For our winter vacation, my roommate and I signed up for an international group tour.

The trip started off oddly. As soon as we landed, we were herded straight into a shopping center. I refused to buy anything, annoyed by the blatant pressure to spend money. But my resistance didn’t sit well with the tour guide. Furious, she tore my passport into pieces right in front of me. Before I could even process what had happened, I was dragged off to some shady compound.

“If you’re not willing to spend money shopping, then you’ll spend it here learning a lesson!” the guide spat, her voice dripping with malice.

I stood frozen, staring at the burly men watching over me. They had matching emblems on their jackets and suddenly, recognition dawned. That symbol—it was from the Leland Gang, a criminal organization tied to one person I thought I’d left far behind, Ethan Leland.

Ten years. I had wasted ten years of my life wrapped around Ethan’s little finger. After breaking free from his grip, I thought I was finally free. And yet, here I was, right back where I started.

——

“You’ll stay here,” the guide hissed, her eyes cold. “Do as you’re told, earn your keep and maybe, you’ll get to go home. Refuse? You’ll stay here forever.”

The men around me loomed closer, their glares like daggers. My stomach sank. This wasn’t just a bad trip—it was a trap.

No wonder there were only four of us on the tour. I’d been foolish enough to think it was some exclusive boutique package. Instead, I’d paid a small fortune for a one-way ticket to hell.

“What about my roommate? Where did you take her?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“Don’t worry about her,” one of the men growled. “Worry about yourself.”

“My roommate’s boyfriend works for this agency,” I blurted, grasping at any shred of hope. “Was he in on this?”

It all started coming together. If it hadn’t been for Clara insisting I book through her boyfriend’s agency so he could get his precious commission, I wouldn’t even be here. I should have trusted my gut when I realized I’d never heard of this company.

“You’re here because of his recommendation,” the guide sneered. “He said you had money. Too bad you’re a miser. Well, since you’re so stingy with shopping, we’ll make sure you pay in other ways. Boys, keep her in line.”

Before I could argue, one of the men tossed two stacks of paper at my feet.

“This is your script,” he barked. “And this is a list of numbers. You’ll call these people and follow the script exactly. You don’t eat until you bring in money.”

I stared at the papers in disbelief. “This is a scam! I’m not doing it!”

The words had barely left my mouth when a sharp slap landed across my face. Pain exploded in my head and I tasted blood.

“You don’t get to say no,” he growled. “Show her what happens when she disobeys.”

Another man kicked me hard in the stomach. I crumpled to the floor, gasping for air, sweat pouring down my face.

“Please,” I whimpered, clutching my abdomen. “I’ll give you all the money I have. Just let me go.”

The leader laughed cruelly. “You think we’re stupid enough to let you call the cops the second you’re out of here? No. Once you’re in, the only way out is in pieces.”

In my haze of fear, my gaze fell on the emblem again. Something about it nagged at my memory. Then it hit me like a lightning bolt. This wasn’t just any gang—this was Ethan Leland’s gang.

The Lelands were infamous, their power extending through both the legal and illegal worlds. When I’d left Ethan years ago, he had promised me he’d leave the criminal side of his life behind. Clearly, that promise had been a lie.

“You’re with the Lelands,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

The men exchanged amused glances. “Well, aren’t you clever? Recognizing the Leland emblem.”

I seized the only card I had left. “Your boss, Ethan, is my fiancé. If he finds out what you’ve done to me—”

Their laughter cut me off. “You? Ethan’s fiancée? Don’t flatter yourself. Everyone knows there’s only one woman for Ethan and her name’s Celeste. You’re nothing.”

“I am Celeste!” I shouted. But the men weren’t listening. They rifled through my bag, confiscating my ID and any personal belongings.

My heart sank as I realized how deep I was in. I had no passport, no phone and no allies. And now, my only hope of survival was to outsmart a den of criminals who thought they owned me.

“Your name is obviously Samantha Young!” one of the men sneered.

“Yeah, boss,” another chimed in. “She probably just has some weird obsession with Ethan and fantasizes about being his girl.”

“That’s disgusting,” the first man spat. “Do you even know who Ethan Leland is? And who the hell are you to think he’d ever look at you?”

“I’m Celeste Moore!” I protested, my voice trembling with desperation. “Samantha was a name I used later! If you don’t believe me, call Ethan. He’ll tell you I’m not lying!”

“Call Ethan?” the leader barked out a laugh. “You’re delusional.”

Before I could respond, the man grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me forward. Pain shot through my scalp as he dragged me into a small, dimly lit room.

“In this place, you either do what you’re told or you face the consequences,” he growled, grabbing a thick chain from the corner of the room. He swung it and the first strike sent a searing pain across my back.

