Corrupted Angles: Corrupted Series, #1

By JESSIKA KARAI

What would you do if everything you knew fell apart?

 

Would you trust a group of strangers more than your family?

 

Anastasia is a quiet and introverted girl who lives with her parents. She never had the best relationship with them, and after years, she stopped trying to fix it. But everything changes when some men at gunpoint demand to know where her parents are. Anastasia not only doesn't know where her parents are, but she becomes a target for all those looking for them. As if that wasn't enough, some other men kidnapped her, starting a non-stop chase. In order to survive, she will be forced to stay with a group of unknown people. Five strangers will become her allies in this chase. They are all looking for her. And they will do anything to find her!

He is the only one who can help and protect her. And he will do anything for her safety. Even kill! But what happens when the person protecting her is also one of the people looking for her parents?

 

What are her parents hiding, and why are they after them?

Who can Anastasia believe, and who can she trust?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jessika Karai
• Release date: Mar 31, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224520312

JESSIKA KARAI

Jessica Karai is a first-time author with a degree in nursing. She loves writing and creating new worlds. She can read for hours if a book catches her interest. She also enjoys reading crime and romance novels. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with her friends and watch a lot of films.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

The sun was slowly setting, and darkness was spreading outside. The weather was warm, with a light breeze cooling the small town a little.

The neighborhood began to quiet down, with the sounds of children playing outside and cars passing by at regular intervals.

Everything seemed calm and normal, just like every day. Nothing suggests otherwise.

Anastasia sat at her computer and wrote. She had been writing for hours, fiddling with an assignment her teacher had given her. She wanted it to be perfectly structured and polished.

She looked out of the window and noticed that it was getting dark.

Tired, she closed her eyes for two seconds and got up from her desk. She needed a break; she'd been writing since nine in the morning.

She went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. She hadn't eaten for hours, and the rumbling in her stomach made her smile. Once again, she had forgotten to eat as she had been so engrossed in this particular task.

As she closed the fridge, she saw the note her parents had left on a piece of paper two days ago.

‘’We will be away for a few days. We will contact you. You know the rules. Be careful!’’

She reads it again. He pulls it out of the fridge. He crumples it up and throws it in the bin.

Anastasia is used to her parents making these unexpected decisions, leaving the house for days or even weeks without telling her. Her parents have been going on these trips since she was very young, and they have never taken her with them. When she was young and her parents went away for days at a time because they couldn't leave her alone, they hired a woman to look after her. But as she got older, and now she was sixteen, they left her alone at home.

There were rules, of course. For example, she wasn't allowed to open up to strangers. Never try to contact them when they are out. She checked all the doors every morning when she got up and every night when she went to bed.

And the last and most important rule: never leave the house.

Crazy rules and are very strict.

She'd thought about it a year ago and decided to ignore the last rule.

As soon as she opened the front door, there was a piercing sound, like an alarm, and out of fear, she immediately slammed the door shut with all her might and stood there in shock, trying to figure out what had happened.

In the next few minutes, she heard her mobile phone ring and was surprised to see her parents on the screen. At that moment, she realized that even though her parents were far away, they could somehow monitor or otherwise control her, which made her angry.

She never had a normal childhood and teenage years, as her parents were very strict about her meeting and associating with other people.

They had built a wall around her that she felt was becoming more and more suffocating as the years went by.

She had no contact with anyone and even did her schooling online. She had only made one friend at the age of ten when her parents first enrolled her in public school.

This girl was three years older than her, but they became fast friends before her parents finally decided to leave town.

They kept in touch and still talk to this day.

She puts food on the table in front of the TV and turns on the film. An hour passed, and Anastasia's eyes began to close.

There was a loud knock, and she opened her eyes abruptly. She looks around and then back at the TV. Thinking it was from the film, she didn't pay much attention.

She got up, picked up the dishes, and took them into the kitchen. She will wash them tomorrow.

Today, she didn't dare to do anything else.

No sooner had she put the dishes in the sink than she heard something crashing through the living room. And this time, she's sure it's not the TV because she's turned it off. She slowly made her way to the living room, all her survival instincts kicking in.

She knew something was wrong. And as soon as she saw the broken vase on the floor with the water soaking it, she made sure of it. She immediately ran to the kitchen, grabbed a large knife for protection, and went to check the kitchen door leading to the garden. The house was detached. At first glance, she saw that the fuse she had put in had come off, and now the door was unlocked.

