Adeline's POV
I was drunk. Seriously drunk.
But it wasn't one of those carefree, laughing-out-loud kind of nights. No. This one was heavy—aching, like something inside me had cracked open and all I could do was drown the noise.
The argument with Dad still echoed in my head—sharp words, old wounds, and everything in between. And Nikolas? He just added fuel to the fire. Always so sure he knows what's best for me. Always so sure I'm still that naïve little girl who didn't know the cost of loyalty or the burden of legacy.
I had walked out without a phone. Without telling anyone. Without a plan.
Just me and the bitter cold night and the burn of whatever drink I found first.
I didn't know what time it was, or even where exactly I ended up. Somewhere dim, somewhere loud, somewhere I could forget. But the forgetting never came. It stayed lodged in my throat like guilt I couldn't swallow.
My head spun violently. I stumbled, bumping into some guy who reeked of cigarettes and sweat. He mumbled something and I didn't even register what it was—I just kept walking, trying to hold onto the pieces of myself that were slipping like sand through my fingers.
The city lights blurred. The music in my ears felt distant now.
I hated this. This version of me. The one who ran. The one who broke.
But I couldn't help it. Tonight, everything got too loud. Too painful.
I leaned against the nearest wall, eyes glassy and fingers shaking. I whispered into the wind, "Lukas…"
But he wasn't here. And I hadn't told him where I was.
And that scared me more than anything.
I didn't know how I ended up here.
The air was cold, thick, and hard to breathe. My feet had led me aimlessly after the fight—with Dad, with Nikola. Their voices had echoed in my skull long after the door slammed behind me.
I hadn't brought my phone.
I hadn't told anyone.
I didn't want to.
I just wanted to escape… to run away from the weight of expectations, from the silence inside my heart that kept growing louder, from the face I saw every time I closed my eyes.
Her.
That woman.
That lady.
And just as I turned the corner, far from the noise of traffic and the warmth of safety, the world twisted.
A sharp, searing pain exploded behind my eyes.
I gasped, stumbling, as if the sky itself had caved in on me.
My knees buckled beneath me, and I collapsed onto the pavement. The world around me blurred into a foggy smear of lights and shadows.
My hands trembled, grasping at nothing as a migraine struck like a lightning bolt through my skull. I felt like I was suffocating inside my own body.
And then—the memories came back.
Blurry. Brutal. Bleeding.
Me.
I was the one bleeding.
I saw her—that lady—standing above me. Her eyes weren't kind. They weren't human.
I remembered lying on the ground, my tiny hands trying to stop the blood pouring from my side. I remembered my cries, weak and helpless, calling out for someone who never came.
She had done something to me.
She had hurt me.
She had smiled when she did it.
And I had forgotten all these years… buried it, buried her.
Until now.
And it felt like someone had ripped the stitches off an old wound, raw and still bleeding beneath the surface. The metallic taste of blood returned to my mouth. The screams echoed in my ears.
I curled into myself on the pavement.
I couldn't breathe.
I couldn't think.
Everything inside me was shattering all over again.
My nails dug into my arms, trying to anchor myself to something real. But I wasn't here anymore—I was there. I was a little girl, hurt, crying… bleeding… while the world stood silent.
Tears fell fast, hot, and silent down my cheeks.
The nausea hit so hard I doubled over, trembling. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. The pain in my head grew louder than any scream I could release.
And I whispered, to no one, to nothing—
"Why her…?"
Why did she come back?
Why now?
My body trembled on the cold ground, breath shallow, vision dimming at the edges.
I felt like a ghost inside my own body.
Would anyone find me?
Would he?
Would Lukas come before I lost myself again?
I didn't know.
All I knew… was that the past had come back.
And this time, it wasn't just a dream.
It was me.Bleeding.Because of her.
The world around me was spinning.
My head felt like it was being crushed under the weight of a thousand voices screaming at once. The migraine hit harder than ever, sharp and violent, blurring my vision. My knees wobbled. I tried to hold onto the streetlight for support, but my hands slipped.
Everything felt too loud, too bright—Yet strangely quiet inside my mind.Except for one image.
Her.
That woman.Blood.Screams.My own voice calling out for help.
Pain exploded behind my eyes. My body couldn't take it anymore.
And then—
Black.
I collapsed. Right there.On the pavement.
The last thing I remember was the sharp sting of concrete against my cheek… and distant footsteps approaching.
But I couldn't move. Couldn't fight. Couldn't scream.
And then I was gone.
Out cold.
Unaware that those footsteps belonged to the wrong people.Unaware that I was being lifted into a car.Unaware that Lukas would find out… too late.
Because I was no longer safe.And this time—I was the bait.
I groaned softly as my eyes fluttered open, only to be met by suffocating darkness.The air was damp, heavy with the scent of metal, dust, and something... rotten.
My head throbbed violently—like someone was hammering against my skull from the inside.I tried to move, but—
Clink.
My wrists burned against the coarse rope binding them.I was lying on the cold floor, knees scraped, arms twisted behind me, and ankles tightly tied. My entire body ached—stiff, bruised, disoriented.
Panic slowly crept in, replacing the dizziness.
Where was I?
What happened?
I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the pitch black. The only light was a dim, flickering bulb high above, swaying ever so slightly—like it was mocking me.
My breathing turned shallow.
This wasn't a nightmare.
This was real.
I had been taken.Kidnapped.
Suddenly, muffled voices echoed from outside the room—low, gruff, unfamiliar. I couldn't make out the words, but their tone sent a chill down my spine.
Tears pricked at my eyes, but I bit down on the whimper threatening to escape.
I couldn't cry.
Not now.
I had to think.Had to remember anything.But my head... it was chaos.
Where was Lukas?Did he even know I was missing?
I closed my eyes, clutching onto the one face that brought me peace.
Lukas... please find me.