UNTANGLED OBSESSION

Chapter 56

Zayn perspective

"Yes, we can provide you with the drugs you want, but I need a legal contract. And if you even dare to break it, I will not have mercy on you," I said, my tone cold and unwavering as I stared at the man in front of me. This was business as usual, but my mind was elsewhere. I needed to wrap this up quickly and get back to Vanessa.  As I continued dealing with him, the ballroom was suddenly plunged into darkness. The lights shut off without warning, leaving everyone in a state of confusion. What the fuck just happened? I heard the murmurs of the crowd, but the only thought racing through my mind was Vanessa.

Shit!!! I quickly reached inside my tuxedo and pulled out my gun. The weight of the cold metal in my hand grounded me for a split second. "Chris, turn on your phone light!" I barked, not wasting another second. As Chris fumbled with his phone, I shouted into the void, "Vanessa!!!" But there was no response. Fuck! My heart pounded in my chest, the silence eating away at my sanity. "Vanessa, where the hell are you? Come out. Don’t make me torture you!" I shouted again, my voice laced with a mixture of panic and anger. But still, nothing. The ballroom felt like a maze, shadows dancing in every corner as people moved around in confusion. My breath came in short, sharp bursts as I scanned the area, trying to find any trace of her. Where the hell could she be? I was about to lose it when suddenly the lights flickered back on.

I looked around frantically, scanning the crowd for any sign of her, but Vanessa was nowhere to be seen. It was as if she had just vanished into thin air. A sick feeling settled in my gut as I quickly pulled out my phone, my hands shaking slightly. I opened the tracker app, but to my horror, it wasn’t working. The screen showed nothing but a blank space where her location should’ve been. Fuck!!!  I slammed my fist into the nearest wall, the pain shooting up my arm, barely registering through the adrenaline. "Dude, calm down, everyone is watching," Chris tried to reason with me, but I didn’t give a shit about the eyes on us. All I cared about was finding Vanessa. I grabbed Chris by the collar, pulling him close. "Find where she just ran, check all the security cameras!" I yelled, my voice echoing in the now silent room.

Chris looked at me, his expression serious. "There will be nothing on the CCTV footage because you know the lights went out. And you're forgetting that the doctor told you the tracker only works if the person is in a stable condition. If she’s dead or unconscious, the tracker will stop working until she becomes stable again." Fuck! Shit!!! I released Chris and took a step back, trying to think. If she’s unconscious, that means someone dared to mess with my things.

Whoever it was, they would pay for this. I would make sure of it. "Get the cars and arrange the meeting," I ordered, my voice cold and deadly. "We’re going to find her, and when we do, whoever took her will wish they were never born." With that, I stormed out of the ballroom, my mind focused on one thing: getting Vanessa back, no matter the cost.

Vanessa perspective

As I slowly came to, a sharp pain shot through my head, making it hard to focus on anything but the throbbing ache. I tried to move, but my wrists and ankles were tightly bound with rough ropes, holding me fast to a cold, metal chair. Panic surged through me as memories of the previous night flooded back. I had been kidnapped. I had foolishly believed that the anonymous man would set me free, but instead, I was here, tied up like an animal. The room was dark and cold, with a thick, nauseating scent of blood hanging in the air. Dust covered every surface, and I could barely make out the old, rusty chains hanging from the walls. The floor beneath me was grimy, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed in the distance. My heart pounded in my chest as the reality of my situation sank in. “Is somebody here? Please, help me!” I screamed, hoping against hope that someone would hear me and come to my rescue. But my pleas were met with silence, save for a muffled voice from the other side of the door. “Shut up. The boss will be here soon. Keep your fucking mouth shut,” a guard barked back.