Breathing heavily and terrified, Elena could barely comprehend what was happening. Still on the ground, she attempted to get up, but she was firmly held by the throat.
"Sponsored exclusively by Stuart Álvarez, aren't you?" the man with honey-colored hair asked sarcastically."You've gone quite far, we have to admit," Valentina commented. "But your sources, good as they may be, aren't exactly perfect."Elena heard the door closing with a faint thud. The lights came on.It wasn't a common room. It wasn't even an office. Instead of conventional light bulbs, the entire room was illuminated by a dim purple light. Instead of chairs and desks, there was a massive bed right in the center. On the walls, there was some sort of rack with what appeared to be chains.The journalist didn't have time to ask questions or even understand where she was."Get this wretch on her feet, Evan," the dark-haired man ordered.Evan roughly lifted her from the floor, still holding her tightly by the throat."Look at her face. Poor thing," he laughed, his laughter devoid of any mercy. The billionaire with light eyes continued,"What should we do with her, James?""That's an excellent question.""Please, wait," Elena pleaded. "Don't do anything, please.""Have the torment and pleas for mercy started already?" Valentina taunted. "It was much faster than the last time.""Last time?" Elena whispered.James approached the girl's face and held her chin tightly."Do you think you're the first one to try to enter here? Do you think we don't know exactly who passes through our door?""I-""Just so you know, girl, Stuart Álvarez was formally expelled from our corporation nearly a year ago. He tried to challenge us, and he received his due punishment."Evan's fingers loosened as he released Elena's throat, pushing her once more. Unsteady, she didn't fall but shrank back, facing the two men who cornered her like a rabbit. She clutched her bag tightly."Let's do this the easy way. Hand over that junk," the man with light-colored hair said."And don't even think about resisting. There's no way out for you."Desperate and with few options, Elena decided to hand over the bag containing the recorder and the cell phone. With tears in her eyes, she tried to negotiate."Please, don't do anything to me. I promise I won't disclose anything about you, I swear! Just let me go, please!"Valentina and the men laughed mockingly, seemingly enjoying the journalist's fear."So, that's it? The press wants to know about us?""I'm just doing my job. I have nothing against you! I swear!""Maybe you don't actually have anything against us," James said. "But what does that imply exactly? That your superiors want to embarrass us? That they want to see us ruined and our images tarnished?"Evan, opening the woman's bag and tossing its entire contents on the floor as if emptying a trash bag, continued,"Your superiors want us on a silver platter but are too cowardly to come after us. So... What do they do?"Faced with the terrified silence of the girl, the billionaire continued,"They send the faithful little lapdog eager for her moment in the sun. Let me guess. Your whole life, you were just a mediocre little girl who grew up with an older sister who was prettier and sexier than you. So, to compensate, you decided to invest in your career and prove to others that you're better than her?"Elena sighed with frustration, partly because of the almost-truths Evan spoke but swallowed hard and tried not to lose her composure. Instead, she spoke in a firmer tone than before."If you let me go, spare me, I promise I'll resign. I'll say I found nothing, that I couldn't even get in here. And I'll disappear! Truly disappear! From your lives and this city. But please, don't harm me.""Oh, dear, haven't you understood yet?" Valentina said, approaching Elena with a threatening look. "You already know too much, and now it's too late to turn back. We can't leave witnesses alive."Elena's heart sank upon hearing those words. She realized there was no hope of escaping that situation. Without alternatives, she decided to try one last card."If you kill me, the police will investigate and find all of you! That will be the end of your secret club!"The two men chuckled low and threateningly. Valentina wasn't even fazed by the threat, raising an eyebrow instead. Finally, she smiled with disdain."Do you really think the police can do anything against us? We have enough power and influence to ensure no investigation moves forward. Besides, we've had our dealings with the police on several occasions. No one will stop us."Elena felt even more cornered. She realized there was no way out, and her fate was sealed. Her body trembled with fear, and tears streamed down her face."Please, I have a family, people who love me. You can't do this to me," she begged, her voice trembling.James and Evan seemed to be enjoying the woman's desperation even more. The man with light-colored hair approached her and placed a hand on her face."You know, dear, it's a shame things have ended up like this for you. But you've understood too much, and now we can't take risks.""No!""Resistance is futile.""Please, I beg you!""Your cry for help doesn't move us, foolish woman. Haven't you realized that?"Elena was in a