bChapter /bb205 /b

    Jordan studied Ste for a long moment. “Maybe you should stay home today. If there’s nothing urgent at the officeb, /bjust take it e rej

    Steughed. “Jordan, are you not sleeping well? Or is work getting to you? You’re being paranoid.”

    “I don’t know. I feel better when here with you. But iwhen /iyou’re out there alone… Just skip work today, okay?”

    “You’re overthinking this,” she said, shakin

    her head. “I’ll be fine. Come on, let’s go together.”

    Jordan exhaled, relenting. “Fine. But

    go together, and

    back together. No leaving alone.”

    “Deal.” She looped her arm through hi

    with a yful grin.

    As they walked out, Mary watched them with an amused shake of her head. At least some things never changed.

    Jordan made sure Ste entered the Hayes Group building safely, but before leaving, he called her onest time. “Any chance you’ll bbe /bleaving the office today?”

    “Not sure,” Ste replied. “Probably not unless somethinges up..

    Why?”

    “Just… try to stay inside if you can.”

    Ste sighed in amused exasperation. “Alright, alright. If there’s no reason to go out, I won’t. Promise.”

    Only then did Jordan seem to rx.

    As she walked through the lobby, Ste couldn’t suppress a small, private smile. ‘No one has ever cared about me this much. Is this what it felt like to be truly loved?‘

    But the moment she stepped off the elevator, her instincts prickled. Her grip tightened on her purse, eyes scanning the office.

    S

    The employees seemed normal, typing away at their desks and chatting by the coffee machine. Ste told herself maybe she was just paranoid after Jordan’s warnings.

    Then she noticed N’s empty desk. Her assistant was neverte. Ste was about to ask someone when her phone buzzed. It was an unfamiliar number with a vaguely familiar area code.

    “Hello?” she answered cautiously.

    “Ste.” The voice was unmistakable: Hasan, Lionel’s father. Her stomach dropped.

    “What do you want?”

    “Listen carefully.”

    A strained voice crackled through the line. “Ms. Hayes, don’tb! /bI’m fine, don’te-

    “N?!” Ste’s blood turned to ice. ‘They’d taken her?” “Hasan, you bastard. What the hell are you ying at?”

    Hasan let out a dark chuckle. “Oh, you’ll see.”

    Ste’s nails bit into her palm. Jordan’s paranoia hadn’t bbeen /bunfounded after all.

    Hasan’s voice dripped with smug malice through the phone. “You know why I didn’te for byou /bbdirectly/b. bYou’re /bbtoo /bbclever/b. bYou’d /bbnever /bbhave /b

    mub, /bb14 /bbAug /b

    bChapter /bb205 /b

    followed me willingly. But your secretary? Well, 1 doubt byou’ll /babandon herb./bb” /b

    bIn /bthe background, N’s frantic protests were cut short by the sharp crack of a p. Ste’s grip tightened on bher /bbphone/b.

    “I’lle,” Ste said coldly. “But if a single hair on her head is harmed, whatever you want from me? You’ll get nothing

    “Now that’s more like it.” Hasan chuckled. “y nice, and your little friend suffers less. Oh, and ditch Jordan’s new security bdetall /bI know they’re shadowing you. Come alone, or you’ll be identifying her corpse.”

    Ste exhaled slowly. She wasn’t afraid for herself. If the Quinns wanted to drag her back, so be it. ‘But H? An innocent caught bin /bthe crossfire? ssic Quinn family move.’

    After agreeing to Hasan’s terms, Ste sat motionless in her office, calcting. Within the hour, she’d acquired ba /bjanitor’s uniform and slipped past Jordan’s guards unnoticed, her face hidden beneath a cap.

    The taxi she hailed barely came to a stop before she slid into the backseat. “Take me to a chemical supply store first,” she ordered.

    The driver nced at her in the rearview mirror. “Kid, you’re not… look, whatever you’re nning-”

    Steel glinted as Ste pressed a de to his throat. His hands froze on the wheel.

    “Listen carefully,” she murmured. “You don’t know me. You didn’t see me. I’m not a bad person. y hero, and you’ll regret it. Nod if you

    understand.”

    The man swallowed hard. “Y–yeah.”

    Ste lowered the knife and stepped into the chemical supply store. She quickly found what she needed and returned to the cab.

    “Now, you’ll drive where I tell you,” she instructed, her voice icy. “When I say stop, you leave. No looking back. No cops. If you disobey, your family pays the price. Understood?”

    The driver swallowed hard. “Y–yes, ma’am.” He didn’t dare say another word.

    Ste worked quietly with the chemicals in the backseat. Her hands weren’t entirely steady, but years ofb work in school gave her confidence. ‘I can do this.‘

    By the time they reached the destination, she had finished her preparations. She tossed extra cash onto the front seat and fixed the driver with a warning re. “Drive away and don’te back.” Then she stepped out into the destendscape.

    -The area was barren. Abandoned warehouses stretched into the distance. Ste checked her phone,paring it to the coordinates. ‘That’s

    the one.‘

    She pocketed her phone and moved forward. Just as she neared the building, a pack of snarling dogs lunged at her. She flinched but resisted the urge to reach for the chemicals in her bag. ‘Hasan’s testing me.‘

    The dogs were seconds from knocking her down when Hasan’s voice cut through the growls. “Enough. Back.” Instantly, the Dobermans retreated, their teeth still bared.

    Ste steadied herself and walked inside.

    N was bound to a chair, her mouth sealed with duct tape. The moment she saw Ste, her eyes widened bin /bpanicb, /bba /bbmuffled /bb“/bbNo/bb!/bb” /bbtrapped /b

    behind the tape.

    Hasan lounged nearby,zily picking at a te of barbecue. “Took you long enough.”

    Ste ignored the taunt. “Why kidnap my secretary?i” /i

    “Would you havee otherwise?” He smirked.

    “You’ve seen me. Now let her go. Whatever you want, we’ll discuss it, just you and me.”

    Hasan chuckled. “And lose my leverage? Please. She stays right where she is.”

    AD