𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝒶 𝙼𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝

𝓣𝔀𝓮𝓷𝓽𝔂 - 𝓕𝓲𝓿𝓮

⭒°ˑ˚。﹒∙♡☼⭒°ˑ˚。﹒∙

Pain radiated from my neck, sharp and unrelenting. My consciousness flickered in and out like a faulty lightbulb, each moment of clarity worse than the last. When I finally opened my eyes fully, my breath came in shallow gasps. The room spun for a moment before settling, and I forced myself to sit up, my fingers brushing against the cold, tiled floor.

The source of my pain throbbed angrily at the side of my neck. Slowly, I reached up and felt it—a needle still lodged deep in my skin. My stomach churned at the thought of what it had been filled with, but I pushed the fear aside. With a grimace, I yanked it out, tossing it across the room. Blood beaded on the puncture wound, but I barely noticed.

The fog in my mind cleared as memories rushed back.

Rosaline.

Her voice screamed through my head, vivid and raw. I remembered the terror in her eyes, the way her voice cracked as she called my name. The image of those bastards dragging her out of the house clawed at my sanity, and I staggered to my feet, my pulse racing like a war drum.

I fumbled for my phone, every second stretching into an eternity. Eight hours. I had been out for eight hours. A bitter curse slipped from my lips as I bolted for the door.

In the garage, I jumped into my car, the keys trembling in my hand as I started the engine. Every second felt like a lifetime. My hands clenched the steering wheel as the phone pressed to my ear finally connected to Marco, my most trusted man.

"Boss?" Marco answered immediately, his voice sharp.

"They took Rosaline," I barked. "Find her. Track her ring and get every available man on this. I want Dante and Matteo with me. Any staff left at the house—take them to the warehouse. I don't care how loyal they seemed; someone knows something."

"Yes, boss," Marco said. "We'll handle it."

I ended the call, forcing my foot harder on the gas pedal as my car screeched out of the driveway. Every muscle in my body tightened with rage. I couldn't afford to think of what they might be doing to her, but my mind betrayed me with flashes of scenarios so horrific they made my stomach churn.