Tangled Shadows [COMPLETE]

chapter 16.

Eliana's pov-

The air was thick with tension as Kian’s voice carried through the dimly lit warehouse. I stood nearby, leaning against a cold steel column, trying to keep my breaths steady. My heart ached, still raw with the pain of everything I had confessed to him. The betrayal. My mother’s death. Sissy being sold by the very man who should have protected us. My father’s actions played like a nightmare on repeat in my mind.

Kian was a force of nature, his tone laced with a blend of urgency and command. He paced back and forth, his eyes, dark and determined, sweeping across the gathered men. They all listened, hanging onto every word, knowing the gravity of what he was asking them to do.

"Block every route, every alley, every exit. No one gets in or out without me knowing," Kian barked, his voice sharp like a blade cutting through the air. "I don’t care how far you have to go, find her. I want Eliana’s sister back safe, no matter what it takes. Is that clear?"

A chorus of agreements echoed back, the men nodding and preparing to disperse into the night. I could see the shift in their expressions fear, respect, and a deep-seated loyalty toward him.

As they moved out, he turned to face me, the intensity in his eyes softening just a fraction when they met mine. I took a shaky breath and stepped closer to him, feeling the weight of what I had shared still pressing on my chest.

"Please, Kian," I whispered, my voice cracking with the strain of keeping it all together. "You have to bring her back. Sissy. she didn’t deserve any of this. She’s... she’s just a child." Tears stung my eyes, but I fought them back, forcing myself to hold his gaze.

His jaw clenched, and I could see the conflict flashing across his face. Kian was used to being strong, unbreakable, but this was different. This was personal for him, because it was personal for me.

"I’ll get her back, Eliana," he said, the words coming out rough, but steady. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from my face, his touch gentle despite the storm raging inside him. "I promise you, I won’t let him win. Not this time."

I nodded, letting the reassurance wash over me, even if only for a moment. He turned away from me again, giving orders to the last few men who lingered behind, his voice firm and unyielding. But I could see the fire in his eyes a fire that burned with a promise, a determination that he would move heaven and earth to make sure Sissy was safe.

As I watched him, I felt a flicker of hope in the darkness, fragile but real. Kian was my last chance, my only hope. And I knew, deep down, that he would fight for Sissy with everything he had just like he would for me.

Kian’s men scattered into the night, their silhouettes vanishing into the shadows like ghosts, and soon it was just the two of us left in the empty warehouse. The quiet that settled around us felt almost suffocating. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to hold myself together, even as the ache inside me felt too big to contain.

Kian turned back to me, his expression softening, but there was still a sharp edge to his features. He looked like a man ready to wage war for what he believed in, and I had never been more grateful for the fierce determination I saw in him. He stepped closer, his presence both steadying and overwhelming.

“Eliana,” he said, his voice low, as if he was afraid that speaking too loud might shatter what little strength I had left. “I need you to trust me on this. I know you’ve lost so much... but I won’t let you lose her too.”

I met his gaze, feeling the weight of his words settle in my chest. I wanted to believe him, needed to believe him but the fear clawed at me, whispering that it might already be too late. Sissy’s face flashed in my mind, her innocent smile, her bright eyes that had always looked at the world with hope, even when everything else around us was falling apart.

I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. “You don’t understand, Kian. My father, he’s ruthless. He’ll do anything to keep control, to get what he wants. He sold her like she was... like she was nothing.” My voice broke, and I pressed a hand to my mouth, trying to keep the sob from escaping. “I’m terrified that I’ll never see her again, in that video.. she was... she was being raped.”

Kian’s expression hardened, his jaw clenching as he reached out and pulled me into his arms. I buried my face in his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of him smoke, leather, and something uniquely Kian. For a moment, I let myself fall apart in his embrace, feeling his strong arms around me like a promise that he wouldn’t let me face this alone.

“I know what kind of man your father is, Eliana,” he murmured against my hair, his voice a low growl that sent shivers down my spine. “But he made a mistake when he thought he could hurt you and get away with it. I’ll find Sissy, and I’ll make sure he pays for everything he’s done. He’ll regret the day he crossed you.”

I pulled back slightly, looking up at him through the blur of my tears. There was something fierce and unyielding in his expression, a raw determination that made my heart clench with a mixture of hope and fear. I reached up, cupping his face in my hands, feeling the tension in his jaw beneath my touch.

“Just... bring her back, Kian,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I don’t care what happens to me or to him. Just bring my sister back.”

His gaze softened, and he leaned in, pressing his forehead against mine. His breath was warm on my skin, grounding me in a way that nothing else could. “I’ll bring her back, Eliana. I swear it. I won’t rest until she’s safe, with you and me.”

For a moment, we stayed like that, wrapped in each other’s presence, drawing strength from the closeness. Then, he gently pulled away, brushing his thumb across my cheek to wipe away the last of my tears.

He turned and walked towards the door, every movement purposeful, like a man on a mission. But just before he reached the threshold, he paused, glancing back at me one last time. His expression softened as he met my eyes, and in that moment, I saw a glimpse of the Kian who had once made me feel safe in a world that had never offered me security.

“Stay here, Eliana. I’ll be back with your sister. And when I do, we’ll make sure your father can never hurt either of you again.”

And then he was gone, disappearing into the night with a finality that left me standing alone in the empty space, the sound of my own breathing echoing in the silence. But for the first time in what felt like forever, I held onto a fragile thread of hope because if anyone could bring Sissy back, it was Kian.....