The night was unusually quiet in the willowmere estate . The kind of quiet that felt wrong too still, too heavy. The air hung thick, pressing against the big windows of the huge white manor where Lila always stayed with her mother anytime her father goes on a business trip.
Her room, which is on the second floor, glowed faintly from a single lamp on her nightstand. The curtains swayed gently with the midnight breeze that crept through the open window. She had fallen asleep with her earphones still in, a half-finished assignment from school.
It was 12:47 a.m.
Outside, a black SUV rolled slowly to a stop in front of the house, its engine humming quietly before fading to silence. Two men stepped out, both dressed in dark clothes, their faces hidden beneath masks. One of them glanced up at Lila's window, nodding once before they moved toward the back entrance.
Inside, the house remained perfectly quiet. Lila's mother was asleep downstairs, her bedroom door closed, the television still flickering dimly from an unfinished movie.
Lila's room, unlike the others, was soundproof her father had renovated it years ago so she could play her piano and music without disturbing anyone. It had always been her little sanctuary… until tonight.
The faint crunch of footsteps outside her window went unheard.
Then the glass shattered.
The sound was thunderous inside the room, but to the rest of the house, it was nothing. No echo, no trace. Just silence.
Lila jerked awake, her heart slamming in panic. "W–what's happening?" she gasped, scrambling up from her bed. Shards of glass rained across the floor, catching the moonlight like a thousand silver needles. Two masked men climbed through the broken frame, their movements swift and practiced.
"Stay back!" she screamed, though her voice trembled. But they didn't stop.
The taller one lunged, grabbing her wrist before she could reach her phone.
"Let me go!" she cried, kicking and twisting, but the man's grip only tightened.
The second intruder shut the curtains, plunging the room into partial darkness. The air smelled faintly of cold metal and dust. Lila's breath came fast and uneven. She reached for the lamp on her nightstand, but it was snatched from her hand and thrown to the floor, bursting in a flash of sparks.
One of the men pulled a black cloth from his jacket. "Don't scream," he warned, his tone cold and controlled.
Her voice broke as tears welled in her eyes. "Please… why are you doing this?"
He didn't answer. Within seconds, the cloth was over her head, her arms pinned, and her cries muffled against a gloved hand. Her feet stumbled over the shards as they dragged her toward the window.
Downstairs, her mother shifted in her sleep unaware of the chaos just a floor above her. The soundproof walls swallowed every noise, every plea, every crash.
When the men vanished through the window, carrying her into the dark, the only things left behind were broken glass, the soft rustle of curtains, and the faint glow of Lila's fallen phone.
The next morning, Lila's mother carried a small tray of breakfast, heading up to Lila's room while humming softly to herself.
Lila," she called, knocking gently on her daughter's door. "Wake up, sweetheart. You'll be late for school."
Silence.
She tried again, smiling faintly. "Come on, honey, breakfast is getting cold."
Still no answer.
Frowning, she turned the doorknob. It wasn't locked. As soon as she pushed the door open, the smile on her face vanished.
The sight before her made her heart skip. The next second, the tray she held slipped from her trembling hands, crashing to the floor.
For a moment, she couldn't even breathe. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she took in the chaos of the room the broken window, the shattered glass glinting under the morning light, and Lila's empty bed.
Downstairs, the servants heard the noise and came rushing up the stairs.
"Madam! Madam, what happened?" one of them shouted, but she couldn't speak. Her voice was gone, stolen by fear.
Her hands shook as she slowly stepped forward, her eyes darting across the mess. "Lila?" she whispered weakly. "Lila, where are you?"
The wind blew the curtains aside, and that was when she noticed the trail of glass leading toward the window. The air was cold and still, and the reality hit her like a knife to the chest.
The servants stopped at the doorway, their eyes wide. One of them gasped. "Oh my God…"
Lila's mom turned toward them, tears welling in her eyes. "She's gone…" she whispered, her voice breaking. "Someone took my daughter."
That morning the entire house was in chaos.
Servants whispered in fear, guards searched the compound, and Mrs. James sat on the edge of the bed, trembling as tears streamed down her face. The police had already been called, but time felt like it was standing still.
The front doors burst open minutes later Mr. James had just arrived. His tie was loose, his face pale, and his breathing uneven. He had rushed home the moment he got the call.
"Where's Lila?!" he shouted as he climbed the stairs two steps at a time. "Where is my daughter?"
One of the guards tried to steady him. "Sir, please"
"Don't tell me to calm down!" His voice cracked, full of fury and fear. "Where is she?"
When he reached Lila's room, his steps faltered. The sight froze him completely the broken window, the shattered lamp, the trail of glass glinting across the floor. His wife sat on the bed, holding Lila's pillow to her chest, her eyes red and swollen.
"James…" her voice was barely a whisper. "She's gone. Someone took her."
He stood there for a moment, trying to process her words. "What do you mean she's gone?" he asked, though his voice already trembled.
