I found myself seated in the unforgiving chair of the punishment room,
my heart heavy with a complex mix of emotions as I watched Vanessa endure a torment that, in some twisted way, offered me a fleeting sense of relief.
Each lash she received felt like a small measure of justice, her sins, after all, were too numerous to count.
She had woven a web of deceit and betrayal that left scars on everyone she had touched, and now it was time for her to face the consequences of her actions.
"Stop this, Killian! I'm your mother too!" she wailed, her voice choked with sobs that echoed against the cold walls, pleading for mercy, mercy I had no intention of giving.
I leaned forward, my voice barely above a whisper but dripping with contempt.
"You can never be my mother. You are nothing more than a vile and scheming woman who destroyed our family for your own gain."
Her eyes flashed with fury as she struggled against her restraints, and with each sharp crack of the whip that sliced through the air, she growled through gritted teeth,
"You're asking for your own death, Killian. Klein will never let this slide."
A bitter laugh escaped my lips, fueled by a mixture of anger and disbelief.
"You know, Vanessa, your hands are stained with blood, my father's blood! You framed my innocent mother just to usurp her place and seize everything that was rightfully ours. You wanted nothing more than to hand over all my inheritance and possessions to Klein." I scoffed, shaking my head at the depths of her greed.
"Argh! Let go of me!" she screamed, her pleas growing more desperate, but my resolve only strengthened as I watched her squirm.
Just then, my phone buzzed insistently in my pocket, and I stepped outside the grim room to take the call, desperate for a distraction, but what I heard next sent a chilling shiver down my spine.
"Hello, Hab?" I answered, my heart racing in anticipation.
"What?" I exclaimed, my voice rising in disbelief as Hab's words cut through my consciousness like a knife.
"Amanda's been kidnapped! How could this happen?
No way! I'll scour the entire world to find her! Anyone who dares to lay a hand on her will find themselves wishing they hadn't been born," I raged, my mind clouded with fear and urgency.
"Reid! Track Amanda using the GPS, hurry!" I commanded, my voice sharp and decisive as Reid nodded and set to work, his fingers flying over the screen.
"Hahaha!" Vanessa's laughter pierced my thoughts, pulling my gaze back to her, my anger igniting anew as I glared at her with furious red-rimmed eyes.
"What? You think it's a joke?" I bellowed, my voice reverberating off the bare walls.
"She's not gonna make it; she'll soon be long gone," Vanessa taunted, her sickening glee only intensifying my rage.
"Sir, I've tracked her location!" Reid informed me, his voice steady but urgent amid the chaos.
"Beat the pulp out of her until she confesses to what she's done!" I barked at my guards, fury boiling within me.
"No, no, no, Killian!" Vanessa screamed, panic flickering in her eyes as she recognized the depths of my desperation.
But at that moment, my mind was consumed with one singular, overwhelming thought: Amanda.
My heart raced as I prayed for her safety, knowing deep down that time was running out.
I jumped into my car, racing towards the building indicated by the GPS, my pulse hammering in my ears.
As I pulled up to the abandoned warehouse, a sense of dread washed over me.
I felt as if a storm was brewing inside me, a chaotic whirlwind of anxiety and fear.
"Issa, I need details on everyone who dared to lay their hands on my wife. Yes, right now!" I barked at one of my trackers, urgency fueling my words.
But as I rushed towards the warehouse, the world around me blurred into insignificance, and in that moment
*BOOM!*
The explosive sound incapacitated my senses, and I stood frozen in horror.
The building erupted in flames and debris, engulfing everything within it.
"Amanda!" I screamed, my voice cracking as the reality of the situation crashed down on me like a tidal wave.
No! There was no way I could lose her. I had already suffered enough loss in my life, losing my father had nearly shattered me, and now it felt as though I was on the brink of losing the one person who had brought me hope and light.
"Get her out of there! Amanda! Someone do something! Help her!" I shouted, desperate to rush in, but my guards restrained me, pulling me back from the inferno.
"No, Reid, she's in there! I need to get her out of there, do you understand?" I hollered, my heart pounding so violently I feared it would burst from my chest.
My mind was a chaotic jumble; reason had fled, replaced only by a primal instinct to save her.
It was utter madness. I just witnessed the building explode, my heart sinking at the thought of Amanda being trapped inside, along with our unborn child.
"She has to be safe; oh God, she has to be!" Panic clawed at me as fire extinguishers roared to life around me, but all I could think about was getting to her, and nothing could stop me.
"No, Boss, it's dangerous," one of my guards cautioned as I surged forward.
"Mr. Drakes, I advise you to hold on. Let us put out the fire first," one of the firemen pleaded with urgency, but I could hardly hear him over my racing thoughts.
"No! My wife is in there! She's pregnant with our child." I cried, feeling raw and vulnerable for the first time in forever.
My hands trembled, betraying my exterior strength, as panic surged through me like a violent current.
Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I found myself weeping uncontrollably, a vulnerability I had never shown before overtaking me.
"Amanda! Don't leave me! Please, don't leave me!"
In that moment, nothing mattered except for her, to feel her in my arms again, to have her close, to relish in her gentle presence.
I wanted her to teach me how to cook, to run her soft hands through my hair, to share a laugh in safety and joy.
"Reid, I can't live without her! You have to do something now!" I commanded my friend through gritted teeth, desperation lacing my voice.
"Boss, we're doing our best! Why don't I take you home?" Reid suggested gently, but a surge of indignation rushed through me.
"Home? There's no home without Amanda! No home without my father!" I yelled, once again raking my hands over my face, overwhelmed by the bewildering swirl of frustration, sorrow, and helplessness.
I felt stripped bare, vulnerable like never before, as if my heart was laid open for the world to see.