Fear ran through her entire body. Her mind ran through various scenarios. She didn't know who they were or what they wanted. They might be thieves, rapists, or murderers. Her parents certainly weren't, since they'd spoken to her yesterday and told her they'd be gone for another three days.

She wanted to run and get out of the house to ask for help, but it was evening and their house was just outside of town, and she figured there was a good chance she would be caught before she could get help.

The only solution was to go upstairs to her room, close the doors, and call her family or the police.

But with the courage and survival skills she had left, she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. She checked the room again, and as she was about to go up the stairs, she had a terrible feeling that someone was upstairs waiting for her. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't because she knew she wouldn't stand a chance.

Her premonition came true, for as she ran to the front door to get out of the house, she heard quick footsteps coming down the stairs.

The door would not open, no matter how hard she tried. She turned to where the footsteps were coming from and saw a man standing by the stairs, smiling disgustingly at her.

Anastasia held out her knife hand as a sign that she would not go down without a fight.

The man laughed wryly.

‘’You think you can take us, little girl?’’ he said as two more men emerged from the kitchen.

They were, like the first man, in their thirties, with many tattoos, and one of the three had a nose piercing in both nostrils.

Of course, the other two were following the first man's instructions.

Anastasia knew that her chances of getting out of this unscathed were getting slimmer and slimmer.

‘’No, but I'm not going down alone. What do you want?’’ she asked with such boldness that even she didn't know where it came from.

‘’You know I don't like people sticking their tongues out, so pick it up before I do. And believe me, you won't like it.’’ He replies as he slowly approaches her.

She takes a step back, trying to keep the distance between them.

‘’I'm going to ask you once, and I hope you will cooperate as painlessly as possible because the consequences will be too great...’’ he says, stopping in front of her, a few millimeters from the knife, to prove to her that she should be afraid.

‘’Where are your parents?’’

Anastasia's fear causes her hand to shake, which the men do not fail to notice.

‘’Look, she's shaking like a little bird.’’ one of them said mockingly.

‘’A pretty little bird, though.’’ says the other man, licking his lips ostentatiously.

Disgusted and frightened, realizing what they might be thinking, she raises the knife higher.

‘’I don't know where they are. But even if I did, I wouldn't tell you.’’

The man before her quickly and deftly snatches the knife from her hand and tosses it to the ground. He puts his arm around her neck and squeezes. She reflexively grabs his hands with her own and tries to free herself.

‘’Where are your parents?’’ he asks again, squeezing her tighter.

Due to the intense pressure and squeezing, she is unable to articulate a word. Just before she loses consciousness, the front door opens violently, and another man enters the house. The man who was holding her by the throat suddenly lets go of her, causing her to fall to the floor and cough as she tries to breathe.

‘’She said she didn't know. You don't even understand those two words?’’ She heard the voice of the man who had just entered.

As she lifted her head, she had a better view of his form. He was tall and stocky. He looked fierce and stern with his dark hair and a few beards on his face.

He had raised his gun in the direction of the man who was threatening her, while the other two who were with him also drew their weapons. Out of nowhere, however, two more men appeared and pointed their guns in their direction.

It all seemed so unreal to her. It was as if she were in a film.

She didn't know what was going on. Who the bad guys were, even though they were all criminals in her eyes. She didn't have a clue what these men wanted from her parents and what their connections might be.

It was all a mess in her head. But the danger hasn't passed yet.

Anastasia goes into hiding so she won't be seen, and when she can, she escapes unnoticed, but the man grabs her again and holds her in front of his body like a shield. He pulls at her hair so that her head is turned backward, and he puts the knife in the back of her neck. She begins to cry silently in fear.

When her eyes met those of the other man who was facing her, she saw the confidence and determination in him. For what reason, she had no idea, but it was clear that this man had the upper hand in the situation. Everyone knew it. Everyone except the man holding her.

‘’Do you know where they are? Isn't that why you're here? Too bad we beat you to it.’’ the man said close to her ear and pressed the knife harder against her neck, making a small cut in the process.

‘’Are you sure?’’ the man across from her asks with a smug smile.

He didn't give the other man time to process it, though, as the sound of his gun rang out and the bullet hit the man in the forehead, killing him instantly.

