ALINA’S POV.

    Sometime in the middle of the night, my eyes flickered open. The room was dark, but I could feel someone watching me from the shadows.

    It wasn’t Lucian.

    I would know if it was him. I didn’t get the familiar, pleasant chill I often felt in his presence. Instead, it felt like thousands of insects were crawling all over my body.

    “You are awake. Good.” A dark, rusty voice spoke from the shadows.

    “Who… who are you?” My voice trembled, barely audible.

    “I think you know who I am already.” The voice answered, amused.

    “You’re the person that called me a couple of weeks ago.” I noted, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear gripping !--

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    “Atta girl.” He said, and I could feel him grinning.

    “What is this about? What do you want? Who are you? Why do you keep bothering me?” I threw question after question at him, my voice shaking as my panic rose.

    “So many questions.” He chuckled darkly, his silhouette moving toward my bed.

    I could make out the shape of him now, but his face was still concealed by the hood of his sweatshirt.

    I shuffled to the other end of the bed, desperate to create as much distance between us as possible. My mouth opened, ready to scream, but I mped it shut when he spoke again.

    “Ah ah ah,” he tsked like he was speaking to a naughty child. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Besides, nobody will hear you even if you scream.”

    “What did you do?” I narrowed my eyes at him, suspicion and fear trickling through my veins as my body trembled.

    “They’re still alive, if that’s what you’re worried about.” His tone turned mockingly offended. “Come on, Alina, I’m not a monster.” He sounded almost hurt. “I just released a little something into the air to keep them asleep… until we’re gone.”

    I shivered. I was wondering how he had gotten into the estate without being detected, I guess I have my answer. My heart twisted.

    Lucian. Where was he? He had to be fine. He just had to.

    I decided to take a chance and bolted for the door, but he was quicker. Strong arms wrapped tightly around my stomach, yanking me back into his chest.

    My skin crawled. My heart began to pound erratically in my chest as if wanting to burst through.

    “Let me go!” I struggled against him with everything I had, but it was no use.

    “Shhhhhh.” He whispered in my ear, his breath cold. Then I felt a sharp pinch on my neck, and an unknown substance was injected into me.

    Instantly, a wave of dizziness hit me. My limbs turned heavy, and I sumbed into the darkness

    The next time I opened my eyes, I was tied to a pir in a warehouse I knew too well.

    I would recognize this ce even in my sleep, because it was the very ce I had died in my previous life.

    It was still nighttime, I could tell. No daylight flickered through the cracks in the windows.

    “Somebody help!” I screamed, panic wing at my chest.

    “Oh, you’re awake.” A voice came from behind me.

    “Please, let me go. I haven’t done anything to you.” I begged, struggling against the zip locks that were beginning to cut into my wrists.

    “This ce rings a bell, doesn’t it?” He chuckled darkly, and my eyes widened in horror.

    This was the second time he was hinting at my rebirth.

    Who the hell are you?!” I screamed, tears of anger, frustration, and fear streaming down my face.

    “Oh no, don’t cry, Alina,” he cooed mockingly, squatting down beside me. He wiped my tears with his thumb, and I flinched, too exhausted to recoil further. “We haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.”

    I forced myself to stay focused, squinting as I tried to make out his facial features beneath the hoodie. But the darkness made it impossible.

    I scanned his body instead, desperate to find something, anything, a distinct feature I could useter. This wasn’t how it was going to end. I refused to die like this again. I wasn’t going to wait around for someone to save me.

    I had to figure out a way to get out.

    “While you’re scheming,” he said, chuckling lowly, “it’ll please you to know that your fiancé is on his way here.”

    Relief surged through me, then panic immediately followed shortly after.

    Thest time Lucian tried toe to this location, he died before reaching me. My body began to shake.

    “I would’ve thought that news would make you happy,” the man mused. “Hmm. I guess we can never understand how the mind of a woman works.”

    “Please don’t let hime here.”I begged, my voice thick with desperation.

    “You are in no position to make demands, Alina.” He snapped in my face, then straightened and walked a few feet away. “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this moment? And you think I’ll ruin it because you asked nicely and batted yourshes?”

    Before I could reply, a voice echoed through the building.

    “Alina!!!”

    It was Lucian.

    “Don’t even dare,” the man warned when I opened my mouth to yell back, “or else I’ll hurt that lover of yours.”

    I snapped my mouth shut as panic prickled through my skin.

    I just hoped Lucian wasn’t stupid enough toe alone.

    “Good girl,” the man said mockingly. “I just hope your man isn’t dumb enough toe with backup.”

    I guess we were both wishing for different things.

    1 knew in movies, kidnappers always told the victim’s family toe alone, and only a few had the wisdom to bring backup. Because things like this? They never ended well if you went alone.

    I just hoped Lucian came with a n, and not just blind rage. Because I wouldn’t put it past him.

    “Alina!!!” Lucian’s voice rang out again, sounding even closer.

    “Lucian! In here!” I screamed, unable to stop myself.

    A hard smack hit my face. My head mmed against the concrete behind me, and my vision instantly blurred.

    “Shut up!” He growled, ring before shoving a gag into my mouth.

    My ears rang as I struggled to stay conscious.

    Through blurred vision, I saw Lucian rushing in.

    He was alone.

    My heart sank.

    No. No… I couldn’t get the words out. I was slowly losing consciousness again.

    I saw the man pull out a silver object, something that suspiciously looked like a gun, and point it at Lucian as he tried toe closer.

    Lucian raised his hands in surrender, but his worried eyes kept flickering to mine.

    I couldn’t make out their words, because the ringing grew louder and louder just as my vision grew dimmer.

    Then, darkness.