Ariella Garcia is an 18-year-old girl who dreams of leaving her current situation behind and starting a new life. She's fiercely independent, and her love for nature and animals is unparalleled. She's always surrounded by people who care about her...
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Three days have passed since they took her, and still, there's been no sign of Ariella. Every search has turned up empty.
We've scoured every empty warehouse, every suspicious location in the neighborhood, but there's been no trace of her. It feels like we're chasing shadows.
I can't sit still. Pacing around the room, I feel like I'm wasting precious time. There's so much more I could be doing, but nothing seems to work.
They've contacted us, teasing about the possibility of returning Ariella, but their demands are cryptic, and they hang up before we can even track their phones.
It's like some sick game to them.
The door opens, and Lucas enters, carrying a bag of food. He sets it down on the table among the other untouched bags of food. "You should eat something," he says, attempting to organize the scattered papers.
I join him, helping to tidy up all the things I threw around.
"How's your dad holding up?" I ask. It must be agonizing for him.
"He's holding on," Lucas replies. "He's asked some of his friends to search for her."
Dion bursts in, interrupting our conversation. "We've received a package," he announces.
Dion hands me the package, and Nic and Hazel join us in the room. With a deep breath, I open it, revealing a CD. Placing it into the computer, a video begins to play, and my heart sinks as I see Ariella, half-naked and covered in blood.
"Isn't that Ariella's...?" Dion starts, but his words trail off.
Jack drags Ariella by the hair to a large bucket of water. My jaw tightens as he shoves her head beneath the surface. I can hear her struggling, fighting for breath, and it's unbearable to watch. I close my eyes, unable to bear the sight any longer.
I try to stop the video but that doesn't work. I even remove the CD but it doesn't stop the playback. The horrifying scenes continue to unfold as Jack and his men keep torturing her as she screams.
"Fucking hell," I curse, seizing the computer and hurling it against the wall. The impact shatters the screen, but it's not enough. I begin to stomp on it with my foot, fueled by rage and despair.
Lucas grabs hold of me, pulling me back. "Get a grip," he pleads, tears filling his eyes.
"It's my fault," I insist, pointing to my chest. "I should've protected her."
"It's not your fault," he insists, gripping my shoulders firmly.
"You don't understand," I retort.
"She's my fucking sister," he shouts back, his voice cracking with emotion. "I'm going to get her out of there, no matter what."