Stunned and unable to realize what had just happened, Anastasia was left in a daze. They began to struggle with the other two. The shots rang out again and again.

‘’Ari, we have to go. More will be here soon; we don't have time.’’ he heard the blond man say to his accomplice.

‘’What are we going to do with the girl? We can't leave her here.’’ asked the other man.

The tall man looks at Anastasia ponderously. Then he looks at his men. They nod in agreement.

‘’He will come with us. Take her.’’

‘’'I'm not going anywhere,’’ Anastasia replies, fumbling for something in defense.

‘’Calm down, girl; we're not going to hurt you.’’ says the blonde man.

‘’We don't have time for that.’’

The tall man approaches her and lifts her forcibly. She hits him and threatens him. But her blows seem like caresses against his powerful body.

They leave and approach a black car. The blond man and the other man sit in the front, while the tall man sits in the back with Anastasia.

She struggles to free herself, but the gunshots frighten her, and she stops.

‘’The reinforcements have arrived.’’ says the man at the front.

‘’Start the car. Now.’’

The man shouts back, putting his arm around Anastasia's shoulder and pulling her down towards the seats, trying to keep her from getting shot.

And into those shoulders. With bullets raining down and people being killed, she felt safe for the first time.

Crazy? Sure. But it was the truth.

CHAPTER 2

The car continued without stopping. For hours now, they have been driving without a destination. The men who followed them are gone.

They had missed them by a few minutes from the moment they had set off from Anastasia's house.

She is sitting in the back seat of the car without speaking or reacting. Thinking about everything that has happened, she looks out of the window. Her mind is struggling to make sense of the events that have taken place and are about to take place.

The danger wasn't over yet. And it certainly wasn't going to end anytime soon.

The man next to her was sitting quietly, not talking to the other two, not even blinking his eyes. He looked very pensive and certainly inquisitive.

It was all so strange and surreal. It was as if she were in some kind of film.

A film she didn't want to be in.

She didn't know what to feel. She didn't know which feeling was the stronger one.

Fear for her life? The tension and the horror of what they might be able to do to her?

Despair, knowing she could do nothing to escape?

Or curiosity about who they were and what they wanted with her parents?

She could see the sea from the window.

It was dark now, and the only car on the road was theirs. Anastasia realized that they were way out of the city. She'd never been on this side of town—not that she'd been on any other side—but she didn't know this one.

She never left the house. So she made sure to learn as much as she could about the city, inside and out, from a map.

She hadn't seen this particular route on the map, or at least she hadn't noticed it.

The car stopped in front of a large gate made of bars. Anastasia noticed the place around her as the car drove through.

They drove on in the car as the lights from the pillars shone down on the road. There was grass with trees and flowers to the left and right. All neat and very pretty. Like a small park.

Right in front of it was a large fountain. On top of the fountain was a statue of a man standing in a ready position, as if ready to fight. Next to him were two lions. Their mouths were open, showing their big teeth. They too were ready to fight alongside the man, an invisible enemy.

The fountain had lights shining under the water and through the water, while the two lions were spitting water out of their mouths.

There was a large house just beyond the fountain.

It was a two-story house with two balconies on the second floor. The large front door was made of steel but in a modern style. The whole architecture of the house had been designed to look modern yet classic.

Nothing extravagant or overdesigned.

The car pulls up to the entrance. Everyone got out of the car, but Anastasia stayed in her seat. She didn't know what to do. On the one hand, she wanted to get out, scream, and confront them. But on the other hand, she was afraid of them. She was really scared. These people had guns. They were criminals, perhaps even murderers. She could be their next victim.

She wanted her parents. To come to her rescue. Even if they didn't get along, even if they weren't a normal family, they were her parents, and she knew she would be safe.

She wanted to cry. To release all that fear. To not be afraid of anything, not even herself.

‘’Get out, beautiful.’’ One of them said to her: Opening the door for her.

Fearfully, she stepped out of the car. The man in front of her was smiling. He was blond with bright blue eyes. He was a head above her. Anastasia stared at him in disbelief as she tried to process the rest of the scene.

‘’My name is Chris.’’ he introduced himself.

He held out his hand to greet her, but she instinctively stepped back.

‘’Don't scare her, man.’’ said the other man, approaching.