Instantly his wife broke down in tears again,
sobbing uncontrollably. "I went to wake her for breakfast, and the room was like this… I didn't hear anything last night. God, I didn't hear anything…"
Mr. James ran a hand over his face, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "Where were the guards?!" he barked, turning to the servants gathered at the door. "How could no one see or hear anything?"
"Sir," one of them stammered, "the security cameras they were disabled sometime around midnight."
"What?" His voice hardened, his jaw tightening.
The police officers stepped in then, one of them taking notes while the other examined the window frame. "There's no sign of forced entry from downstairs," one of them said. "They must've come from outside probably knew the layout of the house."
Mrs. James shook her head in disbelief. "Why her? Who would do this?"
Mr. James turned toward the shattered glass again, his expression dark and unreadable. "Whoever did this," he said quietly, "I'll find them. I don't care how long it takes I'll find them."
The room fell silent, except for the faint hum of the wind slipping through the broken window.
After a while, Mrs. James decided to call Azalea,
Then, with shaky fingers, she opened her own phone and dialed Azalea's number.
It rang twice before the line connected.
"Hello?" Azalea's voice came through, soft and confused. "Mrs. James?"
Mrs. James swallowed hard, her throat tightening. "Azalea… dear, have you seen or heard from Lila?"
There was a pause on the other end. "No… not since yesterday evening. We texted for a while, but she didn't reply later. Why? Is everything okay?"
Mrs. James's voice broke as tears welled in her eyes again. "She's gone, Azalea. Someone took her last night."
Azalea froze. "What?"
"She was in her room," Mrs. James said, her words coming out between gasps. "I went to wake her this morning and her window was broken. The police are here… they said it looked planned."
Azalea covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my God…" Her heart pounded in her chest. "This can't be real…"
Mrs. James tried to steady her voice. "If she ever calls you… or if you hear anything strange, please, let us know immediately."
"I will," Azalea whispered, still in disbelief. "I promise, Mrs. James."
The call ended, leaving both sides in heavy silence.
Meanwhile, back at Westbrook, the news about Lila's kidnapping and Me leaving for New York after my exams spread faster than wildfire.
The moment my driver pulled into the school parking lot, I could already feel there eyes on me. As I stepped out of the car, I wore the same calm expression I always did the one that hid everything I didn't want the world to see.
Still, I could feel their stares burning into me. The whispers followed me down the walkway, soft and sharp all at once. Everyone seemed to know. Everyone had something to say.
But I didn't flinch. I didn't look back.
No matter what they thought or said, I wasn't going to let my guard down not now, not ever.
However, At Nolan's office downtown, tension hung thick in the air. Emily stood by the window, holding a stack of files.
"The company in Los Angeles is falling apart," she said. "They're desperate for a merger. But Sir…."
"I know," he interrupted, signing a document without looking up.
"We still don't know who's really behind this deal," Emily pressed. "Everything about it feels… off."
Nolan finally looked up, his expression grim. "If that company goes under, we lose half our distribution. I don't have time to wait for names."
He signed the final page and leaned back in his chair, his jaw tightening. "Sometimes doing the wrong thing for the right reason is the only way to survive."
Emily hesitated, then nodded. "I just hope this decision doesn't cost more than you're willing to pay."
Meanwhile somewhere else down town in the Velmont estate, Aiden sat in his room, the dim light from his lamp casting a soft glow across the space. He had just come out of the shower, still toweling his hair when his phone began to ring. The caller ID flashed across the screen Kent.
Aiden frowned slightly. Kent rarely called unless it was serious.
He answered, his tone calm. "Yeah, Kent?"
There was a short pause on the other end before Kent's voice came through, a little hesitant.
"Boss… just thought you should know. Word is, Azalea's friend Lila was being kidnapped this morning and I think Azalea's Parents are moving to New York immediately after her exams."
Aiden went quiet. The air in the room felt heavier all of a sudden. He dropped the towel onto the chair beside him and sank down onto the edge of his bed, processing what he'd just heard.
"New York?" he repeated quietly.
Kent hesitated again, then asked carefully,
"You want me to do something about it?"
Aiden's jaw tightened. For a moment, he didn't answer then his voice came low and steady.
"No. Leave it. I'll handle it."
There was a pause, then Kent muttered an obedient, "Alright, boss," before the line went dead.
Aiden sat there for a while, staring at nothing in particular. His mind was racing, but his expression stayed unreadable. Still, deep down, something in him stirred a mix of disbelief and something heavier that he couldn't name.
Aiden leaned back, letting the phone slip from his hand. He stared at the ceiling, his thoughts spiraling in a way he didn't like. He wasn't supposed to feel this way not for her. Not for the daughter of the man who killed his father.
Yet, no matter how hard he tried to shut it out, that feeling lingered sharp, stubborn, and undeniably real.