Black Magic

Chapter 42: Held Captive

Eleanor and Aiden were in the bedroom, their attention focused on little Alice as they tenderly cared for her.

The room was filled with a warm, comforting atmosphere as they played and giggled together.

But suddenly, their peaceful moment shattered as they heard a loud commotion coming from downstairs.

Their hearts skipped a beat, and a surge of panic coursed through their veins.

Instinctively, they exchanged worried glances, their parental instincts kicking into high gear.

They knew they had to investigate the source of the disturbance.

Leaving Alice in the safe confines of her crib, Eleanor and Aiden hurriedly made their way downstairs, their footsteps echoing in the tense silence.

As they reached the bottom of the staircase, a scene unfolded before their eyes that left them speechless.

There, in the midst of the chaos, stood Thomas.

His appearance was disheveled, his clothes torn, and his face etched with fear and exhaustion.

Their eyes widened with shock and concern as they took in Thomas' desperate state, his messy bangs almost covering his eyes.

Rushing towards him, Eleanor reached out, her voice filled with worry. "Thomas, what happened? Are you okay?"

Her hands gently touched his, a silent reassurance that they were there for him.

Breathless and trembling, Thomas managed to find his voice. "PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO HELP ASTRID. SHE'S BEING HELD CAPTIVE BY HER FATHER. SHE NEEDS TO ESCAPE."

Aiden's brows furrowed in confusion as he tried to make sense of the situation. "Why would her own father do such a thing? What's going on?"

Thomas took a deep breath, his voice quivering with urgency. "HER FATHER... HE'S BECOME CONSUMED BY POWER AND CONTROL. HE'S KEEPING HER AGAINST HER WILL, MANIPULATING HER LIFE. ASTRID IS IN DANGER, AND SHE NEEDS OUR HELP."

But to his dismay, Eleanor's expression twisted into a smirk that sent shivers down his spine. "Astrid might be the one at fault? How intriguing," she said, her tone laced with a hint of malice.

Aiden, torn between his concern for Astrid and his confusion about the situation, watched the exchange with growing unease.

He couldn't fathom why Eleanor would respond with such callousness.

Feeling trapped and with a deep sense of duty to General Matt, Thomas knew he had to act quickly.

He remembered a critical task entrusted to him by the General, one that required his immediate attention.

With a sudden surge of determination, he made a split-second decision.

Thomas broke away from the tense atmosphere, his heart pounding in his chest.

He sprinted towards General Matt's mansion, his mind racing with thoughts of the lies he would need to weave to protect Astrid and himself.

As he arrived at the mansion, Thomas tried to compose himself, desperately pretending that everything was normal.

He approached General Matt, who wore a stern expression, clearly displeased with Thomas's sudden appearance.

"THOMAS, WHERE HAVE YOU COME FROM?" General Matt scolded, his voice filled with authority and suspicion.

Thomas fought to control his trembling body and the fear that threatened to consume him.

He forced himself to adopt a calm demeanor, his mind racing to craft a convincing lie. "Sir, I was just cleaning the garden, attending to my duties."

Thomas fear deepened as he considered the possibility that the guards might have revealed the truth to General Matt.

His voice trembled as he mustered the courage to ask the question that gnawed at his heart. "Sir, where is Astrid?"

General Matt's eyes blazed with anger, his voice laced with frustration. "Astrid ran away from the honeymoon, Thomas! She betrayed us all." His words struck like an arrow through Thomas' chest, leaving him  speechless.

In the midst of the tense atmosphere, General Matt's anger reached its peak. "Thomas, go to your room and mind your own business," he demanded, his tone brooking no opposition.

Thomas, his mind buzzing with thoughts and plans, nodded obediently and slowly walked away.

But behind the facade of compliance, his mind was working overtime, plotting a way to uncover the truth and save Astrid from her presumed captivity.