The leader's voice was cold and commanding. "You have to sign it, or we'll let this guy here"— he motioned to the thug standing behind her with a gun pointed at her head— "shoot you. If you want to live, sign these papers."
Verena's breath hitched in her throat as the gun pressed closer. Her mind raced as she tried to process everything.
She glanced over at Ariana, bound in the same chair next to her. Why was Ariana here? What did they want from her?
The man with the gun didn't move, and the room seemed to get colder by the second. Verena's hands were still tightly bound, but the pressure from the gun behind her head made her pulse race.
"Please," she gasped, trying to keep her voice steady. "At least loosen the ropes. I can't sign anything with my hands like this."
The leader paused for a moment, exchanging a look with one of his men.