Chapter nine

Aveline's blood ran cold.

Her vision blurred, and for a moment, she couldn't breathe. The sounds of laughter, glasses clinking, music,all of it faded into a hollow echo.

Standing just a few feet away, with the audacity to smile, was the man who had shattered her life.

Elias Vale.

Her former captor. Her tormentor. The monster who had haunted her every step.

He hadn't changed much. He wore a sleek black suit with a blood-red tie, his hair slicked back, his expression far too calm for the storm he once inflicted on her life. He looked polished. Sophisticated. Civilized.

But Aveline knew better.

That man was a devil wrapped in silk.

"Aveline," he said again, his voice as smooth and poisonous as ever. "It's been… what, three years? You've grown prettier."

She took a step back, her body trembling violently. Her eyes filled with tears she could no longer hold back. "No… no, no…"

Elias took a slow step forward, unfazed by her panic. "Oh, don't do that. I'm not here to take you. Not yet."

The way he said those words,so casually, made her knees weak.

"You don't look happy to see me. That hurts," he added with a mock pout, then sighed as if disappointed. "Though I can't say I blame you. You were such a sensitive thing back then. Always crying. Always trying to run. Like a little rabbit with broken legs."

Aveline's tears fell freely now. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.

"Aish, still so dramatic," Elias snapped coldly, his voice sharp as broken glass. "Stop those useless tears. You'll ruin your makeup. Do you really want to draw attention? Hm?"

She shook her head quickly and wiped her face with trembling hands, her stomach twisting in knots.

"Better," he murmured. "Now, where was I? Oh, right. After you ran away, I could've dragged you back. I really could have. I had people watching you. I watched you beg for food, sleep in filth, get rejected at job interviews. God, it was satisfying."

Aveline's entire body shook as she took another shaky step back.

"But then one day," Elias said, tilting his head, "you just… disappeared. Gone. None of my men could find you. I thought maybe you'd finally offed yourself." He chuckled. "But no. Imagine my shock when I discovered that Dominic Cross had taken you."

He said Dominic's name like it was a dirty word.

Aveline froze.

"Yes, that same Dominic Cross. Your daddy's enemy. I suppose that makes you a trophy of sorts, doesn't it?" His eyes narrowed, gleaming with malice. "And I know why he took you. I know what's buried inside you, Aveline. Do you?"

She didn't know what he meant...she just knew that everything inside her screamed danger.

"Many people are looking for you," Elias continued, leaning closer. "you're much more valuable than you think. And I'm getting closer to it. Closer to sucess."

His eyes roamed over her with a predator's satisfaction. "And once I have it, I'll be back for you. And this time, I won't let you go."

Aveline's vision swam. Her breathing turned shallow.

No, no, please no.....

"Torres."

Dominic's voice sliced through the fog of panic like a blade.

She whipped her head around,Elias was gone. Just like that. Like smoke. Like a nightmare fading at dawn. But her heart still thrashed violently against her ribs.

Dominic's cold eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

"P–please… can we go back to the house now?" she whispered, her voice cracking.

He raised a brow. "And why is that?"

She couldn't explain. Couldn't say his name. Couldn't relive that conversation.

"Please," she begged. "Just… please. I don't want to stay here."

Dominic's stare turned cold. "You forget that I give the orders...."

"I'll do anything," she interrupted, the words tumbling out in desperation. "Anything. Just take me away from here."

He tilted his head. "Anything, you say?"

"Yes."

A long pause. Then, finally....

"Fine. But you'll regret offering yourself so easily."

He placed a hand on her lower back and led her away from the party.

"Dominic! Leaving already?" Harrison called from the crowd with a wave. "The party isn't even over!"

"I'm done here," Dominic replied coldly, walking out with Aveline.

Harrison chuckled under his breath. "What a rude boy."

---

On the Road Back

The car was silent. Aveline leaned her head against the cold windowpane, letting it soothe her burning cheeks. Her mind kept repeating Elias's words.

"Many dangerous men are looking for you…"

What did he mean? What did that machine have to do with her?

Beside her, Dominic made a phone call.

"Did you find anything?" His voice was calm but lethal.

"…Still not talking? Take him somewhere quiet. I'll deal with him myself."

Aveline clenched the fabric of her dress in her fists.

Was he going to kill someone tonight.

But somehow, that didn't scare her as much as Elias coming back.

---

Back at the Mansion

The house was quiet when they returned. Dominic walked her to her room in silence.

She walked in and sat on the edge of her bed, wanting to get out of the stuffy dress. But Dominic walked to the dresser and picked up the collar. Her breath caught,she had completely forgotten about it.

He walked to her and fastened it tightly around her neck without saying a word.

"I won't be around for a while," he said as he locked the buckle. "But when I return… I'll make you keep your promise."

Aveline looked down at her hands, silent. What would he ask of her? After everything, she was almost too numb to care.

"You can go out to the garden if you want," he added, turning to leave. "Don't try to escape."

Then he was gone.

Aveline pulled off the dress and headed to the bathroom, trying to wash the day from her skin. But even after changing, the fear lingered. The pressure in her chest wouldn't fade.

She collapsed on her bed.

She was so tired.

Tired of running. Of being afraid. Of existing like this.

But sleep never came.

---

Meanwhile — Elias's Headquarters

In a dark, high-tech room filled with humming machines and flickering monitors, dozens of men in tactical gear and scientists in lab coats were scattered around a long metal table. Some were typing furiously, others decoding encrypted files.

Elias stood at the head of the room, drink in hand, watching the chaos.

One of the techs turned to him, wide-eyed. "Sir, we found something. Buried data in a backup drive,government encrypted. Coordinates. Switzerland."

Elias smiled slowly. "Switzerland… so it really was hidden there."

Another man stepped forward. "There's also a signature,DNA-encoded. Matches… her."

Elias's grin widened. "Well, well. Looks like the little mouse was more important than I thought."

He raised his glass toward the screen.

"Get ready. Because very soon… Aveline comes home."