Chapter 75 – What Emily Started
The peaceful hum of Emily’s office filled the room as she sat at her desk. Her coffee was half- empty next to her computer, and papers were strewn around neatly. Her phone buzzed while she was going over a contract, she paused before responding, frowning at the unidentified number on the screen,
“Hello?”
A voice, smooth and chillingly familiar, greeted her,
“Hello, pretty star”
Emily’s heart froze, her fingers whitened as she gripped the phone more tightly. She tried to
sound calm, but her voice was shaking,
“Raphael” she muttered
“That’s right” he said, a sinister chuckle following. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Her thoughts were racing. Now what did he want? He was dragging her back into the horror she believed she had left behind, even though she had assumed she would never hear from him again,
“What do you want?” Emily asked, her voice cold and wary,
“I suggest you check your phone, Emily. I’ve sent you something… enlightening”
Emily gazed at her screen while a notice appeared, showing a picture with the label “View Once
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She opened it and felt her stomach turn, the picture showed Madeline strapped to a chair, her
face white and teary.
The phone fell out of Emily’s grasp and clattered onto the desk as her breath froze, her hands were shaking violently as she fell into her chair. Panic took over her mind, no, not Madeline. Lovely, innocent Madeline. Because of Emily, she became entangled in this web of danger.
Bailey’s warnings echoed in her head,
“Stay away from him, Emily, he’s dangerous. You’re playing with fire”
She picked up her phone once more,
“What the hell have you done? What do you want with Madeline? She hasn’t done anything to you!”
“True” Raphael admitted, his voice casual, almost conversational,
“Madeline hasn’t wronged me in any way. But you, my dear Emily… you’ve done me plenty of
Chapter 75 What Emily Started
wrongs”
Emily’s grip on her phone tightened,
“This is between you and me. Leave her out of it”
Raphael chuckled darkly,
“Ah, but where’s the fun in that? You see, if you don’t act the way I want, your little friend Madeline will pay the price”
Emily’s voice dropped to a whisper,
“What do you want, Raphael?”
The line went silent for a moment, Raphael savoring the tension,
“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough” he said finally, his tone smug,
For now, consider this a friendly reminder of just how serious I can be❞
The line abruptly ended, leaving Emily to stare at her phone while her mind raced with anger and panic.
She felt so guilty that tears fell down her cheeks. She had almost ruined her marriage, pulled Sebastian into Raphael’s world, and now Madeline was a victim of her decisions. With
trembling hands, Emily picked up her phone and phoned Sebastian’s number. Almost instantly, he picked up,
“Emily?”
Her voice broke,
“Hello” she said, her words barely coherent through her sobs.
“Emily, what’s wrong?” Sebastian’s voice was filled with concern.
She tried to steady herself, but her words came out in fragments,
“It’s… nothing. I just…” She couldn’t stop crying.
“Emily, where are you?” he asked, his tone firm yet gentle,
“In my office” she managed to say.
“Are you safe? Do you feel like anyone’s following you?”
She looked around her quiet office, the blinds drawn and the door shut,
“I’m safe… for now” she said, her voice cracking,
“But… Madeline, she’s gone, taken. And it’s all my fault”
“What do you mean?” Sebastian’s voice sharpened,
Chapter 25 What Emily Started
Emily sniffled,
“It’s a long story”
“Stay calm” he said,
“I’ll come see you after work, just stay where you are, okay?”
“Okay” she whispered before hanging up.
Sebastian’s thoughts were racing as he put down his phone. After taking a detour to
Madeline’s home and the warehouse where he had traced her kidnappers, he was now on his way back to work.
Though he was hesitant, he had thought of calling the police. Something about the incident felt too organized, too purposeful.
Before calling the police, he had to put everything together. Emily had called him now, a voice full of guilt and anxiety. The link was too strong for him to ignore, Madeline had been singled out after Emily, the same hitman, with the same icy accuracy.
Anger burned beneath Sebastian’s skin, and he squeezed the driving wheel. He had no idea who was in charge, but he planned to find out.
Sebastian’s thoughts turned to Madeline’s lover and his boss, Jacob O’Connell, as he got closer to the office building. If anyone deserved to know what was going on, it was Jacob,
But how could he approach Jacob without implicating himself?