This one was only slightly taller than the previous one but more serious. His green eyes were very piercing and penetrating. His whole appearance showed the seriousness that was radiating from him.

At first glance, he looked completely different.

‘’Keep going; we have other business.’’

Her gaze fell on the man's emerging voice. It was the one sitting with her in the back seat. She was disarmed by his grim and stern gaze. His dark eyes startled her. It was very dark in there. Their eyes locked. And for a moment—just for a moment—Anastasia saw the sadness in those black eyes. Or at least she thought she did.

He turned and headed towards the house.

‘’Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you,’’ the blond man said to her.

‘’Said the man with the gun in his hand,’’ she replied boldly.

He didn't reply. And what was he going to say to her anyway? She was right.

As they entered the house, Anastasia took a look at everything around her. In front of her was a long flight of stairs that split into two at the top. To her left was the lounge. Two large, dark blue sofas with two armchairs decorated the central part of the living room. On the opposite side was a large fireplace, with another armchair next to it and a small table.

Behind the large sofa, there was a large bookshelf with a lot of books and other items on it.

On her right, she saw a large transparent door showing the inside of the room, the house's kitchen. She couldn't see much except for the large dining table in the center. On the left side of the stairs was another door and a lift, which was logically designed to go up and down at a faster rate. On the right side of the staircase were two more doors, but they were closed, so she couldn't see what they were.

‘’At last, you're back. You were late, and I thought something had happened,’’ the girl said as she hugged the other two.

‘’Whatever happened??’’ The dark-haired man says, pointing at Anastasia.

The girl watches Anastasia carefully. She was very pretty.

Like an angel. That's how Anastasia compared her in her mind.

She has blonde hair and blue eyes. A dark blue she had never seen before in her life. Her skin was clear, and her cheeks were red. She looked like a fake.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?’’ She addressed the others, clearly worried.

‘’Let's go inside, and we'll tell you all about it. Stefan?" The black-eyed man asks.

His tone was softer. Nothing like before.

Anastasia didn't say a word. She did nothing. She waited to see what would happen. She followed the rest of them into the living room. She sat down in an armchair and stared into the void. At some point, she began to think that this could all just be a joke. It was a very bad joke. But she knew it was all real.

‘’Here I am.’’

Another man approaches, and, seeing Anastasia, his gaze becomes serious. He looks at the other three and nods. It was as if they were only able to understand each other with their eyes, and he knew that something had gone wrong.

The gears in her mind worked feverishly. She looked around, waiting for someone else to come out, as someone else kept popping up.

‘’Can you tell us what happened?’’ the girl asked again. 

‘’It's not about what happened; it's about what happens now.’’ replied the man with the black eyes.

Anastasia felt him stare at her, piercing her. She lifts her eyes and looks at him with courage. Their eyes meet for three seconds before he looks away. 

‘’What do you suggest we do?’’ the last man asks. 

Stefan, as the others named him, was very quiet and pensive. The glasses he wore made him seem more reasonable and wiser. Perhaps he was the most normal of all after the girl, Anastasia thought.

But still, nothing was normal.

‘’She can't go back. They'll be waiting for her,’’ said the dark-haired man with the green eyes.

‘’Wherever we leave her, they will find her.’’ the blond man said, looking at the others. 

‘’They'll never find her here,’’ said Stefan, looking directly at the man who wasn't talking, just listening.

‘’Why am I safer here? With three criminals kidnapping me and two other accomplices, Yes, I'm perfectly safe’’ Anastasia said indignantly, fully charged by the events. 

The man, who had been sitting quietly, gets up and slowly approaches Anastasia. He stands a step away from her, and his eyes stare at her without blinking. He is so brawny, and his imposing presence makes him even more threatening. 

‘’If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead by now. Don't push your luck.’’

‘’You think I'm afraid of you?’’ She asks boldly, knowing in her heart she is digging her hole. 

Smiling wryly at her, he comes within inches of her face.

‘’You're trembling with fear, little one,’’ he replies, showing her trembling hands with his eyes.

She rubs her hands together and tries to calm herself down. She looks at him with anger. The realization that he is mocking her infuriates her. 

‘’Sure. When I have a murderer in front of me.’’ 

An ironic smile left his lips. Which pleased her greatly. She saw it as having won over him. A small victory, but a victory. 

