CHAPTER 4 — Something Is Off
977 Words
“Find her.”
Dominic didn’t raise his voice.
He didn’t need to.
The room was already too quiet.
Three men stood in front of him, stiff like statues, avoiding eye contact like it might cost them their lives. Which… it probably could.
Dominic sighed, rubbing his temple lightly.
“Why do I always have to say things twice?” he muttered, almost to himself.
“No, sir,” one of them rushed out. “We’re already looking. We just—”
“Just what?” Dominic cut in, tilting his head slightly.
The man froze.
Right. Wrong answer.
Dominic stared at him for a second longer… then waved a hand lazily.
“Relax,” he said. “If I wanted you dead, you’d already be on the floor.”
The tension in the room dropped just slightly.
Not safe.
Never safe.
But survivable.
“For now,” Dominic added, almost as an afterthought.
Yeah. Not safe.
The second man cleared his throat. “We’ve found something. It’s not official, but… there are rumors. A private facility. No records. People go in, but they don’t come out.”
Dominic’s fingers stilled against the arm of his chair.
Now that… got his attention.
“Where?”
“Outside the city. Hidden behind a medical front.”
Dominic leaned back slightly, exhaling through his nose.
“Of course it is,” he murmured.
Because where else would you hide something illegal?
Right where no one wants to look too closely.
His gaze darkened, but there was something else there too.
Focus.
“Get everything on it,” he said. “Owners. Staff. Security. I want to know what they eat for breakfast.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And one more thing—” Dominic added, standing.
The men straightened immediately.
“If she’s there…”
He paused, adjusting his sleeve like this was just another business meeting.
“…try not to touch her.”
The room went quiet again.
Not because they didn’t understand.
But because they did.
...
Elara was officially losing her mind.
Or… at least that’s what they wanted her to think.
She sat cross-legged on the mattress, staring at the tray like it had personally offended her.
“You are not sick.”
She read the words again.
And again.
And again.
“Okay,” she whispered slowly, dragging a hand down her face. “So either I’m not crazy… or I’m crazy and now imagining supportive messages in my food.”
She paused.
“…which is honestly worse.”
A small, dry laugh slipped out of her.
Wow.
She really was talking to herself now.
Progress.
Her stomach growled loudly, ruining the moment.
Elara glanced down at the tray.
Then back at the words.
Then back at the tray.
“…if this is how I die, just know I tried,” she muttered before cautiously picking up the bread.
She sniffed it.
Nothing.
She poked it.
Still nothing.
“Great. Suspicious and boring.”
She set it back down immediately.
Nope.
Not today.
A sound outside made her freeze.
Footsteps.
More than usual.
“…okay, that’s new,” she whispered.
Her heart picked up as she quickly laid back on the mattress, throwing an arm over her face like she’d seen in movies.
Play weak.
Play broken.
The door opened.
Light spilled in.
“Up,” a guard said.
Elara stayed still for a second longer than necessary.
Commit to the role.
Then slowly, she shifted, blinking like the light hurt her eyes.
“What time is it?” she mumbled softly.
No answer.
Rude.
They pulled her up anyway, one on each side.
Not rough but not gentle either.
Just controlled.
Like she wasn’t a person.
Like she was… something else.
“Where are we going?” she tried again.
Silence.
“Wow,” she muttered under her breath. “You guys are really fun to talk to.”
One of the guards tightened his grip slightly.
Ah.
So they could hear her.
Good to know.
As they led her out, Elara forced herself to stay calm, even as her eyes moved quickly, taking everything in.
The hallway stretched longer than she expected.
Door after door after door.
All the same.
All closed.
All hiding something.
Then
Movement.
Her head turned slightly.
A hand pressed against a small glass window.
Elara’s breath hitched.
Someone was inside.
Their eyes met.
And just like that
Everything clicked.
That wasn’t insanity.
That was fear.
Real. Clear. Human fear.
The guard yanked her forward.
“Keep moving.”
But it was too late.
Elara swallowed hard, her pulse racing.
She wasn’t alone.
And whatever this place was…
It definitely wasn’t here to help.
Dominic rarely got impatient.
He didn’t need to.
Things usually moved when he wanted them to.
People listened.
The world adjusted.
But tonight
He tapped his finger once against his knee.
Then again.
Then stopped.
Annoying.
The car moved smoothly through the empty road, the city lights fading behind them.
“Sir,” the driver said carefully, “we’re still confirming details. It might take—”
“How long?” Dominic asked.
The driver hesitated.
“…not long.”
Dominic hummed softly.
“That’s not a time.”
Silence.
He turned his head slightly, glancing out the window.
Somewhere out there…
Elara was locked behind a door.
Confused.
Alone.
Thinking no one was coming.
His jaw tightened just a little.
That part… he didn’t like.
“They took the wrong person,” he said quietly.
The driver didn’t respond.
Smart man.
Dominic leaned back, closing his eyes briefly.
“Next time someone disappears…” he continued, almost lazily, “…make sure it isn’t mine.”
A pause.
Then
“Yes, sir.”
Dominic opened his eyes again, gaze sharpening.
Because one thing was certain now.
He wasn’t watching anymore.
He was coming.
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