Aera's POV:-

The first thing Aera felt was the burning in her wrists. Then the pounding in her head, sharp and merciless. Her lashes fluttered open, only to be met with darkness and a thin beam of flickering light seeping from an overhead bulb. Her breath hitched as her eyes adjusted to the dim room.

Her hands were tied behind a metal chair. Her legs were bound too—rough ropes digging into her skin. The air smelled of rust, smoke, and something foul she couldn't name. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming. That she was back in that old nightmare where no one came when she screamed.

But then the ache in her ribs reminded her it was real.

A low, raspy chuckle echoed somewhere behind her.

"So, the princess finally wakes up."

Her heart froze.

Aera turned her head toward the voice. A man stepped out of the shadows—tall, broad, his face half-hidden behind the brim of his cap. The glint of a silver chain around his neck caught the light. He wasn't familiar, but the look in his eyes was—the kind that stripped away your hope before your breath.

Her voice trembled. "Who are you? Where am I?"

He didn't answer. He simply crouched down, bringing his face close enough for her to smell the smoke on his breath. "You must be worth a lot to him. The infamous Rayden Cavanaugh's wife... the one everyone talks about."

Her stomach twisted.

Rayden.

Was this because of him?

The man smirked, leaning back. "You know, sweetheart, your husband made a lot of enemies. But lucky me—he made me rich the moment he married you."

He stood up, snapping his fingers. Two other men appeared from behind, their faces hidden under black scarves. Aera's pulse raced so fast it hurt.

"Please," she whispered, tears threatening to spill. "I don't know what you want—"

"Oh, I don't need you to know. I just need him to care."

Her blood turned cold.

One of the men shoved a camera in front of her face. The red light blinked. Aera struggled against the ropes, her wrists screaming in pain, but it only made them laugh.

She felt tears slide down her cheeks. She tried not to break, not to show fear, but every second that passed made her heart shatter a little more.

"Smile for him," the man said. "He's going to see how fragile his precious wife really is."

And then—darkness again.

The bulb above her flickered out.

Aera's sobs echoed in the silence as the faint sound of the camera beeped off somewhere in the distance. The ropes bit deeper into her wrists as she whispered, over and over, Rayden... please find me.

Rayden's POV:-

Rayden's phone buzzed violently on the marble counter of the Hall. He ignored it at first, pouring himself another drink, the ice cracking in the glass like the sound of his own temper. He'd been busy with his business partners, his mind spinning between deals and crushing everyone's ego.

Until the message came.

Unknown Number: "You look better when you lose."

Attachment: 1 video.

Rayden frowned, clicked it—and the world stopped moving.

Rayden's mind was filled with anger, his anger was rushing through his viens.

On the screen, Aera.

Tied.

Crying.

Begging.

His jaw locked. The veins in his neck throbbed. His hand tightened around the phone so hard it cracked. The sound that left him wasn't human—it was low, dangerous, guttural.

Another message popped up.

Unknown Number: "Your precious toy is with me. Come alone. You know where."

Rayden's chest rose and fell like a storm. He didn't even blink as he reached for his gun and called his men.

Within seconds, he was out of the place . His car screeched into the night, tires burning against the wet asphalt. Rain had started pouring, each drop hitting the windshield like shards of glass. He didn't care. He didn't think. His mind was a fire, and the only thing fueling it was rage.

The GPS led him to the old industrial district—a place he knew too well. He'd burned it down once before to bury his past. Now it was haunting him again.

As the car came to a halt, his men were already there, waiting in the shadows. "Find her," he ordered. His voice was so cold it could've frozen steel. "Anyone who gets in the way—erase them."

They nodded without a word.

Rayden walked into the warehouse, the metallic scent of fear already in the air. The faint hum of a generator filled the silence. His boots echoed against the floor.

A scream cut through the air.

Aera's voice.

His pulse spiked.

He kicked open the door.

The scene unfolded in a blur—the men, the ropes, the fear. The sight of Aera's trembling body tied to that chair ripped something inside him apart. He didn't think. He didn't speak. He just moved.

The next few minutes were chaos—shouts, crashes, the sound of fists meeting flesh. His men held nothing back.

And when it was over, silence returned.

Aera's breath came in short gasps. She was still bound, her eyes wide, terrified, confused.

Rayden approached slowly, his shirt half-soaked in rain and blood. His hands shook as he knelt in front of her and loosened the ropes.

She flinched.

"It's me," he said, voice softer than it had been in weeks. "You're safe now."

The ropes fell. Her body collapsed forward, straight into his chest. She didn't speak. Didn't question. She just cried. Her hands clutched at his shirt like it was the only thing keeping her alive.

Rayden held her tighter. The scent of her hair, the trembling of her body—it broke something unbreakable inside him.

For the first time in his life, he felt fear. Not for his empire. Not for his name. But for her.

Aera whispered, her voice barely there. "Why... why did this happen?"

Rayden closed his eyes. "Because of me."

And in that one confession, the walls he'd built for years started to crack.

He looked down at her face—pale, bruised, and heartbreakingly beautiful—and for a moment, he didn't care about contracts, rules, or power. He just cared that she was breathing.

Aera's tears soaked his chest as she whispered, "I thought you'd never come."

Rayden's throat burned. His hand moved to the back of her head, pulling her closer. "I always come for what's mine."

_________

Hours later, the warehouse was empty. The men who had taken her were gone—one way or another. The rain had stopped. Only the sound of Aera's soft breathing filled the space.

Rayden stood by the car, staring at her through the window as she rested her head against the seat, asleep from exhaustion. Her makeup had smeared, her hair a mess, yet he'd never seen her look more fragile... or more human.

He felt something thinking about her getting. But he knew this much—he couldn't lose her. Not now. Not ever.

He closed the car door gently, slid into the driver's seat, and drove away into the dawn, the city lights flickering against his cold expression.

Inside, a storm was still raging.

And this time, it wasn't one he could bury with power or pride.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞:

I warned you things were going to get darker 😭 But maybe this is the turning point their story needed.

Thank you all of you guys for supporting my book and giving my book a chance, we are really close to hitting 1k , for me this is a lot. I never thought I would get these many reads on my books nor did I think anyone would read this, I am grateful for all ur support.

— Puffy ♡

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