‘’We better calm down,’’ the blonde man said, stepping between them. 

‘’Because things didn't go as planned due to unfortunate events,’’ the man said, looking at Anastasia sharply. ‘’The solution is one.’’ 

‘’What?’’ asked the blonde girl. 

‘’She will stay with us for a while.’’ 

‘’No. Did you ask me? I don't want to live with anyone. Let me go. I haven't done anything to you. I don't even know you. I don't even know the people who broke into my house. I don't know what you all want from me, but please let me go.’’

‘’Forget it.’’

‘’Why? You don't want to kill me, or you would have done it like you said. What do you want from me? Do you want money?

I'll give it to you, but let me go. I won't tell anyone. My parents are going to come looking for me.’’

Anastasia begged them repeatedly, trying not to cry.

She wanted to wake up from all this. It seemed like a bad dream, and she wanted to wake up. But reality is much worse than any dream. 

‘’Yes, I'm sure they're looking for you.’’ the blond man whispered. 

‘’What do you mean by that?’’ Anastasia asked, as his words had some meaning to them.

‘’He means you will stay here whether you like it or not. And don't even think about running away. You won't be able to. I don't have a lot of patience, so don't push me to the limit.’’ he said, leaving the living room.

'’Who does he think he is? Does he think we'll be scared of him because he has a gun?’’

‘’Sweety, you better calm down. I know that this all seems very strange and scary to you, but I promise you that we're not going to do anything to you. We're keeping you here because it's safe for you. Why don't you get some sleep? You've had a long and tiring day. Tomorrow will be better, you'll see.’’ the girl tells Anastasia to calm her down. 

Anastasia looks at her in a disbelieving way because she doesn't trust anyone. The girl in front of her, however, seemed to be sincere and sympathetic. And she felt too tired to continue this argument.

‘’I don't trust you.’’ She made it clear to them. 

‘’Of course. I'm not telling you that you have to trust us. Just have a little doubt that we're not the bad guys, but the good guys in this case.’’

‘’Yeah, especially about that guy before. I don't have a doubt.’’ Anastasia replies quickly. 

She didn't expect the others to laugh. 

‘’Yes, he has a reputation for being a bad guy.’’ says the blonde man, smiling even wider. 

‘’A dog that barks doesn't bite,’’ the girl replies to Anastasia. 

‘’Let's see what Azor is doing.’’ says the blond man, and they all laugh, even Anastasia. 

‘’Come on, let me show you the room. You can sleep and rest. Tomorrow, with a clearer mind, things will seem easier to you.’’ says the girl, who gets up from the couch.

‘’Easy,’’ Anastasia replies, keeping her reservations. 

‘’Who said life was easy? My name is Alice, by the way.’’ 

Anastasia doesn't answer. She must know her name anyway, she thought. They walked up the stairs, and her mind went to a lot of different places. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring.

What she was in and how deep she was in.

What about her parents? How they were involved in all of this. Because others were after them.

Why would criminals be looking for her parents? 

She doesn't trust anyone. Even if they don't want to hurt her, they want something from her or her parents. She has to be on her guard at all times.

Tomorrow is coming. And everything is on the line!

CHAPTER 3

Anastasia

How do things change in an instant? Unexpectedly. Without any warning, without any sign.

Everything changes and then nothing stays the same.

And what stays the same? Everything you've known and lived has disappeared. How do you cope with the new reality?

Do you have the strength to cope and the courage to continue?

Well, when everything changes, you have to change too.

Your priorities, your emotions, your way of thinking. It's funny how life works. You're born with a blank piece of paper to write your life story on.

Some people write, others copy. The choice is yours.

It will not be an easy journey. But you will be the author and the protagonist.

All night I've been thinking about what happened. My mind can't contain it. There are so many things. So many unbelievable things I can hardly understand. I'm so scared, it's the truth. I'm trying to look brave and calm. But I'm not.

How could I be?

Some people have tried to murder me. Others have kidnapped me. And my parents? They're involved in something. My feelings and my thoughts are all mixed up.

I got up and went to the bathroom to splash water on my face. I couldn't sleep. I don't know if it's because I am overwhelmed by the events or because I am afraid. I don't know what is waiting for me and what I am going to have to deal with. And that's what scares me the most. The unknown. The endless waiting.

