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Lia's POV

I woke up to darkness and the damp, musty smell of earth. My head throbbed painfully, and as I shifted, I realized I was lying on a cold, hard floor. Disoriented, I tried to sit up, but my movements were slow and unsteady. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the faint light seeping through the cracks in the door, revealing the confined space around me.

A cellar.

Panic surged through me as I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding in my chest. I rushed to the heavy wooden door, banging on it with all my strength. "Hello? Is anyone there? Let me out!"

My voice echoed in the small space, but there was no response. Frustration bubbled up inside me, and I pounded on the door again, my fists aching with the effort.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps outside. I froze, holding my breath as the sound grew louder, stopping just on the other side of the door. The lock clicked, and the door creaked open, revealing Dean’s tall, looming figure.

"Keep your voice down," he said sharply, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. His face was shadowed, but I could see the cold, calculating expression in his eyes.

"Why am I here?" I demanded, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and anger. "Why did you take me from the prison?"

Dean smirked, leaning casually against the wall. "That's none of your business. Just know that you’ll be brought before the pack elders soon enough. Your judgment is coming."

I crossed my arms, glaring at him despite the terror clawing at my insides. "Judgment? For what? For a crime I didn’t commit? If anyone deserves to be judged, it’s you, Dean."

He raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering across his face. "Oh? And what exactly do you think I’ve done?"

"I know you killed Finn," I said firmly, my voice steady despite the lump forming in my throat. "I don’t know how you did it, but I’m sure you’re behind it. And trust me, the truth will come out. It always does."

Dean laughed, a low, mocking sound that sent chills down my spine. "You really think anyone will believe you? You're nothing but a disgrace to the pack now. Nobody cares about your baseless accusations."

I took a step forward, my hands clenched into fists. "You can laugh all you want, but your time is running out. People are starting to notice. Bianca, Jenny—do you think they’re just sitting around doing nothing? You won’t get away with this, Dean."

His smirk faltered slightly, but he quickly masked it with a sneer. "You’re delusional, Lia. No one is coming to save you. You’re alone in this, just like you’ve always been."

Before I could respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen before answering.

"Alina," he said, his tone instantly shifting to one of feigned warmth.

My heart raced as I heard her name. Alina. She was in on this. Of course, she was.

"Alina!" I shouted, my voice ringing out in the confined space. "Can you hear me? Do you even know who you're dealing with? What if Dean is the one who killed Finn?"

Dean’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer to me, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper as he spoke into the phone. "I’ll call you back."

He ended the call abruptly and turned his full attention to me, his face twisted with rage.

"Shut your mouth," he snarled, raising his hand.

I braced myself, but the slap still caught me off guard, the force of it sending me stumbling backward. My cheek burned, and tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let him see me break.

"You don’t know when to stop, do you?" he hissed, his breath hot against my face. "Maybe I should teach you a lesson right here and now."

I glared at him, my voice steady despite the pain. "Do whatever you want, Dean. You won’t silence me. I’ll keep fighting until the truth comes out, and when it does, you’ll pay for everything you’ve done."

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he stormed out of the cellar, slamming the door behind him. I heard the lock click, and then his footsteps faded away.

Alone again, I sank to the floor, cradling my aching cheek. Fear and anger churned inside me, warring for dominance. Dean thought he had the upper hand, but I wasn’t going to give up that easily.

I had to find a way out of here. For Finn. For myself. And for the truth that needed to be exposed.

As I sat in the darkness, my resolve hardened. Dean and Alina might think they could manipulate everyone around them, but they underestimated me.

This wasn’t over not by a long shot.

____

Luca's POV

The quiet hum of the coffee machine filled the kitchen as I leaned against the counter, waiting for the dark liquid to brew. The aroma filled the air, but it did little to calm the restless thoughts swirling in my mind. My fingers drummed on the countertop, and I sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall.

It was too quiet. Too still.

