Lu Meilin and Lu Yuhan ran through the amusement park, their hearts pounding like a war drum. The once vibrant lights and cheerful screams of joy blurred into a terrifying maze of panic. Every step they took felt heavier, every passing second a dagger of guilt stabbing deeper into their chests.
"Jie! Where are you?" Meilin's voice cracked as she called for Liyana. Tears pricked the edges of her eyes, her breaths coming in ragged gasps.
Yuhan clenched his fists, scanning the crowd with desperation. "She was just here! Just a few minutes ago!" His hands trembled, his mind racing through every possible scenario.
People bustled around them, completely unaware of the storm of fear consuming the siblings.
"We should've listened," Meilin choked out, gripping Yuhan's sleeve. "We told Mom and Dad it would be fine without bodyguards. We said we could protect her, but—"
"She's missing because of us," Yuhan whispered, his voice hollow with regret. His chest heaved, a suffocating weight pressing down on him.
They searched every ride, every corner, every possible place she could've gone. But she wasn't there.
She was nowhere.
And her phone? Unreachable.
That's when true panic set in like ice.
On the other side:
In the sleek office of Lu Group, Damien leaned back in his chair, eyes half-lidded as his fingers absentmindedly tapped against the polished desk. A stack of documents lay before him, yet none of them held his attention.
His mind was trapped somewhere else.
Somewhere dangerous.
Liyana.
The way her breath hitched under him. The way her lips parted slightly in shock. The way her scent wrapped around him, pulling him deeper into madness.
He had told himself for years—she was like a sister.
But then, with just one touch, one moment of weakness, he had shattered that belief. Crossed the line.
Damien let out a slow, shaky breath. He was never a gentle man to begin with.
And when it came to Liyana, he wasn't sure he could ever hold himself back again.
"Mine." The word echoed in his mind. A dangerous, selfish, obsessive thought.
His fingers clenched around his pen, his muscles tightening as he tried to suppress the rush of possessiveness clawing at him.
How could he ever let another man have her?
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. He was a beast, after all. And Liyana had always been his most forbidden fruit.
Just as he sank deeper into his thoughts, his phone buzzed against the desk, shattering the trance.
Lu Yuhan.
His brows furrowed. This late?
Damien picked up the call.
Before he could speak, Yuhan's panicked voice slammed into him like a freight train.
"GEGE! LIYANA—SHE'S MISSING!"