The narrow hallway leading to the dungeon was dimly lit, with the faint sound of dripping water echoing off the stone walls. Emilia moved carefully, making her way toward Andrew’s cell. Her heart pounded in her chest, and each step felt heavier than the last. She knew the risk she was taking—Diego would never forgive her if he found out—but she couldn’t bear to see Andrew suffer any longer.The tray in her hands was warm with freshly cooked food, the steam rising slightly in the cold air. She approached the iron gate to Andrew’s cell and quietly set the tray down. Her fingers were trembling as she reached for the keys she had stolen earlier. With a quiet click, the gate opened, and she slipped inside, kneeling beside Andrew’s unconscious form."Andrew," she whispered, shaking him gently. He stirred slightly, groaning as he slowly opened his eyes, weak from days of starvation.But before she could say anything further, a voice echoed from behind her, sharp and cold. "Emilia."She froze
The words hit Emilia like a slap in the face. She recoiled, her eyes widening in shock. How did he know that? How had he found out about and how long had he known that? All these questions swirled unanswered in her head. Eden had broken the rest of the barrier that Emilia used in shielding her integrity. Eden chuckled darkly, enjoying her reaction. "You heard me," he said, his voice smooth. " We can do it out back, behind the building. No one has to know. And in exchange, I won’t say a word to Diego."Emilia felt like the air had been sucked out of her lungs. "Please I beg of you," Emilia went down on her knees. "Anything else and I promise that I'm going to fulfill every of your demands, but please not this." Eden shrugged, his smirk never fading. "It’s not much to ask, considering what I’m saving you from. Or would you rather Diego finds out what you’ve been up to?"Emilia’s mind raced, her stomach twisting in disgust. "I’m his girlfriend," she said, her voice weak. "How could yo
Diego sat inside what he had named his makeshift office, leaning back in a wooden chair, his boots resting on the edge of a nearby table. The air was thick with the smell of cigar smoke, a faint haze hanging in the air. His eyes were sharp, dark, and calculating as he stared into the shadows, deep in thought. Across from him sat Mateo, one of his most trusted aides, who seemed more nervous than usual. He had seen Diego in many moods, but tonight there was something different, something darker."You know," Diego said, his voice low and contemplative, "I’ve been watching Emilia closely."Mateo’s brow furrowed, unsure of where this conversation was going. "Emilia, boss?" he asked carefully. "What about her?"Diego’s gaze remained distant, as though he were seeing something beyond the room. He stroked his beard, his fingers brushing through the coarse hair slowly. "She’s been going down to the dungeon to feed Andrew."Mateo’s eyes widened in shock. "What? Emilia? Feeding the captive? Why
Andrew shot up from the cold, hard ground, his breath was heavy and his muscles were sore. The stone walls of the dungeon seemed to close in on him as his head pounded from the searing pain behind his eyes. He blinked, trying to adjust to the dim light filtering through the cracks in the ceiling. His pulse was still racing, his heart hammering in his chest, and then he remembered why.Emilia!Her voice had woken him, calling his name in a faint whisper that still echoed in his mind. But she wasn't here. Of course, she wasn't. It had been a dream, a cruel trick his mind had played on him, reminding him of her betrayal.Andrew clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. The anger, sharp and relentless, surged inside him. The events of the previous day flashed through his mind, clearer than ever, filling him with white-hot rage. "Damn her!" He should never have trusted her. He had known better, but he had let his desperation, his hunger, cloud his judgement.He berated himself
The cold stone walls of the dungeon closed in on Andrew. The air was damp and thick with the scent of rot. His wrists were raw from the shackles that bound him, and his head was heavy from frustration. He sat against the back wall of his cell and rested his head on his knees, as his mind raced but his body was still limp with exhaustion.Suddenly, a faint hum broke the silence. Andrew didn’t need to lift his head to know what it was—who it was. A soft blue light flickered in front of him, announcing it's presence. It was Valkyron, materializing like it always did—unwanted and at the worst possible time.–Master...–Andrew clenched his jaw and stayed silent, ignoring the soft, insistent voice of his system. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Valkyron. Not now. Not here. His pulse quickened with anger, but he forced himself to stay still, his eyes fixed stubbornly on the floor.–You can’t ignore me forever, Master.–A muscle twitched in Andrew’s cheek, his fists tightening. He had spent
Andrew didn't know if he should kick the food in front of him away or wait for Emilia to come back and get it. A lot of unanswered questions lingered on his mind as he kept staring at the food. And why does Valkyron have to disappear on him just like that? And what exactly did it mean by Emilia being the key to the system? "This can't be right, can it?" Andrew asked no one in particular as he raised his eyes to the dungeon, his face dripping with sweat from the revelation. And how exactly was he going to get the key from Emilia, did she even know anything about Valkyron?For the first time since Andrew had been Imprisoned, he finally looked forward to seeing Emilia—to ask her certain questions which was going to make him sound like a weirdo in front of her. But what did he care, as long he had a purpose which was to find out how she was the key to the system and probably his way out of this place. He got up from the floors and made his way to the dungeon gate to see what was goin
Emilia froze the moment she heard Diego's voice. She felt her heart sink into her stomach and a new wave of fear washed over her. "Diego!" Emilia breathed as she turned to face him, her eyes bulging in surprise. Her face had turned white—as if she had just seen a ghost—but what she had seen was worse than a ghost. "Hey, Emilia," Diego said casually and went to put his arm around her shoulders as he turned to face Andrew. Sweat had broken out from every part of Emilia's body as she stood under Diego's hold. "You know you've done a very good job sweetheart," Diego said to Emilia, peeling his eyes off Andrew and resting them on Emilia while he pinched her cheeks playfully. "I never would have known that it would be this easy for you to make Andrew trust you completely." He said, the slick smile still on his face. Andrew's words were stuck in his throat as he looked from Diego to Emilia. "She's a great actor, you know." Diego's gaze fell on Andrew whose insides were burning with rag
It had been more than two weeks since Andrew had gone missing and Lisa's distress was growing as the minutes passed. She grew restless overtime, she couldn't take it anymore—patrick was keeping her back from going to report the case to the police—leaving her only with empty promises. Lisa could not tell if her husband was alive or not but she wanted to trust her gut that Andrew was still alive wherever he was. The whirring noise from the air conditioner accompanied her sobbing, adding to the solemn environment. "Madam Lisa!" Lisa shot her head immediately—staring in the direction of where she had heard the sound of her name. She sniffled her tears and wiped them from her eyes with her handkerchief she held feebly in her hands. "Patrick, any news?" She asked as she stood up to her feet. "I—i'm afraid not yet." Patrick responded nervously as he walked into the house. The scowl on Lisa's face deepened. "You know that I won't accept that for an answer, Patrick, tell me that you kn