I look at myself in the mirror. I don't recognize the face in front of me. Black circles and bloodshot eyes. The look of terror and yet despair. The carefree girl disappeared in a matter of hours, or should I say minutes.

I pour water on my face again, raising the sleeves of my shirt. Again and again. As if I were trying to wake up from a bad dream. Only reality gives nightmares a different meaning.

It's much worse.

I leave the bathroom wiping my face. I am surprised to see one of the men. He also looked surprised as he looked me up and down. His gaze was hard and filled with complete apathy. 

He takes a step forward and I instinctively step back. I wrapped my arms around myself. The fear was not only visible on my face but also in the way my body was reacting at that very moment.

‘’What are you doing here?’’ he asks abruptly.

I look around to try and find something to protect myself with. I felt completely unprotected in front of him.

‘’I asked you a question.’’ he says more pointedly.

‘’This is where the girl told me to sleep,’’ I replied, trying not to stutter.

I can't go back, he's still two steps ahead of me. My back is against the wall and I have no chance of escape.

I look him straight in the eye with what courage I have left.

His black eyes pierce mine. Even with just one look at you, this man can pin you down. In this particular case, negatively, I am scared to death.

‘’And what is that thing you're wearing?’’ he asks without taking his eyes off me.

‘’Shirt,’’ I reply monosyllabically for the obvious.

‘’I see smarty-pants. Who gave it to you?’’

‘’I got it myself. I didn't have anything else to wear.’’ I reply and start to move away, but he puts his hand on the wall to block me.

‘’You had your clothes. As I recall, we didn't bring you naked,’’ he says smugly.

‘’You didn't bring me. You took me by force. That's called kidnapping. In case you don't know. As for my clothes, I took them off because they were dirty and bloody.’’ I reply, irritated by his behavior.

‘’Blood? Are you hurt?" he asks, scanning my body.

‘’Don't worry about it. And why so much interrogation? It's only a shirt.’’

He brings his face close to mine and I freeze. What is he trying to do? Without realizing it, I close my eyes and hold my breath.

‘’You speak too much kiddo?’’ he says in a whisper in my ear.

I open my eyes to a wry smile on his face. Idiot.

‘’Are you trying to scare me?’’

‘’I don't have to try for anything,’’ he replies as he takes something out of the drawer of the bedside table.

‘’Negative emotions come out easier. That's why they're the worst.’’ I reply boldly.

He comes towards me with two long strides and catches me off guard with the suddenness of his movement.

‘’Do you think I'm touched by what you're saying? Or to put it more simply, do you think I care about what you say and what you think in general?’’ he says, glaring at me.

His mouth says one thing and his face says another. I can understand that, but maybe I am reading it the wrong way.

‘’You think I'm afraid of you?’’

‘’I'm sure you are afraid of me. Go to sleep, little girl. You have hard days ahead of you." he says and walks away. 

Days? Are they going to keep me here for days? I have to do something. I won't stay here for days, not even for hours. I have to run away. I have to make a plan and get out of here. Contact my parents. 

‘’What makes you think I'll stay here for another day?’’

What makes you think you can run away? he answers with a question.

He opens the door and walks out. Before he closes it, he turns and looks at me.

‘’My shirt looks good on you,’’ he says, closing the door.

Much as I hate admitting it, he was right. Days have passed and I'm still here. I have tried to run away several times but to no avail.

My desperation has reached the red zone as everything I do seems to lead me to a dead end.

It has been so many days and I have had no contact with my parents.

They should have returned by now.

They must be looking for me. They must have called the police.

In all the days I've been here, I haven't left the room. The girl who introduced herself to me as Alice brings me food here after I refuse to come downstairs.

I haven't seen the other one since that night, nor the others.

I don't have any idea what their intentions might be. I don't know what they want or what they're looking for. Surely this is not a typical kidnapping, otherwise, there would have been a ransom demand, or death, or some form of torture.

But apart from the fact that they won't let me out of this place, they haven't done me any harm or bothered me. At least not yet. 

The door to the room opens with a bang and I see Alice coming in, huffing and puffing.

‘’What happened?’’ I ask, getting up.

‘’You tell me. How are you feeling? Are you feeling dizzy? Does your stomach hurt?" she says angrily.

‘’No, I'm fine.’’ Lie. I feel incredibly weak. The dizziness of the last two days was severe.

