HEART BOUND

THE VIDEO

(Season 1)

CHAPTER 32

The darkness had a sound.

It was the sound of her own breathing. Too fast. Too shallow.

Her mind was racing, she thought of all the times she'd tried to push the memory away, to bury it deep, but it always lingered, a dark shadow, she thought of the looks she'd see, the whispers, the accusations, she'd be back in the dock, on trial, judged, condemned, her breath caught, her vision blurring, she felt the weight of the past bearing down, crushing her. All this time she thought her step mother was helping her cover up the crime but at that moment she realized, she was only preparing a weapon, a secret weapon to use against her.

Mrs. Brown’s laughter echoed in the basement.

Liora squeezed her eyes shut. "No. Please. Not that."

The kidnapper's smile grew wider, his eyes gleaming with excitement, as Mrs brown pulled out a phone, the screen lighting up with a video, her heart sank, as she saw herself, her face contorted in fear, her hands covered in blood, the knife still clenched, the victim's face, distorted, unrecognizable, the sound of her own screams echoing through the room, she felt like she'd been punched in the gut, her mind reeling

"No, no, no, please stop " she whispered, her eyes fixed on the screen, unable to look away, the horror of that night, reliving, replaying, her shame, her guilt, her fear, all there, for everyone to see.

The video played on, a gruesome loop, her past laid bare, her darkest secret, exposed, she felt like she was watching someone else, someone she didn't know, someone she didn't want to know, the shame, the guilt, the fear, it all came flooding back, a tidal wave, she was drowning, suffocating, her breath coming in short gasps, her vision blurring, she whispered.

"Stop it, please, stop it,"she screamed in tears begging them to stop the torture, but they just laughed, Mrs brown's finger hovering over the send button.

"Your friends, they'll all see this, they'll all know who you are, it's the right thing to do " Mrs brown mocked with a sneere, the threat hanging in the air, like a noose, tightening, around her neck.

Mrs brown's finger hovered over the screen, her eyes glinting with excitement, as she taunted her.

"You think you're strong, you think you're a survivor, but you're just a fragile little thing, broken, damaged, you'll crumble, you'll beg," her words cutting deep, striking at her core, she felt herself shrinking, her confidence crumbling, her sense of self-worth evaporating, she thought of her friends, her loved ones, would they see the monster she felt like? Would they still want her? The fear of rejection, of abandonment, it was suffocating, overwhelming, she felt like she was losing herself, drowning in her own doubts.

She felt the walls closing in, the room shrinking, the air thickening, her breath trapped in her throat, she was back in that dark place, the victim's face, her own face, twisted in fear, the knife, the blood, the screams, the silence, her mind replaying it all, a gruesome loop, she was losing grip on reality, her grasp on sanity, slipping, she whispered.

"No, I'm not that person, I'm not," but the doubt crept in, a poisonous whisper, maybe she was, maybe she was broken, maybe she was a monster, their laughter echoed again, a cold, mirthless sound, as the man leaned in, his voice a cold whisper.

Mrs. Brown tilted her head, finger hovering over the screen.

"Your friends should see this, don’t you think? They should know who they’ve been protecting. The monster in their house."

"Don’t," Liora begged. "Please don’t send it."

The man leaned in close. His voice was barely a whisper.

"You want this to stop?"

Liora jerked her head up, desperate. "Yes. Anything."

His smile was ice.

"Good. Then you’ll do something for us."

"what?" she asked, her voice trembling and her heart racing in anticipation, the man's smile was her answer, a cold, calculating smile. Her eyes widened after hearing what they told her to do.

A silent war was raging within her, loyalty and self-preservation locked in a deadly struggle, her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She hates this people so much, how can they be so heartless? Do they even have a heart or something?

"No.... I can't do this.... Not again, you can't make me do this" Liora said shaking her head in tears and denier. The man's laughter was a cold, mirthless sound, as he turned to leave.

"We'll see about that. Just think about it for now princess " he tossed over his shoulder, the door slamming shut behind them , leaving her alone with her racing thoughts, her breath coming in short gasps, she struggled to calm herself, to think clearly, but the darkness seemed to be closing in, and she knew she had to hold on, to clove to hope, her mind racing with visions of escape, of rescue, of freedom. But was help really going to come to her.

She wasn't just scared for herself but for her friends. What if they get hurt, she would never be able to forgive herself.

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The air was thick enough to choke on.

Kalen watched Kai as he struggled to keep calm, he knew for a fact that if he in as much as move an inch from his seat at that moment, Jae would be dead before she even start talking. He managed to keep all three of them under control the whole night. But he wasn't sure if that would go on for long time.

Kai hadn’t sat down in hours. Kalen was the only reason Jae was still breathing.

Jae was crying in a chair, mascara running. Rhine and Ellen stood by the wall, pale

"I'm telling you I don't know anything... I was with Rhine and Ellen the whole time I... Swear" Jae cried, but Kalen just kept staring at her blankly. He wasn't the type that interrogate people for so long but this was a sensitive matter and he wanted to handle it with care.

"The only person that wasn't withus was Vanessa. She also disappeared when Liora went missing" Rhine said still very confused with everything that was happening. She usually sense danger but she didn't get why she didn't feel anything. Every thing way very peaceful and normal.

"Vanessa left the party because she was drunk. She doesn't know anything" everyone stared at Kalen in shock. How can he be so sure.

Everyone turned to Kalen.

"How are you so sure?" Kai snapped. His voice was rough. He hadn’t slept. Hadn’t eaten. And every time someone said Vanessa’s name his jaw ticked. Because of her, Lucas wouldn’t look at him.

"Because I know that" Kalen answered. His eyes were on Jae. Cold. Calculating.

"I swear I don’t know anything!" Jae hiccuped. "I would never hurt her please."

His phone rang.

Unknown number.

The room went dead silent.

Kalen answered. "Hello."

Silence. Then a shaky, broken voice.

"K...Kalen? Please. Save me."

Kalen’s face didn’t change. Not one muscle. But his fingers started drumming against his knee. The only tell.

"Liora," he said quietly. "Breathe. Tell me where you are."

"Kalen, don’t—" Her voice cut off.

The line went dead. Kalen frown in confusion. For some reason he felt she wasn't calling for help but to warn them, She wanted to say something!!!

His emotions were locked away, inaccessible, but the air around him seemed to vibrate with tension, like the quiet hum of a machine, ready to spring into action, his stillness, a held breath, a pause before the storm.

Kalen lowered the phone. For a second, something flickered in his eyes. Anger. Fear. Then it was gone.

"Location," he said.

Lucas was already typing. "Got it. Abandoned warehouse. Outside the city. East docks."

Kalen nodded. "Send it to Zach. Now."

Kalen know there was some thing that wasn't quite right about the whole thing. It was all just too easy. It felt like a trap

He turned to Kai. "You. Michael’s place. Clean it. No mess."

Kai frowned. "What? Now? Liora’s—"

"Do as I said."

Kalen’s voice was low. Final.

TBC