............"Hello, travelers! Where can I take you? Are you here to sightsee?" A middle-aged man asked two suited men as they approached his cab after exiting the airport of Verdiara City."No, we're here on business. Take us to that building over there," one of them replied in a calm tone, pointing at a blurry structure in the distance.Even though the airport is miles away from the city, that single tall and majestic building can be seen clearly, though it appears blurry from such a distance. Anyone can recognize whose building it is."Oh, so you're familiar with the company that building belongs to," the middle-aged man said with surprise, nodding before gesturing for them to sit and put their luggage in the trunk.After they settled in, he asked a question as he started driving away from the airport."No, we aren't that familiar with the company, but we do know who the CEO is and some other details. Mister, you asked as if you know something about it," the suited man replied su
............"Hello, Ms. Rossi, I am Armin Nikol and this is my partner Rema Khan. We are thankful that you accepted our request for this meeting." They kept their polite smiles and shook her hand as they introduced themselves.Elara Rossi, the CEO, smiled warmly as she settled into her seat. "I'm really looking forward to your presentation. I've heard great things about your project and I'm excited to see what you have to share."Armin and Rema exchanged a quick, delighted glance. Encouraged by her words, they felt a renewed sense of confidence.Armin began, "Thank you, Ms. Rossi. We're thrilled to have this opportunity to present our proposal."Rema continued, "Our project focuses on transforming the infrastructure field. We've developed a groundbreaking technology that significantly enhances both the speed and safety of construction processes."Armin took over, "This technology allows us to work ten times faster than traditional methods while maintaining high safety standards. It
............"Uh... Big Sis, did I disturb you?" Bella asked nervously, hearing the sharp tone in her sister's voice."Just get on with it!" Elara snapped, clearly impatient. "Why did you call?""Well, um, Mother and Father want to celebrate their latest investment and the company's recovery," Bella explained quickly, worried that Elara would reject the invitation. "A few important people are coming to the party, and they asked me to invite you."She rushed through her words, knowing it had been a long time since Elara had been home. Elara had been living at the company's headquarters, staying in the CEO's suite after the recent fall out with their parents."Argh... what's this about, and how did they get an investment? Did they involve themselves in illegal business?" Elara Rossi frowned, suspecting her parents might have turned to shady dealings. She knew that no one in Verdiara City was willing to invest in their family company."No... no... it's not like that. Didn't I mention la
............They were the backbone of her success, tirelessly working to push the boundaries of technology and create solutions that kept Veridian Group at the forefront of the industry.The first thing she did with the Dark Holdings money was to give it back to officials and the government before asking for some benefits. With the legal investment funds, she bought several promising technological innovations for her new company and quickly formed a talented and capable research and development team.She approached Dr. Manoj Hale, the head of R&D, who was engrossed in a complex blueprint."Good evening, Dr. Hale," Elara greeted, her voice warm but authoritative.Dr. Hale looked up, a smile breaking across his face. "Good evening, Boss. We've made significant progress on the new energy module. I think you'll be pleased with the results.""That's excellent news," Elara replied, her interest piqued. "Let's take a look."They moved to a nearby workstation where a prototype of the energ
............With that, Elara knew her sister was being playful, but she still sighed and relented, agreeing to stay the night.The sisters, despite their exhaustion, shared a quiet moment with each other. Bella told Elara about how Aarav had been living in Crystalbrook City and what he was doing, before they finally closed their eyes to get some much-needed rest.Next day, "See you later, Bella!" Elara left early in the morning before their parents woke up, saying goodbye to her little sister."Alright... see you later, Big Sis!" Bella waved at Elara, who waved back and drove away.On the way, Elara received a call from her assistant, Reena Bansal."Yes, Reena. I'm on my way. Put the files on the table; I won't take more than a few minutes to get to the office," Elara said, speeding up."Yes, Boss," Reena replied before the call ended.As Elara focused on the call, she forgot to pay attention to the road. Suddenly, a large cargo truck stopped at the crossing, forcing Elara to slam
............"Please," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "What... what do you want from me?"The man at the desk chuckled, a low, chilling sound. "All in good time, Mrs. Rossi. For now, just know that cooperation is in your best interest."Elara nodded slowly, her mind racing.She had to find a way out of this, but with so many armed men and the dangerous atmosphere, escape seemed impossible.'I need to get out of here somehow. If I don't, who knows what they have planned for me!' she thought, biding her time, waiting for an opportunity.For now, all she could do was think comply and hope that an opening would present itself.......Meanwhile, "Du...du...du...!" "Damn it...What's going on? What happened?" Reena Bansal, hearing something unsettling before the call disconnected, immediately tried calling again, but the line was dead.The call wouldn't go through at all. She tried multiple times but kept getting the same dead line."Ring...Ring...!" Reena decided to call someon
............"Let them in. They're here on official business," the senior officer commanded, handing Bella and Reena a written authorization.The guard's smirk vanished instantly. "Yes, sir," he mumbled, stepping aside, keeping his head low and trembling under the cold gaze of the senior officer.Bella and Reena hurried into the surveillance room. The senior officer led them to a technician. "Can you show us the footage from the crossroad around the time...yes, right there where the car was abandoned?" Bella asked as she pointed to the time and place.The technician nodded and quickly pulled up the relevant footage. They watched anxiously as the screen showed Elara's car coming to a sudden stop at the crossroad because of a cargo truck right in front of her.Moments later, Elara stepped out, talking on her phone. Suddenly, a black luxury car pulled up right beside her, and a hand grabbed her before pulling her into the car. Right after that, the signal turned green, and the luxury ca
............The first man sighed and straightened up. "We’ll see if you’re telling the truth. Maybe a little persuasion will help jog your memory." He nodded to the silent man, who stepped forward, grabbing Elara by the arm and dragging her to her feet."No, please!" Elara cried, struggling against his grip, but it was no use. They were much stronger than her.They hauled her to a small, dark room at the back of the hideout. It was damp and smelled of mildew. They threw her onto a chair and tied her hands and feet, leaving her feeling even more helpless."We’ll give you some time to think," the first man said, his voice dripping with menace. "Maybe by the time we come back, you’ll be ready to talk."With that, they left the room, the door slamming shut behind them.Elara was alone, the darkness closing in around her. She knew she had to stay strong, but fear was making it hard to think straight. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. There had to be a way out of this.