“I told you to obey me!” he roared.

Every lash of the chain was agony, each strike forcing a scream from my throat. Tears blurred my vision, but I still glared at him with fury. “I want to see Ethan!” I cried. “If he finds out what you’ve done to me, he’ll kill you!”

The men erupted in mocking laughter. “Beat her harder!” one shouted. “Let’s see if she still has the energy to keep screaming about Ethan!”

The beating continued until I collapsed on the floor, unable to move. Every inch of my body burned and I struggled just to keep my eyes open.

“She’s a good-looking girl,” the leader mused, crouching down and grabbing my chin. “But telemarketing is such a waste for someone like her. Why don’t we send her to a casino? She can deal cards instead.”

A cold wave of panic swept through me. “No!” I gasped. “I’ll do the telemarketing! Please, don’t send me to a casino!”

I didn’t know exactly what “dealing cards” entailed, but I was certain it wasn’t good.

The man smirked cruelly and yanked me to my feet by my collar. “You don’t get to decide, sweetheart. Around here, we make the choices.”

“Take her away!” he ordered.

Two men grabbed me by the arms and dragged me out of the room. As they hauled me through the compound, I thought I heard a familiar voice.

“Clara?” I called out weakly, my heart pounding. “Clara, is that you? Clara!”

The men ignored me, but panic overtook me. “Did you bring my roommate here too? Her boyfriend works with you, doesn’t he? Did you sell her out too?”

I had been counting on Clara to call the police, to help me escape. If she was trapped here as well, then I had no hope left.

My struggles were useless against their grip. The men were too strong and my body was too weak from the beating. Just as I felt myself giving up, a shout rang out.

“The boss is here for inspection! He’ll be here any second. Clean this place up!”

Chaos erupted around us. People scurried to tidy up and the men holding me froze, clearly panicked.

“If we take her out now and the boss sees, we’re screwed,” one of them muttered. “Let’s toss her back in the room and deal with her after he leaves.”

The mention of their boss sent a jolt through me. Could it really be Ethan? If it was, this might be my only chance to escape.

Summoning every ounce of strength, I bit down hard on the arm of the man holding me. He yelped in pain and I used the momentary distraction to kick the other man square in the groin. He crumpled with a grunt and I broke free.

I bolted down the hallway, my vision swimming with desperation. Through the haze, I saw a sleek black Lincoln pulling up outside the compound. It had to be Ethan’s car—it had to be!

“Ethan!” I screamed, my voice hoarse and desperate.

The cry barely escaped my lips before a hand clamped over my mouth. One of the men had caught up to me, dragging me back with brute force.

“Damn bitch!” he snarled. “You’re lucky we didn’t beat you harder the first time!”

I clawed at his hand, digging my nails into his skin until he loosened his grip. Then I bit down again, harder this time.

“You little—” He grabbed a heavy ashtray from a nearby table and swung it at my head.

The world went black.

When I came to, my head throbbed with pain and my face was sticky with blood. I blinked, trying to focus, but all I could see was the dim, oppressive darkness of the room they’d thrown me back into. My heart sank. They’d locked me up again.

Outside, I could hear muffled voices. My pulse quickened as I recognized Ethan’s deep, commanding tone.

“What’s that noise?” he asked.

One of the men stammered, “Just… just one of the company’s dogs, sir. We locked it up to make sure it wouldn’t disturb you.”

I stumbled to the door and pounded on it with all my strength.

“Help!” I shouted, my voice raw. “Ethan, it’s me! Save me!”

But outside, the men laughed nervously, brushing off the noise.

I was running out of time.

The door burst open suddenly and before I could react, a boot slammed into my chest, sending me sprawling onto the cold floor.

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up?!” the man barked. His hand clamped over my mouth as he grabbed a bottle of scalding hot water and forced it down my throat.

The searing pain burned through my esophagus and my vocal cords felt like they had been shredded. I could only let out strangled, pitiful whimpers as tears streamed down my face, mingling with the blood drying on my skin.

“I’ll teach you to disobey me,” he growled. “If you make another sound, I’ll chop off your hands and feet!”

I shrank into a corner, trembling and too afraid to resist. Seeing my submission, the man smirked and turned to leave.

But as soon as his back was turned, I lunged. My eyes darted to the heavy chain lying on the floor and I grabbed it. Without hesitation, I looped it around his neck and pulled with every ounce of strength I had left.

He gasped and clawed at the chain, his face turning red as he struggled for air. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

I didn’t wait to see if he would recover. I bolted for the door, stumbling as I went. My throat ached and all I could manage were weak, broken sounds. No one could hear me—not even Ethan.

