Chapter 20: Missing-1
The morning sun bled gold over the skyline, but inside the car, the air felt strangely thick.
She didn’t know where he was taking her.
But it wasn’t to coffee.
+25 Pomta
Maya’s throat tightened. Her fingers itched to reach for her phone, but it was buried deep in her
bag and her limbs felt too slow, too heavy. Her heartbeat thudded louder with every second, but her body… her body was slipping. Numb. Disconnected.
Outside the window, the buildings smeared into colorless shapes. Her stomach twisted.
Two hours of sleep. That had to be it. Or the stress. The fourteen-hour shift. The relentless
pressure.
Her hands rested in her lap like stone.
Beckett’s voice floated from the driver’s seat – casual, low – but the words scattered before they
reached her.
She turned her head toward him slowly.
He was sipping from a large water bottle, nearly empty now. She hadn’t noticed it before- the way he drank from it repeatedly. The way he kept glancing at her like he was… waiting.
Something coiled in her gut.
“Maya?” he asked gently. “You alright?”
She tried to nod. She thought she did. But her head barely moved. Her mouth was dry. Her pulse – slow, almost sluggish.
The soft hum of the engine, the low vibration beneath the tires – it all blurred together, lulling her like a rocking cradle.
Then nausea surged up her throat. Not from nerves. Not from hunger.
Something was wrong.
Very, very wrong.
Her head lolled slightly to the side.
“Sleepy?” Beckett asked, not even glancing at her. His tone was too light. Too calm.
She forced a breath. “Y-yeah. Didn’t… sleep…”
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Chapter 20 Missing 1
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He took another long pull from the water bottle. It was nearly empty now. Whatever was in it… he had consumed most of it himself.
Or so it seemed.
“Just rest,” he murmured. “You’ll feel better soon.”
Her pulse skipped.
She hadn’t drunk anything. So why did her body feel like it was fading?
The air in the car was wrong. Sweet. Chemical. Too warm. Too still.
She blinked. Once. Twice.
But her vision blurred.
Her limbs wouldn’t move.
Her tongue was heavy in her mouth, and her thoughts – once sharp-faded into static.
She tried to lift a hand. Failed.
And then – just before darkness swallowed her whole – she saw it.
The twisted smile on Beckett’s lips.
Not kind. Not casual. Not human.
Just satisfied.
“Jamie…” she thought faintly, the name floating in the fog before everything went dark.
8:30 a.m.
At Blackwood Enterprises, the day was already in full swing.
The glass doors of the lobby rotated steadily as the morning rush poured into the building. Elevators dinged. Heels clicked. Suits brushed past one another like pieces in a well-oiled
machine.
But one person was missing.
In the sleek halls of the west wing PR Department, James Horton stepped out of the elevator. In one hand, he held a neatly clipped procurement file. In the other, a tablet with Damien’s handwritten notes and final sign-off.
He didn’t usually hand-deliver these things himself, but Damien had been specific this morning: ”
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Give it directly to Trina.”
James didn’t ask questions. He never did.
+25 Points
He entered the PR department, pausing just beyond the glass partition. Trina was at her desk, mid-conversation with a junior associate, her tone brisk as she gave instructions and pointed to a series of marked-up documents spread across the desk.
Harper stood nearby, leaning against the edge with her signature lavender mug in hand, listening
His footsteps were quiet but purposeful as he approached.
Both women looked up as James neared.
“Mr. Horton,” Trina greeted, offering a polite smile. “Is that the approval for the media procurement?”
James nodded once. “From Mr. Blackwood. Approved and signed. He asked me to deliver it to you personally. Please make sure to apply the adjustments per his notes – strict instructions.”
—
Trina accepted the folder, her brows lifting slightly at the formal handoff. “Understood. Thank you.”
James was about to leave when something caught his eye.
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.