living nightmare, cornered by individuals who had no scruples. The cold and merciless words of the kidnappers echoed in her ears as her mind worked frantically to find a way out.She felt her body trembling with fear, and her tears continued to flow freely. However, despite all the terror she was experiencing, a spark of determination shone in her eyes."Please, don't do this," she whispered with a trembling voice. "There's another way. We can find an agreement."Valentina let out a mocking laugh."An agreement? Do you think you can negotiate with us? Stop acting like an idiot."Elena swallowed hard, trying to maintain her composure in the face of Valentina's mockery. She knew she was dealing with dangerous people, but the idea of giving up completely was not in her plans."Please, just listen to me for a moment," Elena pleaded, keeping her eyes fixed on the kidnappers. "I understand that you're concerned about what I know, but I have no intention of revealing anything. If you let me go, I can swear that I will never mention anything about you or this place to anyone. We can make an agreement that benefits us all.""Forget it. You'll never escape from us."In a burst of genuinely frightening strength and courage, the brown-haired woman punched the billionaire with blue eyes with all her might.At the same time, she ran toward the door, which, to her complete and utter relief, wasn't locked.Limping due to the adrenaline and high heels threatening to break on contact with the ground, the journalist knew she had a long way to go before reaching the exit. The sound of her footsteps echoing off the walls, along with the background music, felt like a psychedelic nightmare.Elena's throat hurt as she breathed heavily, and the music got a little louder. She knew she had to stop running to avoid drawing attention from the others, but on the other hand, she would have to walk fast enough not to be caught.Turning a corner, the music was much louder. It was time to stop the frantic running and walk calmly, or as calmly as she could, towards the exit.But a stabbing pain hit her left side, a needle prick.No,Not a needle.
Elena's wide eyes could only partially register what had struck her. And then, everything went dark.For she had been hit by a tranquilizer dart.With blurred vision and a weakened body, Elena struggles to move, but cannot.Her senses seem distant and her legs refuse to obey her brain's commands. The loud sound of music echoes in her ears, mingling with the mocking laughter of the two sadistic men watching her."No..." she stammers, desperately trying to resist the sedation taking hold of her body.James and Evan approach her again, with satisfied smiles on their faces. Valentina joins them with a small gun in her hands, watching the scene with pleasure. The journalist was struggling to keep her eyes open and focused, but her body was quickly giving in to the action of the tranquilizer.The cold ground in contact with her skin was nothing compared to the icy tone of the dark-haired man's voice."It's a shame you've decided to do this the hard way," says James, watching the fallen woman. "But anyway, you already knew you wouldn't get out of here alive, didn't you?"Elena barely feels the strong, rough fingers of the two men hold
Elena's hands shook violently, making the chain that forced her arms backwards jingle annoyingly. James grinned."Glad you understand how things work, girl." She tries not to spit in the billionaire's face, pursing her lips before glaring at them once more. "What do you want me to do?" Elena asks, trying to control the tremor in her voice. James approaches her, and Evan puts away his pocketknife. The tension in the room is palpable. The two men look at each other once more, as if they are having a mental conversation. Finally, the conclusion comes. They would be straightforward in their proposal. James's response comes in a low, calculated tone: "We have enemies, people who want to bring us down. We need someone like you, with your journalistic skills and your determination, to help protect us and make sure our secrets stay buried." "So you want me to be a spy?" The man with honey-blond hair clarifies: "Spies are expensive and skilled. I highly doubt you can unlock a door wit
The surrounding music is intoxicating. Colored lights dance on the ceiling and floor, spreading across the walls and the dancing bodies of those present. Men and women, dressed in lavish and voluptuous attire, fill the room. Elena, doing her best to remain unnoticed, can't help but stare at everydetail of the place. That very day, she had been tasked with covering what could be the biggest scoop of her life; the news that would radically change her career and finally put her in the journalism spotlight. The high-heeled shoes cramped her feet; the neck jewelry and unnecessarily ostentatious earrings bothered the sensitive skin of her ears terribly, but she had nothing left to lose. Her triumph was undeniably near. Still walkingat a slow pace, gazing at the splendid sight that this place showed her, Elena noticed that many of the corridors were dark. Paying more attention, some of them led to rooms; strictly secretive rooms. She tried, but failed to stop the smile that crept across h