(1299 words)
*Mihrimah's POV*
My eyelids fluttered open slowly, trying to adjust to the dim light. I had absolutely no idea where I was. My head hurt, and when I tried moving, I realised my hands and feet were tied to a chair. I couldn't remember a thing. What had happened? Where was I? Was that a nightmare?
I tried to find my voice to call out for someone, but couldn't. Where was Blayze? Wasn't I with him?
Blayze...
"I can have you wrapped around my finger and leave you in the blink of an eye."
"It was all a game. To get you in my bed. To break your pride."
His words replayed in my mind, the image of his cold and uncaring eyes flashing before my eyes again and again. My lips parted in shock. I could not believe that actually happened. It had to be false. It had to be a bad dream.
The heartache returned, and my willpower died down. I didn't care if I was tied up. I didn't care about what would happen to me. I did not have the energy to fight, to struggle.
"I see you're up." A male voice echoed through the dimly lit room. I could make out a silhouette that came closer and closer until I could see the face.
It was Ezra. The first time ever without a mask. I could see another silhouette standing by the doorway, but I had absolutely no idea who that was.
I met Ezra's gaze. "Go on. Kill me. Now's the perfect chance."
He smirked. "I have worse plans for you. You're going to wish you had died in the water that last time."
I felt emotionless. As if I was already dead. "I don't care what happens with me anymore."
"Is that so? Tired already?" He mocked.
"Finish this. Get done with your revenge." I challenged.
He smirked again. "That's exactly what I'm doing. I'll be hosting you here for a few days. Keep in mind these are still your good days. You aren't prepared for what I have planned out for you afterwards."
I didn't have any energy to engage in conversation with him. Like I said, I truly didn't care what happened to me. He eyed me for a minute, before gesturing something to the silhouette in the doorway. Then he left, while the person in the doorway walked closer to me. He held a tray of food in his hands.
"Who are you?" I asked him.
"You're not supposed to know that." He replied.
He spooned some rice and brought it to my mouth. "I'm not going to eat." I glared at him.
His face was covered with a mask. I couldn't help but think how familiar he looked. "You have to eat." He said calmly.
My eyes widened as my brain finally registered his voice. "Carter?!"
He lowered his head, then lifted it back up, removing his mask. "Wow, Mihr. You recognised me."
I was bewildered. "You're teaming up with Ezra?"
He shrugged. "He reached out to me with some tempting offers that I couldn't refuse. Like funding for my business."
I scoffed in disbelief. "You got involved with a person as despicable as him just for some funding?"
"Plus some other benefits." He smiled shamelessly.
"You're sick." I uttered, disdain coating my voice.
He chuckled. "Mihrimah, if you had agreed to be mine again when I asked you, none of this would be happening. I would have protected you better than Blayze Colton." He said Blayze's name with disgust.
My heart ached again at the mention of his name. "I don't need him or anyone else." I asserted.
He chuckled darkly. "So you were with him just for the orgasms?"
I glowered at him. "Do not speak to me that way."
"Save it, Mihrimah. You've been sleeping with him, and here..." he dug into his pants pocket, pulling out a photograph. "Is the proof." He finished. My mouth hung open in shock, a shiver running down my spine. I felt frozen and paralysed. It was a picture of me and Blayze. A very indecent one. From when we had sex at the charity ball.
"You... how do you—"
His dark laughter cut me off. "You should've been careful, Mihr. Just imagine if this picture circulated on the internet..."
"Carter!" I raised my voice, glaring at him.
"Blayze had an angrier reaction." He remarked, almost nonchalantly.
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"There are more photos, Mihr. Ezra showed them all to Blayze." He told.
My mouth hung open in shock once again, my head spinning. "Blayze knows about these photos?"
"He gave Ezra one of his billion dollar projects or something in exchange for protecting your reputation." He laughed sarcastically at the end. I was extremely confused. Why would Blayze do that? His words that wrung my heart apart were a contradiction to this. How could he say he felt nothing for me then give away one of his projects just for my sake?
"He's such a fool though," Carter scoffed. "He really thought Ezra would leave you alone with just that. I don't understand why people praise his so called intelligence so much."
I was utterly confused. On one hand, Blayze broke my heart into pieces and on the other, he was trying to protect my reputation? What even was going on in his head? What exactly was he trying to do?
"If you don't want to eat, fine. Starve." He said, interrupting my thoughts. I didn't respond, letting him carry the tray out of the room. I could hear the door being locked from outside.
I moved my head around to look at my surroundings. I was in what looked like an attic. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages. The only light source that dimly illuminated the room was a small bulb in the corner.
I wondered what exactly Ezra had planned out for me. My gut feeling told me it was something worse than plain death. But then again, what could hurt me more than Blayze's words?
———
*Blayze's POV*
It had been 36 hours since Mihrimah had gone missing. The police was searching for her all over the city. Meanwhile, I was conducting my own search, digging into whatever information I could find on Ezra. I needed to find where he was. This was obviously all his doing. I should have known better. I should have known that he wouldn't let go of all this so easily. I was an idiot for believing he would leave Mihrimah alone just like that.
Whenever I would feel that I had put some puzzle pieces in place, more pieces would show up, making it more of a confusing mess. Nothing made sense.
Slamming the table, I held my head in my hands. I couldn't be that way. I had to find Mihrimah as soon as possible. She needed me. God knew what she was going through, if she was even okay.
My phone buzzed with a text from one of my workers.
Mr. Colton, we did some digging, and there's apparently a functional building right where Caleb Greene used to run his illegal affairs.
I felt an adrenaline rush, as hope swirled within me. Something felt like I was close to finding her now.
I typed in a reply.
Is it confirmed to be owned by Ezra?
A reply came through a few seconds later.
Records say it's owned by some Edgar Shawn. But I feel like we should raid the place. Ezra wouldn't ideally register the place with his own name.
Made sense. I quickly grabbed my phone and my gun, before storming out of my house.
I'll find you, Mihrimah. I'll do whatever it takes.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————
Hiiii.
Do you guys believe Blayze will be able to find Mihrimah? (Because I don't. He messed up bad, and that's got to have consequences, right?)
What's Ezra going to do with Mihrimah? 🤔
Do vote and comment. I'll see you guys next Saturday.