HEART BOUND

24 HOURS

(Season 1)

CHAPTER 30

The living room of the Valor penthouse felt like a warzone.

Zach was pacing. Every step was a controlled explosion.

Kai stood by the window, back turned, jaw locked. Neither of them had slept. Neither of them had breathed right since Ellen’s call.

Zach stopped. Turned.

"How could you let this happen?"

The words were quiet. That made them worse.

Kai didn’t move. He was still replaying Lucas’s face. Blank. Professional. Like Kai was a stranger.

And under that, guilt was eating him alive. He was supposed to be watching her. That was his job.

Zach took another step, close enough that Kai could feel the heat of him.

"You were supposed to keep her safe."

His voice dropped to a whisper that cut deeper than any yell.

"Now she’s gone. And you’re going to fix it."

Something snapped in Kai.

He spun around, eyes red. "Do you think I don’t feel bad enough?!"

His voice cracked. "My world’s falling apart and you’re standing here acting like I planned this! Do you ever ask me about that? No! So don’t you dare lecture me about responsibility!"

Rhine’s heart was pounding. She watched them circle each other like animals, pride and pain making them stupid.

_What if they hit each other? What if they waste more time? What if Liora—_

"Stop. Please, stop," she whispered. No one heard.

Zach’s face darkened. "What was so important that you left her alone? You had one job, Kai. One."

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M GOING THROUGH!" Kai roared. "And you just keep piling on! Get off my back! I care about her too! I would never—"

"You have 24 hours," Zach cut him off, voice like steel.

"If we don’t find her in 24 hours, none of your excuses will matter."

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Rhine couldn’t take it anymore. She slammed both palms on the coffee table.

"ENOUGH!"

Both men froze.

"Liora’s life is on the line and you two are out here measuring who’s hurting more?!"

Her voice shook, but her eyes were fire. "She’s out there. Alone. Scared. And you’re wasting time!"

The room went dead quiet.

Ryan, who’d been leaning against the wall the whole time, finally pushed off. He looked at Zach. Then at Kai. Disappointment carved into his face.

"You’re my brothers," he said quietly. "And I’ve never been more ashamed of you."

He walked out.

The door clicked shut and it felt like a verdict.

Zach exhaled and dragged a hand down his face. Kai dropped his head, fists still clenched.

Rhine’s chest hurt. "Biting each other won’t bring her back. So let’s go get her."

---

*The Basement*

The dark had weight.

It pressed on Liora’s chest until breathing felt like work.

The rope burned her wrists. Every time she moved, the cold concrete scraped her knees.

A voice drifted through the black. Casual. Like they were having tea.

"Did you sleep well, dear? You looked exhausted at the party."

Liora didn’t answer. Sweat ran down her temple. Her heart was hammering so hard she thought it might break her ribs.

Another voice. Colder. Final.

"Enough with the chit-chat."

The temperature in the room dropped.

Liora’s blood went ice.

"Who... are... you," she managed. Her voice shook. "What do you want from me?"

A low chuckle.

"Isn’t it only fair we let her see us?" the first voice said, mocking.

Footsteps.

A switch clicked.

Light exploded.

Liora squeezed her eyes shut, tears burning. When she forced them open, the room came into focus.

And her world broke.

Mrs. Brown stood there. Smiling. The same smile from two weeks ago in the mansion. The same hug. The same tears.

All of it a lie.

Beside her stood a man Liora had never seen. Tall. Dark suit. Eyes that didn’t blink. The air around him felt wrong. Dangerous. Like standing too close to a fire.

"It can’t be," Liora whispered.

"Oh, darling," Mrs. Brown cooed, tilting her head. "Why so shocked? Did you really think I missed you?"

The betrayal hit like a punch. All the apologies. The breakfasts. The shopping trips with Jae.

_Was any of it real?_

"I trusted you," Liora said, and her voice broke. Tears spilled before she could stop them. "I forgave you."

Mrs. Brown laughed. Soft. Cruel.

"That was your mistake. And my victory, sweetheart."

Liora wanted to scream. To hit her. To wake up.

Zach and the guys had warned her. She’d called them paranoid.

"Why?" The word tore out of her. "Why are you doing this?"

Mrs. Brown exchanged a look with the man.

"Because you’re valuable," she said simply. "To both of us."

Liora stared at the stranger. He hadn’t spoken. But his presence filled the room. Threatening. Calculating.

She’d never met him in her life. So why did he want her?

"I don’t understand," she whispered.

Mrs. Brown sighed, like Liora was being difficult on purpose.

"You’re a trouble magnet, that’s why. You always were. And now you’ve gone and attached yourself to _them_."

She said _them_ like it tasted bad.

Liora’s mind spun. _Them. Zach. Kai. Ryan._

This wasn’t about her. Not really.

"You told me you changed," Liora said, desperation clawing up her throat. "You cried. You said you were sorry. How could you do this to me?"

Mrs. Brown’s smile didn’t waver.

"Because I had to, dear. And because you made it so easy."

The man finally spoke. His voice was low, gravelly, and it made Liora’s skin crawl.

"Twenty-four hours," he said. "That’s how long we have before they start tearing the city apart for you."

He looked at Mrs. Brown.

"Let’s not waste it."

Liora’s breath caught. _24 hours._

Zach had said the same thing.

Somewhere above them, engines were starting. Phones were ringing. A city was being torn apart to find her.

And down here, in the dark, Liora made a promise to herself.

They weren’t going to break her.

Not again.

TBC