Just as I reached for my mug, my phone buzzed on the counter. The name "Benedicta" flashed on the screen, and a wave of unease settled over me. I grabbed the phone and answered.

“Benedicta?”

Her voice came through, frantic and rushed. “Luca, you need to get to the prison. It’s on fire!”

“What?” I froze, the mug slipping from my fingers and shattering on the floor. “What do you mean, the prison is on fire?”

“I don’t know all the details, but it’s bad,” she continued, her voice trembling. “The fire broke out in the middle of the night, and I just heard from someone at the station. They’re saying... they’re saying Lia might have been inside.”

My heart stopped. The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe.

“Where are you now?” I asked, already moving toward the door.

“I’m at home with Merlin,” she replied. “I wanted to go there, but I can’t leave him alone.”

“Stay there,” I told her firmly. “I’m going to the prison right now. I’ll find out what’s going on.”

“Luca…” Her voice softened, laced with worry. “Be careful.”

I hung up without responding, grabbing my keys and rushing out the door.

\---

The drive to the prison felt like an eternity. My mind raced with every possibility, every worst-case scenario. Was she alive? Had she escaped? Or…

No. I couldn’t think about that. She had to be alive.

When I arrived, the scene was chaos. Flames still licked at the remains of the building, though firefighters were working tirelessly to put them out. Officers and emergency personnel swarmed the area, their faces grim.

I parked the car haphazardly and ran toward the barricades. An officer stopped me, his hand on my chest.

“Sir, you can’t go any further.”

“I need to know what’s happening,” I said, my voice desperate. “There’s someone in there—a prisoner. Lia. Is she alive?”

The officer’s expression didn’t change, and he shook his head. “We’re still gathering information. It’s too early to say anything for certain.”

Frustration bubbled up inside me, and I took a step closer. “Listen, I need answers. If you can’t give them to me, then point me to someone who can.”

“Calm down,” he said sternly, glancing over his shoulder. “I’ll see if someone can speak with you.”

I waited, pacing back and forth as every second dragged on like an hour. Finally, another officer approached—a woman with a clipboard and an air of authority.

“You’re here about the prisoner Lia?” she asked, her tone brisk.

“Yes,” I said immediately. “What happened to her? Is she alive?”

She glanced at her notes before meeting my gaze. “The fire broke out in the west wing, where she was being held. When we searched her cell, there were no remains—no signs of a body. That leads us to believe she may have been abducted or escaped during the chaos.”

“Abducted?” My stomach twisted. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “There’s evidence suggesting someone broke into the facility before the fire started. We’re still piecing things together, but right now, our priority is finding her. We’ve issued a search order and alerted nearby authorities.”

I ran a hand through my hair, my mind spinning. “Do you have any leads? Anything at all?”

“Not yet,” she admitted. “But we’ll find her. If she was taken, whoever did this won’t get far.”

Her words did little to comfort me. I turned away, staring at the smoldering remains of the prison. Somewhere out there, Lia was either running for her life or being held against her will.

The thought made my chest ache.

\---

I drove back to Benedicta’s house in a daze, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white. The image of Lia—scared, alone, in danger—played on repeat in my mind.

When I arrived, Benedicta was waiting for me at the door. Her face was pale, and her hands trembled as she clutched Merlin close to her side.

“Well?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I shook my head. “They don’t know. Her cell was empty. They think someone took her.”

Her eyes widened in horror. “What do you mean, took her?”

“I don’t know,” I said, sinking onto the couch and burying my face in my hands. “They’re still investigating, but they’re saying it wasn’t the fire that got her out. Someone planned this.”

“Who would do that?” she asked, her voice trembling.

I looked up, my jaw tightening. “Dean.”

She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “You think he…”

“I don’t think—I know,” I said, my voice hard. “It has his name written all over it. And I swear if he’s hurt her…”

“Luca,” Benedicta said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll find her. We’ll bring her back.”

I nodded, though my mind was already racing ahead. Dean thought he could play games with Lia’s life, but he underestimated me. I wasn’t going to let him win.

Not this time.