She approaches and takes my hand. She makes me sit on the couch, sitting beside me.

‘’Sweetie, why are you doing this to yourself? You've barely eaten anything since you got here. Who are you trying to hurt? Certainly not us.’’ she says in a calm voice. She hesitantly puts her hand on my shoulder and pats me.

‘’I know this is all a lot and difficult. You're having a hard time and you're scared. And if you don't eat, not only will you have no strength, but you might get something worse.’’

"What is the worst that can happen to me? I'm stuck in a house I can't leave. With people I don't know and I don't know what they want from me. Some of them tried to kill me. The same people that are looking for my parents. Who certainly doesn't want them just to talk.

My whole life has changed and there's nothing I can do about it.

I don't have the right to interfere in my own life because you people don't let me do what I want," I say, annoyed at the whole situation.

‘’I know how you feel.’’ she says but I cut her off.

‘’You know? Do you? Do you know what it's like to have someone else decide for you? To feel so alone and desperate? To be angry and frightened at the same time? Do you know what it's like to feel like you've lost yourself? Because right now I feel like I'm living someone else's life and I, Anastasia, am just watching.’’ I answer and the tears start to fall.

‘’Cry. It'll do you good. You are very emotionally charged, and that is understandable. But then wipe your face and get back on your feet. This is where you start to fight, and you need to be strong. You have to take care of yourself because no one else will’’ she says, putting the tray of food on the table.

‘’What do you want from me?’’ I ask again.

‘’Your cooperation. But mostly for your safety. You don't trust us. I can understand that.’’

‘’Trust is earned.’’

‘’Then give us a chance to earn it,’’ she replies, smiling.

She opens the door and turns towards me. The smile fades from her lips. Her bright blue eyes give off a sense of pain. As if she is living what she has just thought.

‘’And yes. I know how you feel. I know all too well. That's why I'm telling you, self-destruction is not the answer,’’ she says and walks away.

A few hours later, after I had my first meal in a long time, I was in no doubt that I had to do something to change this whole situation. I can't go on like this. If I want to know what's going on and how I can get out of here, I've got to get involved in this whole game in some way. I have to stop doing nothing and I have to take action.

What I'm about to do may be wrong, it may even be dangerous, but I've got nothing else to lose. And I'm certain of one thing. Whoever's after me isn't trying to kill me. At least not in a direct way, because their target is my parents.

The house is quiet as I walk down the stairs. I make my way to the living room and see them gathered there.

They look at me like they can't believe what they see. But they say nothing.

I take a deep breath. I look at them one by one.

‘’I'll help you. What do you need from me?’’

They look at each other. They weren't expecting this reaction from me.

‘’Are you sure?’’ asks the blond man who was in the car that day.

‘’Yes. I'm going to try.’’ I say, looking at Alice.

She smiles at me.

‘’Let's get to work,’’ she says, getting off the couch.

I hope I made the right decision.

Because there is no turning back now.

CHAPTER 4

Aris

You plan differently and life brings you differently. Situations that you have calculated one by one change unexpectedly. You can plan down to the smallest detail, but you can never forget the unpredictable factors.

The plan didn't work out the way we wanted. We didn't expect them to act so quickly. Let alone so ruthlessly. Of course, we expected others to try to kidnap or even kill her, but not so quickly.

On one hand, this worked to our advantage, as we now have her. On the other hand, it wasn't planned. It was too soon.

But what choice did we have?

We're going to keep her here for some time. How long, I don't know. Time will tell.

Of course, it's the last thing on my mind at the moment.

We need to find out who they were that day. They weren't expecting us either. Which means they've been watching the house for a while.

'’Are you going to tell us what you think?" Chris asks.

We were all in the library discussing our next steps. We are all a little worried about the situation. 

'’They must have been watching the house for some time before they decided to move. That means they knew when she would be alone in the house.''  I replied thoughtfully.

'’If they were watching the house, they would have been onto us long ago. We've been watching the house for almost a month. But they seemed completely surprised by our presence.'' Vassili says very aptly. 

'’We are no amateurs like them to understand us. Even if we were in front of them, they wouldn't even see us. After seeing them, they were completely useless. They couldn't even fight,'' says Chris. 

'’Which makes it even stranger,'' Stefan adds.

