HEART BOUND

TAKEN

(Season 1)

CHAPTER 29

The air left the room.

Liora’s first instinct was to move. To do something. To fix this.

"Oh, I’m so sorry, Lucas..."

Her voice came out small, broken. Her eyes darted between Kai and Lucas, begging for direction she didn’t have.

Kai’s eyes snapped open.

He shoved Vanessa off him like he’d been burned. And then he saw her.

Vanessa.

His face went white.

He was on his feet in a second, crossing the space between him and Lucas in three strides. Panic and guilt warred in his eyes.

"Lucas—"

Lucas cut him off with a look. Cold. Empty. Professional.

The hurt from a second ago was gone. Sealed away.

"Sir Kalen’s been calling," Lucas said evenly. "He needs you. Now. It’s urgent."

That was it. No yelling. No questions.

And somehow that was worse.

Kai’s chest caved in. "That can wait. We need to talk. Please."

Lucas’s eyebrow lifted. The sarcasm bled through his calm.

"By all means. I’m listening."

"I don’t— I swear I don’t know what happened," Kai stammered, running a hand through his hair. "Vanessa just— we were talking and—"

The words tangled. His hands were shaking. Sweat beaded at his temple.

And Lucas just stood there. Silent. A storm behind his eyes.

Liora felt sick.

Her head was spinning. The dizziness from earlier came back with a vengeance, cold and heavy. But she couldn’t say anything. Not now. Not with Kai falling apart and Lucas shutting down.

_I’ll be fine_, she told herself. _I just need air._

She took a step back. "I’m gonna... go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back."

Neither of them heard her.

She slipped away.

---

*10 Minutes Later*

Ellen was pacing.

"Where is she?"

Rhine checked her phone again. "Still nothing. Voicemail."

Jae came back from the hallway, breathless. "Have you guys seen Liora?"

"She went to the bathroom like 20 minutes ago," Ellen said, worry climbing up her throat. "And Kai’s gone too."

Rhine frowned. "Maybe they’re together?"

"I’ve called Kai four times," Ellen said. "Straight to voicemail. This isn’t like him."

A cold realization settled over all three of them.

"Something’s wrong," Jae whispered. Guilt hit her like a punch. "This is my fault. If I hadn’t invited her—"

"We need to call Zach," Ellen said, already pulling out her phone. "Right now."

---

*Basement. Unknown Location.*

Cold water hit her face and Liora jolted awake, gasping.

Darkness.

Rope cutting into her wrists. Rope around her ankles.

The smell of mildew and concrete.

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

_How did I get here?_

Bathroom. Lucas. Kai and Vanessa. Then... a hand. A cloth. Chemical smell.

Nothing after that.

She thrashed, but the ropes only bit deeper. The dark pressed in, thick and suffocating.

Someone was here. She could feel it. Breathing.

Footsteps.

Slow. Deliberate. Stopping right outside the door.

The hinge creaked.

A thin line of light cut through the black, dust swirling in it.

A shadow filled the doorway. Tall. Broad. Familiar in a way that made her stomach turn.

Her throat closed. She tried to scream. Nothing came out.

The figure stepped inside. The door closed behind it with a soft _click_ that felt like a death sentence.

A low chuckle echoed off the walls.

"Hello, my dear..."

The voice was gravel. Rough. And terrifyingly familiar.

"I’ve been waiting for you, darling."

Another step. The light caught an edge of a smile. Cruel. Knowing.

Her skin crawled. Her heart was a trapped animal in her chest.

_Why do I know you?_

The voice. The stance. The way he said _darling_.

It scraped at the back of her mind, just out of reach, fogged by whatever drug they’d used on her.

Fear shut everything down. Her thoughts scattered.

All she could do was pray. _Please. Someone find me. Please._

The figure leaned in closer. She could feel its breath.

"You look scared," it whispered. "You shouldn’t be. This is just family time."

The basement door upstairs slammed open.

---

*Back at the party*

Zach’s voice roared through Ellen’s phone.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S MISSING?!"

Rhine was already running to the car. "We’re coming to you. Now."

Kai was gone. Vanessa was gone. Liora was gone.

And somewhere in the city, Sophie took a long sip of wine and smiled.

"The show has begun," she murmured.

TBC