looming over the road: Welcome to East Bridge.
The city gleamed in the morning light, tall structures and winding streets alive with energy. Her breath caught in her chest. At last. Civilization. Safety. Finally, her home.
“Let’s go to work first, to LBH, before tackling those who are after me,” she muttered to herself.
She stood by the roadside, stopping taxis for LBH, but it was morning and every car seemed booked.
Finally, a taxi rolled up beside her with a faint squeal of brakes. The driver, middle-aged with kind eyes and a trimmed beard, leaned over.
“Where to, Miss?”
Her throat tightened. Finally, she would say it.
“LBH Headquarters,” she replied, her voice trembling with something between pride and disbelief.
The driver smiled warmly. “Of course. You’re lucky, it’s hard to hail a taxi here. Come in.”
She slid into the back seat, the leather surprisingly smooth. For the first time in weeks that seemed like years her body began to relax. The driver offered her a chilled bottle of water over his shoulder.
“Here. Long road out there. You look tired. Have some water.”
At first she hesitated, then took it. Her throat was dry, her lips parched. It seemed harmless. She unscrewed the cap and drank deeply, the coolness rushing down her throat like relief.
The city’s skyline blurred slightly at the edges. Her head swayed. She blinked hard, tried to focus, but the streets outside swirled, twisting into colors and shadows.
Her pulse spiked.
Something’s wrong with the water.
She dropped the bottle, her voice slurring. “W…what… did you…?”
The driver’s eyes met hers briefly in the rearview mirror. The warmth was gone. His lips curled into a thin, knowing smile.
“Sleep, Miss Langford. We’ve been waiting for you.”
His words made her pulse thundered in her ears.
The buildings outside bent and split, doubling in her vision as desperation clawed at her fading consciousness.
She tried to push the door open, but her fingers wouldn’t obey. She tried to scream, but her voice seemed taken away. With the last shred of willpower, she yanked off the bracelet and let it slip through the half-open window. It clattered onto the roadside, a small flash of gold swallowed by the asphalt of the road.
Maybe by chance, someone would see it. Maybe it would lead her back. Maybe it would be an hope to get her out alive
Her head dropped, heavy and helpless, The last thing she saw was the driver’s smile widening in the mirror, before the world collapsed into black.