'’What do you mean?'’ Chris asks, sitting down beside Alice.

'’They send a couple of men out to kidnap a girl. They enter the house easily, as they seem to know their way around. They don't care about the trouble they cause by shouting or shooting. More importantly, have you seen many men try to kidnap or blackmail a girl and they are overmatched, so they know what to do? What I'm trying to say is that they weren't professionals. And in our business and cases like this, they always send professionals.'' Stefan responds to my already existing thoughts.

Stefan's words leave the others skeptical and pondering.

Stefan is the calmest and most reasonable of the group. Perhaps the fact that he is a lawyer has left a certain mark on his character.

Certainly that has been the case since I met him. Always measured his words. He knew when he should speak and when he should not. When to intervene and when not. In my opinion, he's the voice of reason when the rest of us don't have a good ear.

‘’So what does that mean?'’ Chris asks.

Chris, however, is the opposite of Stefan. He is impulsive and sometimes reckless. He doesn't think before he acts, and he certainly doesn't argue. He's very spontaneous and logic has long lost its battle against him. But he's the most honest and open-hearted of us all. He is the madness this house needs and the man you know would kill for you.

He's been through a lot in his life at a young age. Things that someone else in his position might not have endured. But he did. And most importantly, he never lost his smile.

‘’That someone is playing a game with us,'' I reply, getting up from my desk. 

'’What are we going to do now?'' asks Alice.

'’We need to find her parents,'’ Vassili says.

'’It won't be easy,'' Stefan concludes.

'’We have the means to make it easier,'' I say with a glance at the door.

Alice stands immediately, looking at us individually. 

'’We won't use her, especially in her condition. We can do this job, but let's not lose our humanity,'' she replies angrily.

Her blue eyes look at me, critical and frustrated. Alice can't stand injustice. Unfortunately, our jobs are filled with them. She's the one who keeps us all together and she takes care of us more than we take care of ourselves. I believe we wouldn't be together today without her. She's the link. And the only one who can talk back to us without being afraid.

‘’We haven't used her since she said she was going to help us,'' Vassili says, trying to calm her down.

'’Since she won't know the whole truth, what do you think we're doing?''

'’It's not our job to tell her the truth,'' Stefan replies.

'’I agree with Alice.'' Chris says, hugging her.

'’You don't have a vote anyway.'’ Vassili mocks him.

'’Why don't I get a vote, please?''

'’Because little children shouldn't get involved in grown-up things,'’ he says, and Chris sulks.

'’I don't do business with cops. Talk to my lovely hologram.'' Chris says and points to his back.

Yes, Vassili is a cop. Which is very ironic and contradictory because of the work we do. But it has helped us a lot. It's a great advantage for us. To know what's going on inside the police. So we're one step ahead.

Of course, Vassili forbids us to interfere in police matters. He's very strict about that.

Even with the work we do, he tries to be correct and unbiased in his work as a police officer. Only when it is necessary does he break his ethical rules.

Vassili is one of the most ethical and fair people I have ever met. The one thing he won't tolerate is lying. When it comes to that he shuts down completely and does not listen to anyone.

He's an absolutist, which hasn't always worked out well for him. But he realizes his mistakes and does everything he can to correct them.

'’I have to go. I have a study assignment. Don't forget to give the fruitcake to the children, Alice,'' Stefan says and leaves without waiting to answer.

'’Lawyer my ass,'' Chris says as soon as the door closes.

'’I can plead my case better than he can,'’ Vassili says.

'’Let's go, boys, and I'll feed you.'’

'’Alice.'' they both say angrily in one voice and she laughs.

It is evening now and the house is quiet. Stefan has not returned. Of course, that is to be expected, as he is always working late at the office.

I get up from my chair and walk out of the office. I had to check some last-minute documents.

I could see a small amount of light coming from the living room. I tried to listen for any kind of movement or voice, but there was no sound at all. 

I pull out the gun and point it in front of me. I take slow steps toward the living room, looking around for any possible danger.

When I enter the living room, the lamp on the coffee table is on and the little girl is kneeling in front of the balcony door with a pair of tweezers in her hand.

'’What are you doing?'’ I ask curtly, lowering the gun.

'’Oh, my God.'' she says, turning abruptly.

She falls backward and clutches her chest anxiously. She starts to breathe very fast and closes her eyes to calm