Chapter 17 - The Captive
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The damp, suffocating darkness of the holding cell smelled of rust and old blood. Emily sat huddled in the corner on the freezing concrete floor, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, shivering violently.
She had been locked in the underground bunker of Nikos Konstantinos’s compound for what felt like days, though the lack of windows made tracking time impossible.
The heavy iron door groaned open, blinding her with a harsh slice of hallway light.
Nikos stepped into the cell, holding a silver tray with a single glass of water. He set it down on a small, rusted table, offering her that same cold, dead smile.
“We have searched your luggage, Miss Hart,” Nikos said smoothly, pacing in front of her. “We found the torn lining in the suitcase. Very clever of your father to hide the microchip there. But unfortunately for you, my men did not find the chip itself.”
Emily pressed her back against the cold wall, remaining completely silent. She had swallowed the tiny, waterproof microchip the moment Marco had betrayed them in the foyer. It was a desperate, horrifying gamble, but it was the only reason she was still breathing. As long as the chip was hidden inside her, they couldn't kill her.
“You are testing my patience, Emily,” Nikos warned, his civilized veneer cracking to reveal the monster beneath. “My doctors can perform an exploratory surgery to find the drive, but I assure you, they are not concerned with your survival rate.”
“If you cut me open and don't find it,” Emily lied, her voice shaking but defiant, “you lose your four million euros forever. Dante is the only other person who knows where I hid it.”
Nikos laughed, a harsh, grating sound. “Dante Moretti is currently bleeding to death in the ruins of his own home. He cannot save you.”
“You don't know Dante,” Emily whispered, remembering the terrifying, unyielding fire in his eyes when he promised to protect her.
Nikos sneered, stepping forward and grabbing her roughly by the jaw, forcing her to look up at him. “Your blind faith in a dead man will be your undoing. You have until tomorrow morning to tell me where the chip is. After that, I let my interrogators handle you.”
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He threw her face aside and marched out of the cell, the heavy iron door slamming shut, plunging her back into absolute, terrifying darkness.
Emily curled into a tight ball, tears finally spilling over her lashes. She clutched the fabric of her torn sweater, praying that the monster she had fallen in love with was truly as unkillable as he seemed.