Desperate, I spotted a vase sitting on a nearby table. Grabbing it, I hurled it to the floor with all my strength. The sharp crash echoed through the compound.

Ethan, who had been surrounded by a group of men in black suits, paused. He turned, his eyes scanning the hallway.

“Boss, she’s escaping!” a voice bellowed from behind me.

I felt a heavy weight slam into me as a sack was thrown over my head. I thrashed wildly, but it was too late. They dragged me back, kicking and punching me as they went.

I was so close. If the vase had shattered just a moment sooner, Ethan would have seen me.

“You dare chain me up?!” one of the men snarled. His fists and boots struck me repeatedly, the blows landing with sickening thuds. Blood filled my mouth, soaking through the sack as I choked and gasped.

“Who are you beating?”

That voice—it was Ethan!

“Boss,” one of them stammered, “she’s a spy. She stole some of our core information. We were just teaching her a lesson.”

“Don’t kill her,” Ethan said coldly.

I wanted to scream, to tell him who I was, but all that came out was a gurgle of blood.

“Why’s she mute?” Ethan asked, his tone impatient. “Get rid of her. I don’t want her in my sight.”

They shoved me back into the dark room, slamming the door behind them. My body was broken and any hope of escape slipped further away.

One of the men stomped on my hands, grinding his heel into my fingers. “If we didn’t need you to deal cards at the casino, I’d cut these claws off right now. Don’t think you’ll get out of here alive.”

As my consciousness wavered, a familiar voice reached my ears.

“What the hell did you do to her?”

I froze. I knew that voice.

“Relax, sis,” one of the men said. “She’s too stubborn. She refused to work in telemarketing and she wouldn’t deal cards at the casino either. And get this—she claims she’s engaged to Ethan! Can you believe the nerve?”

The woman let out a sharp laugh before kicking me hard in the ribs. “You? Ethan’s fiancée? Keep dreaming. You’re not even worth the dirt on his shoes!”

Her boot struck me again.

“She’s not moving,” another man said nervously. “Did you kill her?”

“She’s still breathing,” the woman replied dismissively. “Don’t kill her. Death’s too easy for someone like her. Let her live and suffer.”

Before they could continue, a voice called out from outside. “Boss wants everyone in the main hall!”

The room emptied in an instant. I lay motionless on the floor, fighting to stay conscious. Slowly, I dragged myself toward the door, inch by inch.

Pressing my ear against the cold surface, I strained to listen. My body was broken, my voice gone, but my hearing was still sharp.

From outside, Ethan’s voice carried through the halls. “Where did you get this ID card?”

A tense silence followed.

Then Ethan’s sharp voice cut through the air. “What about the woman you dragged off earlier?”

“She’s a spy,” someone stammered. “We’ve already dealt with her.”

“I didn’t ask for excuses. I asked where she is.”

“She’s locked in the storeroom,” the man replied nervously.

The sound of rapid footsteps echoed down the hall, growing louder. They were coming straight for me.

“Boss, she’s just a nobody,” another voice tried to intervene. “Not worth your time.”

“Open the door,” Ethan barked.

The door swung open and I was yanked off the ground like a rag doll. My limp body dangled as someone grabbed me by the collar, hauling me upward. My swollen eyes could barely stay open and my vision blurred.

Through the haze, I could just make out a tall figure standing before me. Was it Ethan?

The man’s gaze swept over me, cold and detached, before he shoved me aside like trash.

“How filthy,” he muttered in disgust.

One of his men handed him a pristine white handkerchief, which he took with the same precise care he had as a child. Ethan’s obsessive cleanliness was something I used to tease him about, calling him more fastidious than any girl.

It was Ethan. But he didn’t recognize me.

I caught a glimpse of myself in a nearby shard of broken glass. My face was swollen beyond recognition, bruised and smeared with blood. My clothes hung in tatters, covered in dirt and grime. Of course, Ethan wouldn’t know it was me.

He turned to leave. If he walked out of here now, I knew I’d never make it out alive.

Summoning every ounce of strength left in me, I let out a desperate, guttural scream. It was hoarse and broken, barely audible, but it was all I had. I launched myself toward Ethan, clawing at the air.

Before I could reach him, a heavy boot collided with my side, sending me sprawling back to the floor.

“Stay in your place, you piece of trash!” growled the same man who had tormented me earlier. “You think you can lay a hand on him?!”

Ethan paused, glancing over his shoulder with a frown, but he didn’t stop walking.

Panic consumed me. My hands flailed blindly until they closed around something small and solid on the floor. Without thinking, I hurled it at Ethan with all my might.

The object struck his shoulder and he froze mid-step. His voice was low and menacing when he turned back. “Are you trying to die?”