Ashes of Forever

Caught

Zoey's POV

Brooklyn was supposed to be my fresh start, but it felt more like a prison.

Every day, I woke up in the cramped storage room, the smell of bleach and dust filling my lungs. The scar on my face, a jagged, angry line from my temple to my jaw was a constant reminder of what I'd lost. Imara. Theo. The life I'd built.

But I couldn't stay here forever.

The letter terrified me. Someone knew where I was. Someone was watching.

I had to leave.

I packed my meager belongings into a small bag, my hands trembling as I zipped it shut. The kind couple who'd taken me in didn't ask questions when I told them I was leaving.

"Be safe," the woman said, her eyes filled with concern.

I nodded, forcing a smile. "Thank you."

But I didn't feel safe.

As I stepped outside, the cold air bit at my skin, and I pulled my jacket tighter around me. The streets were quiet, the kind of silence that felt heavy, foreboding.

I hurried toward the train station, my heart pounding with every step.

But the moment I arrived, I knew something was wrong.

The station was eerily quiet, the usual bustle replaced by an unsettling stillness. I glanced around, my stomach churning with unease.

And then I saw them.

Men in black suits, their expressions cold and unyielding. They were everywhere blocking the exits, watching the platforms, scanning the crowd.

Theo's men.

Panic surged through me, and I turned to leave, but a hand clamped down on my arm.

"Zoey Harper," a voice said, cold and detached. "Come with us."

I struggled, but it was no use. They dragged me away, my bag falling to the ground as I was shoved into a waiting car.

"Let me go!" I screamed, my voice raw with fear.

But no one listened.

---

Theo's POV

Theo stood in the dimly lit room, his hands clenched into fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms. The walls were lined with photos of Sophie her bright smile, her sparkling eyes, the way she'd twirl in her pink dress.

Theo's heart ached as he stared at them, his grief a heavy weight on his chest.

The door opened, and his men dragged Zoey inside, her face pale with fear.

"Theo," she whispered, her voice trembling.

He didn't respond. He just stared at her, his eyes filled with a cold, unrelenting anger.

"You thought you could run," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You thought you could escape what you did."

"Theo, I didn't"

"Silence!" he roared, his voice breaking with emotion.

Zoey flinched, tears streaming down her face.

"You failed her," Theo said, his voice trembling with rage. "You failed Sophie. And now, you'll pay for it."

"Theo, please," Zoey begged, her voice breaking. "I didn't do anything. I swear."

But Theo didn't care.

"Take her away," he said, his voice cold and unyielding.

His men dragged Zoey out of the room, her cries echoing down the hallway.

Theo clenched his fists, his mind racing.

If his daughter could die, then so could Zoey.

---

Zoey's POV

They threw me into a dark, windowless room, the door slamming shut behind me.

The air was damp and cold, the floor hard and unforgiving. I collapsed onto it, my body trembling with fear.

Theo's words echoed in my mind, a chilling reminder of the danger I was in.

"You'll pay for it."

I curled into a ball, my tears soaking into the cold, hard floor.

I didn't know what was going to happen to me. I didn't know if I'd ever see the light of day again.

All I knew was that I was scared,scared of what Theo would do, scared of the pain he'd inflict, scared of the future that awaited me.

And then I heard the sound of footsteps outside the door.

They stopped.

A key turned in the lock.

And then Theo's voice, cold and unyielding, echoed through the silence.

"Make her suffer."