Chapter Sixteen

TARA

The terror of being dragged away by Lara lingered, even as my consciousness drifted in and out. I had never felt so powerless. I woke up in a dimly lit room, my hands bound and my mind racing with fear. The sound of footsteps approaching sent my heart into overdrive. The door creaked open, and Lara stepped in, her face a mask of cold satisfaction."Welcome back, Tara," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "Did you miss me?"I struggled against the bindings, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps. "What do you want, Lara?"She smiled, a chilling expression that sent shivers down my spine. "Revenge, of course. You took everything from me, and now, I'm going to take everything from you.""I never did anything to you," I pleaded. "This is all between you and Ryan."Lara's eyes flashed with anger. "You have no idea, do you? Ryan was mine, and you stole him from me. Now, he's going to pay, and so are you."RYANBack at the office, the chaos had subsided, but the tension was still thick in the air. I paced my office, my mind racing with worry for Tara. Dammy stood nearby, a grim look on his face."We need to find her, Dammy," I said, my voice tight with desperation. "Lara is unhinged. God knows what she'll do."Dammy nodded, his expression conflicted. "I have some contacts. We can track her down, but it won't be easy. She's been planning this for a long time."Just then, Emily burst into the room, her face pale. "Ryan, you need to see this."She handed me a folder filled with documents and photos. As I flipped through them, a sickening realization dawned on me. Lara had been orchestrating a takeover from the inside, using Dammy and others as pawns in her twisted game."How did we miss this?" I muttered, feeling the weight of my failure.Emily's voice was shaky. "She was always one step ahead. But there's more. I found these," she said, pointing to a series of photos of Tara, taken without her knowledge.My blood ran cold. "She's been stalking Tara."Dammy stepped forward, his face ashen. "Ryan, I have to tell you something. Lara has been threatening me for months. She has leverage—something from my past that she's using to control me. I'm so sorry."The betrayal stung, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. "We need to find Lara. Now."TARALara paced the room, her eyes never leaving mine. "You know, Tara, this could have been avoided. If you had just stayed out of our lives.""I didn't do anything to you, Lara," I said, trying to stay calm. "Ryan loves me."Her laugh was bitter. "Love? What a joke. Ryan will love anyone who gives him what he wants. And right now, what he wants is you out of the picture."I swallowed hard, trying to hold back tears. "What are you planning to do?"She leaned in close, her eyes filled with a chilling resolve. "I'm going to make sure Ryan has no choice but to come back to me. And you're going to help.""Why would I help you?" I spat, defiance rising in me despite the fear.Lara's smile widened. "Because if you don't, I'll make sure you disappear. Permanently."RYANThe hours dragged on as we scoured every lead, every possible location where Lara might be hiding. My mind was a whirlwind of fear and anger. I couldn't lose Tara. Not like this.Just as I was about to lose hope, Dammy's phone buzzed. He glanced at it and then looked up at me, his expression unreadable. "It's Lara. She wants to meet."My heart pounded. "Where?""A warehouse on the outskirts of town," he said. "She says to come alone."I nodded, my resolve hardening. "Let's go."As we drove, the reality of the situation settled over me. This was it—the moment everything could either fall apart or be set right. We pulled up to the warehouse, and I stepped out, my heart racing.TARALara's grip on my arm was like a vise as she dragged me to the center of the warehouse. The dim light cast eerie shadows, heightening my sense of dread. "You know, Tara, Ryan will come for you," she said, her voice almost gentle. "But when he does, he'll have to make a choice."I looked at her, confused. "What choice?"She smiled, her eyes glinting with malice. "Between you and his future. You see, I have something he needs—something he's willing to do anything to get back."Before I could ask what she meant, the door creaked open, and Ryan stepped in. Our eyes met, and for a moment, the fear melted away, replaced by a fierce determination."Let her go, Lara," Ryan said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.Lara's smile widened. "Ah, Ryan. Always the hero. But this time, the hero has to make a sacrifice."She pulled a small device from her pocket, pressing a button. The sound of a timer echoed through the warehouse, and I realized with a sinking heart that it was a bomb."Lara, you don't have to do this," Ryan pleaded, taking a step forward."Yes, I do," she said, her voice cold. "Choose, Ryan. Save Tara, or save your company. The bomb is wired to both."Panic surged through me. "Ryan, don't listen to her. Save the company. I'll be fine."He shook his head, his eyes locked on mine. "No, Tara. I won't lose you."RYANThe weight of Lara's ultimatum settled over me like a lead blanket. I couldn't believe how twisted this had become. The woman I once loved was now holding the person I loved most in the world hostage, forcing me into an impossible decision."Lara, please," I said, my voice breaking. "Don't do this."She laughed, the sound echoing through the warehouse. "Too late for pleas, Ryan. You have to choose. Her life or your empire."I took a step forward, my mind racing. There had to be a way to save both. As I inched closer, the timer continued its relentless countdown, each second a dagger in my heart."Tara," I whispered, my eyes never leaving hers. "I promise you, we'll get through this."Her eyes were filled with tears, but she nodded, her strength giving me hope. "I believe you, Ryan."I glanced at Dammy, who had followed me inside, his face pale. He gave a slight nod, signaling that he was ready. We had one shot at this.TARAThe tension in the air was palpable as Ryan and Dammy exchanged a silent understanding. My heart pounded, each second of the countdown echoing in my ears. I had to trust them, had to believe that they could find a way out of this nightmare.Lara's eyes flicked between Ryan and the timer, her confidence faltering for a moment. "What's the matter, Ryan? Can't make up your mind?"Ryan took another step forward, his gaze never leaving mine. "I'm not playing your game, Lara."Before she could react, Dammy lunged at her, knocking the remote from her hand. The timer's beeping intensified, and panic surged through me."Ryan, hurry!" I screamed, struggling against my bindings.RYANIn the chaos, I dashed toward Tara, my mind focused solely on getting her out of there. Dammy wrestled with Lara, trying to keep her from reaching the remote. I fumbled with the ropes binding Tara, my hands shaking with urgency.The timer continued its relentless countdown. 30 seconds. 29. 28.Finally, the ropes came loose, and I pulled Tara into my arms. "We need to get out of here, now!"As we ran towards the exit, I glanced back to see Dammy still grappling with Lara. "Dammy, come on!"He looked up, his face a mix of fear and determination. "Go, Ryan! I'll hold her off!"TARATears streamed down my face as we raced toward the exit, the timer's beeping growing louder and more frantic. I couldn't leave Dammy behind, not after everything."Ryan, we can't leave him!" I pleaded.He shook his head, his grip tightening on my hand. "We have to, Tara. We have to survive."We burst out of the warehouse just as the timer hit zero. The explosion rocked the ground beneath us, a deafening roar that seemed to shake the very air. We were thrown to the ground, and for a moment, everything went black.When I came to, the warehouse was a smoldering ruin. Ryan was beside me, his face streaked with dirt and worry. "Tara, are you okay?"I nodded, though my body ached all over. "What about Dammy?"He looked back at the burning wreckage, his expression grim. "I don't know."As we watched the flames consume the warehouse, a figure emerged from the smoke, coughing and limping. My heart leaped with hope, but as the figure came closer, I realized it wasn't Dammy.

The figure stood afar, staring at us...

Could this????

I gasped