Unseen Predator
If the photos of their car tryst were published, the magazine wouldn't just sell out—it would cause a frenzy...
It was clear now that he had gone to great lengths to retrieve the memory card not for Natalie's sake, but to protect his reputation as the President of the Asia-Pacific region.
And she had been foolish enough to hand it over without a fight.
"Damn it!"
Lily slammed her hand on the desk, nearly knocking over her water glass.
Her phone rang, an unfamiliar number flashed on the screen. She answered, a deep male voice reaching her ears. "Tuesday, ten o'clock at night. Be at my house."
Before she could respond, he hung up.
What the hell?
The man was clearly out of his mind. Yes, that was it—he was insane!
With the photos of Sarah and Korean star Kevin's steamy kiss in her possession, she did not need to indulge his whims for the time being.
Lily quickly forgot about the call, focusing instead on finishing her article and sending it to print. She had considered blurring the actresses' faces, but her uncle had insisted it wasn't necessary.
As expected, within a week, "EYL" magazine had sold out, requiring multiple reprints over the next two weeks...
The entire office was buzzing with life, and the staff was energized and motivated. Even her aunt's snide remarks had become a rare occurrence at home.
Witnessing it all, Lily wasn't sure if it had been worth it, but what was done was done...
She had chosen to sell herself, and there was no point in regretting it now.
This was the real world... There were no second chances.
As she walked the bustling streets of the city at night, a commercial on a skyscraper's screen caught her eye, showcasing the beauty of France, the City of Light with its distinctive style and romantic allure...
Lily paused, staring at the screen, a sense of uncertainty washing over her. Someone had once told her, "Lily, Paris is the city of art. You want to study filmmaking, right? I'll go with you."
The boy's voice had been rough, caught in the throes of puberty, but to her, it had sounded like music.
But that was the end of it.
She had never had the chance to visit Paris, the city of art.
The boy who had haunted her memories and dreams, she wondered how he was doing. Had he grown taller? More handsome? Did he have a girlfriend?
"Alex, are you doing well?"
The faint words escaped her lips, quickly swallowed up by the clamor of the traffic...
As Lily stood there, lost in thought, a sleek black car pulled up beside her.
The window rolled down, revealing a face she had come to know all too well.
Ethan Blackwood.
"Get in."
His tone left no room for argument, and his eyes cold and unyielding.
Lily hesitated, a flicker of fear racing through her veins. What did he want with her now?
But she knew she had no choice. She had made a deal with the devil, and now she must pay the price.
With leaden steps, she approached the car, sliding into the passenger seat.
The door closed behind her with a sense of finality, sealing her fate.
As the car pulled away from the curb, Lily kept her gaze fixed on the passing lights, refusing to look at the man beside her.
But even without seeing his face, she could feel the weight of his presence, the suffocating aura of power that clung to him like a second skin.
"You've been busy."
His voice was deceptively soft, but Lily could hear the undercurrent of danger that lurked beneath the surface.
"The photos. The article. Quite the little journalist, aren't you?"
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I did what I had to do."
Ethan's lips curled into a mirthless smile. "Of course you did. And now, you'll do what I tell you to do."
Lily's heart sank, a sense of dread settling in the pit of her stomach. She had known this moment would come, but she had hoped, foolishly, that she might have more time.
Time to find a way out, to break free of the chains he had bound her with.
But there was no escape, no reprieve from the fate she had chosen.
As the car sped through the night, carrying her ever closer to her hell, Lily closed her eyes, a single tear slipping down her cheek.
She thought of Alex, of the dreams they had once shared, of the life she had imagined for herself.
A life of art and beauty, of love and laughter.
A life that now seemed as distant and unreachable as the stars that glittered above the city skyline.
Lily had made her choice, and there was no turning back.
She was Ethan's creature now, a pawn in his twisted game.
And she would play her part, no matter the cost to her soul.
For in this world of wealth and power, there was no room for weakness, no place for sentiment.
Only the strong survived.
And Lily was determined to survive, even if it meant embracing the darkness that now consumed her.