"Don't test me, Ava," he said, each word falling like shards of glass at her feet.
Her throat worked as she swallowed, forcing herself to look up at him. Her mind raced for a plan , a door, a distraction, anything. But the room seemed to shrink, its walls bending inward. Every glance from the boys felt like a blade against her skin, every whispered word a chain tightening.
And in that moment, a cold, horrifying clarity swept over her: she had no idea what she had been dragged into. And worse , she had no idea how to get out.
"Don't you dare play with me, babe."
Leo's voice dropped, low and dangerous, silk stretched over steel. The words weren't just a warning, they were a promise. "Or I'll make your whole world hell."
His tone slithered under Ava's skin like ice, freezing her blood midstream. Her breath hitched. Her knees threatened to buckle, but she forced herself to stay upright, even as panic clawed at her chest.
"I… I'm telling the truth," she whispered, her voice breaking, fragile as glass. Then the dam shattered completely. Sobs tore from her chest, raw, uncontrolled, shaking her to the bone.
"Hey! Stop crying," John said softly, a rare note of warmth slicing through the sharp edges of the room. His voice was gentle, grounding, an anchor in the storm of her fear.
"Why don't you believe me?" Ava choked out, clutching her wrists as though the memory of his hands on her skin still burned like fire. She rubbed her head where Leo smacked while crying louder than before.
"I believe you, Ava," John said, crouching slightly to meet her gaze. His hand hovered near her back, then brushed it lightly, tentative yet steady. "Luke believes you too, right?"
"H‑huh? Y‑yes, I believe you," Luke stammered, nodding so stiffly it seemed almost like armor, his awkwardness both reassurance and shield. He looked at Jack and asked in a low voice, " Why does he always drag me in such situations?" Jack chuckled and Ava heard him too since Luke was standing behind her.
The two of them, in their quiet, fractured way, had the tenderness of older brothers calming a child who had just woken from a nightmare. Ava couldn't stop the tears, but a faint, shaky chuckle slipped past her lips at Luke's nervous tone.
Her relief was brief. Leo's eyes were still locked on her, dark and assessing, like a predator sizing up its prey. There was no warmth in that gaze, only calculation, cold and lethal. Every flicker of her heartbeat seemed audible to him, every quiver measured.
Before he could speak again, a new voice cut through the tension like a knife.
"What are you doing------Ava?!!"
Her head snapped toward the sound.
"Jessica?" she gasped, disbelief and relief colliding. Without thinking, she scrambled to her feet and leapt into her friend's arms, burying her face in Jessica's shoulder. The sobs that had been tight and contained now broke fully, released into a single, shaking confession of fear.
Jessica's palm moved slowly in tight, reassuring circles over her back. "Why are you here?" she murmured, her voice low, almost hypnotic in its calmness. Then her gaze swept over the men surrounding them, sharp and unflinching. Anger sparked like a blade across her expression. "Why did you bring her here?"
"Do you know her?" Leo asked, his voice taut, a mix of suspicion and confusion threading through the danger.
"Yes." Jessica's answer was firm, almost defiant. She stepped slightly forward, protective, letting her presence make itself known. Then she began to explain, her words precise, deliberate, how she had met Ava at the café, how their paths had intertwined, who Ava really was. Each sentence unraveled the assumptions that had been hanging over the room, dismantling them piece by piece.
Leo's jaw tightened imperceptibly. He studied Jessica like she might be hiding a knife behind her back, his mind racing, calculating next moves. Ava, still clinging to her friend, felt a flicker of hope ignite in the pit of her stomach. For the first time since she'd been dragged into this chaos, she realized she might not be alone in this room of predators.
For the first time since Ava had been dragged into this nightmare, the room's energy shifted. The stares that had been sharp and predatory softened, replaced by a flicker of uncertainty. The air still hung heavy with tension, but now it was edged with confusion rather than raw threat.
"Then why bring her here if she's not Jennie?" Leo demanded, his glare slicing across Jack like a knife. His voice was low, sharp, and charged with warning.
Jack hesitated, his eyes flicking toward Ava, guilt and frustration battling in his expression. "She… she was holding that purple bag. I was told Jennie would be carrying a purple bag," he admitted, his voice tight, defensive.
"Someone asked me to hold it for a few minutes," Ava said, steadying her breath, forcing herself to meet Jack's gaze. Her voice was low but firm, carrying a strength that surprised even her.
Leo's patience snapped like a rope under pressure. "So any girl holding a purple bag automatically becomes Jennie?" His tone was a whip crack, sharp enough to make the air itself flinch.
"But John told me she was Jennie!" Jack burst out, his composure fraying, revealing a younger, panicked side beneath the tough exterior. He pointed his finger on Jhon making him startled receiving all the attention.
"I--....I only relayed David's message," John said, narrowing his eyes. "I thought the picture had already been sent." There was no heat in his voice, only clipped, controlled irritation. He shifted the blame on David who looked like someone woke him up.
"Why wasn't it sent?" Leo's gaze swung toward David, each word heavy with accusation.
"I… was sleeping. I forgot to download it, I thought, Jessica sent it to everyone." David replied flatly, expressionless. His voice sounded almost indifferent, yet the admission hung in the air like smoke, suffocating and undeniable.
Leo exhaled sharply, the sound cutting through the thick silence like a blade. Disbelief etched every line of his face. The room stilled, waiting, heavy with the tension of unspoken consequences. Ava's heart hammered against her ribs, each beat frantic, echoing in her ears like a trapped bird fluttering wildly.
"Sorry, Ava. It's all my fault," Jack said finally, his voice quieter now, almost intimate. His eyes locked with hers, dark and sharp, a dangerous kind of handsome that made her pulse stutter.
"It's okay. It's not only your fault," she murmured, trying to sound stronger than she felt. Her hands gripped the edges of the couch, grounding herself. "Can I… go now?"
Leo shifted. Just a single step, but it felt like the world had compressed, his presence looming over her like a storm cloud ready to strike. Panic surged through her veins. No. Don't hit me again… please. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the strike she was sure was coming.
Instead, his breath ghosted past her ear as he leaned in, warm and deliberate, every movement laced with menace. His words were a whisper, smooth and venomous,
"What's the hurry sweetheart. I can't let you go anymore. You're going to live… with me now."
A shiver raced down her spine, curling like frost along her nerves. The smirk that lingered on his lips was dark and dangerous, a promise wrapped in threat, something she didn't yet dare to unravel.
What does he mean by "me"? Her mind reeled, fear and confusion twisting together. Every rule she had understood about her world, her life, had just shifted. And she was standing in the middle of a game she didn't know how to play, facing a player she couldn't predict.
Her pulse thrummed with terror, but beneath it, a spark of defiance flared. I may not know the rules yet… but I will find a way.
To be continued