The clock ticked softly in the corner of James's study as he flipped through a stack of business documents. The room smelled faintly of old books and coffee, the only sound the scratching of his pen against paper. Although they've been no news of Lila's abduction which also made me so worried.
Then suddenly his phone rang.
The sudden sound made him pause. He frowned when he noticed the number was unknown. For a moment, he considered ignoring it, but something maybe curiosity, maybe instinct made him pick up.
He lifted the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" he said, voice calm but wary.
A low chuckle came through the line, slow and deliberate.
"Hello, brother."
James froze. His grip on the phone tightened slightly.
"I'm sorry," he said carefully. "Who is this?" He asked.
The voice on the other end smiled through the static.
"Oh, come on now, James… don't tell me you've forgotten me already. I still remember the sound your father made that night."
A cold shiver ran down James's spine.
James heart pounded against his ribs, for a second he couldn't move an inch nor breath.
"Who are you?" he demanded, though his voice came out lower than intended.
The man on the phone no Elliot laughed again, that same slow, chilling sound that made the room feel colder.
"You really don't remember, do you?" he said softly. "It's been years, but I never forgot. Not the voice, not the betrayal…."
For a moment, James froze, his throat tightening. "Elliot?" he whispered.
"Ah, finally," Elliot replied with a bitter smirk in his voice. "I was beginning to think guilt had erased me from your memory."
James's heart dropped. "What do you want from me?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice steady.
"What I've always wanted," Elliot said coldly. "The life you stole from me. The company. The power. The respect that should've been mine."
James exhaled shakily, running a hand through his hair. "Elliot, whatever you think happened, we can talk about it. But now isn't the timemy daughter is missing"
"Oh, I know," Elliot interrupted, his tone low and calm. "In fact, that's the reason I called."
James frowned, confusion flashing across his face. "What are you talking about?"
"You're searching in the wrong places, James," Elliot said softly. "Because Lila is right here with me."
For a moment, silence filled the line. The only sound James could hear was the pounding of his own heartbeat.
"W-what did you just say?" he stammered.
"You heard me," Elliot replied, his voice smooth and cruel. "Your precious daughter is with me. Safe for now… but how long she stays that way depends on you."
James's breath hitched, his knees weakening. "If you hurt her"
"Relax," Elliot cut in sharply. "I haven't touched her. Yet. But if you want her to stay alive, you're going to do exactly as I say."
James's pulse quickened. "What do you want?"
Elliot's tone turned even colder than before. "Tell the police to stop searching. Tell your men to back off. No one comes looking for her. No one. You'll announce that the investigation is over. Once that's done, you'll transfer the company every share, every title to me. In exchange, you'll get your daughter back."
"Elliot, listen…this isn't…"
"If you refuse," Elliot interrupted, his voice dropping to a whisper, "Lila dies."
James's world seemed to stop. His mind went blank. The room around him blurred into nothing but darkness and the sound of his own ragged breathing.
"Don't do this," he said finally, his voice trembling. "She's innocent."
Elliot let out a low, humorless chuckle. "Innocence doesn't exist in our family, brother. You taught me that."
Before James could respond, the line went dead.
He stood there, frozen, the phone still pressed to his ear. His entire body trembled as realization sank in. His own brotherthe man he once loved and trusted although he betrayed him for his own greedy desires, was the one holding his daughter hostage.
The door creaked open.
"James?"
He turned quickly. His wife stood in the doorway, her expression anxious, her face pale while her eyes looking tired from crying. "Who were you talking to?" she asked softly. "Was it about Lila? Did they find her?"
James swallowed hard, lowering the phone. "No," he whispered, shaking his head slowly.
She stepped closer, worry deepening in her eyes. "Then what is it? You look like you just seen a ghost."
He hesitated, his chest tightening. "It was Elliot," he said finally.
Her eyes widened. "Elliot? Your brother?", "yes, and he's out of jail" James responded.
His voice hollow. "He's the one keeping Lila. He said he'll only release her if I give him the company."
Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my God…"
"He said if I don't stop the search," James continued bitterly, "he'll kill her."
Tears filled her eyes as she clutched her chest. "James, we have to tell the police…"
"No we can't," he cut her off sharply, shaking his head. "He said if we involve anyone, she dies."
A tense silence filled the room. Outside, thunder rumbled faintly as the wind howled against the windows.
James turned away, staring blankly at the floor. "He's not bluffing," he whispered. "He's already gone this far. I can't risk her life."
His wife's voice broke. "Then what are we going to do?"
James looked up slowly, his jaw tightening. "Whatever it takes," he said quietly. "If he wants the company, he can have it. I just want my daughter back."
But deep down, a flicker of something darker stirred in his chest rage. And as he stared into the storm outside, one thought echoed in his mind:
Elliot may have started this war, but I'm going to finish it.
The soft morning light filtered weakly through the curtains, brushing across the bed where James lay beside his wife. For the first time in days, exhaustion had finally pulled him into a restless sleep though it was far from peaceful.
But the shrill sound of his phone shattered the fragile silence.
He jolted awake, heart racing, the sound slicing through the early morning calm. His wife stirred beside him, blinking drowsily.
"James?" she murmured, her voice heavy with sleep.
He reached for the phone on the bedside table. The screen glowed "Unknown Number."
His stomach twisted. He didn't need to guess who it was, cause he already knew it was no other person than his brother who kidnapped his daughter and now keeping her hostage.
"James…" his wife began, worry creeping into her tone.
But he was already answering. "Elliot," he breathed, bringing the phone to his ear.
A faint chuckle came through the line slow and cold, the kind that made the hairs on his arms stand.
"Good morning, little brother," Elliot said smoothly. "I hope I didn't wake you."
James sat up, running a hand through his hair. "What do you want now?" he snapped, his patience thinning.
"Ah, straight to business," Elliot replied, amused. "You haven't changed."
James's wife sat up beside him, clutching the blanket to her chest, her eyes fixed anxiously on his face.
"I told you my terms last night," Elliot continued. "And I'm calling to see if you've come to your senses yet."
"I need proof that she's alive," James said sharply. "I want to hear her voice."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, faintly, he heard a sound a muffled cry, like someone trying to speak through a gag.
"Lila?" James called out, his chest tightening. "Lila! Baby, can you hear me?"
A faint sob came through, followed by a man's cruel laughter.
"She's alive," Elliot said calmly. "For now. But time, James… time isn't your friend."
James gritted his teeth, his voice low and shaking. "If you hurt her, I swear"
"You'll what?" Elliot interrupted, his voice turning icy. "You had your chance to protect this family years ago, and you failed. Don't make the same mistake twice."
James's wife placed a trembling hand on his arm. "Please, ask him what he wants," she whispered, tears already forming in her eyes.
Elliot's tone darkened. "You know what I want. The company. Every last piece of it. I want the official transfer by midnight, James. And I mean midnight. No police. No tricks. No lawyers. You'll get your daughter when I get what's mine."
"Elliot, listen to me…."
But Elliot's voice cut through like a blade. "One more word, and I'll let you hear what it sounds like when she screams."
The line went dead.
James lowered the phone slowly, his breathing heavy and uneven. His wife covered her mouth, shaking her head in disbelief.
"James," she whispered, "he's serious. We can't just"
"I know," James muttered under his breath, his jaw tightening. "But I can't give him the company. If I do, he'll destroy everything… and he still might not let her go."
"Then what do we now do?" she asked, her voice trembling.
He stood up, walking to the window, staring out at the grey morning sky. His reflection looked back at him worn, haunted, but determined.
"We find him," James said quietly. "We find him before midnight."
His wife frowned. "But he said no police…"
"I'm not calling the police," James replied firmly. "I'll handle this myself."