The evening sky was painted in soft shades of orange and purple as Anna stepped out of the office building.
Her heart felt light.
For the first time in a long while, everything seemed… right.
Vincent.
Just thinking about him made her smile.
The memory of his touch, the warmth in his eyes, the way he had held her like she actually mattered—it all felt real. Too real to ignore. Too real to pretend anymore.
She hugged her bag closer as she walked down the quiet street Sheila had unknowingly marked for her.
The street was unusually silent.
No cars. No voices. Just the faint rustling of leaves and the echo of her footsteps.
Anna slowed slightly.
Something didn't feel right.
Her instincts whispered a warning, but she shook it off.
"Relax," she muttered to herself. "You're just overthinking."
She had barely taken another step when—
A van screeched to a stop beside her.
Her heart dropped.
Before she could react, the door slid open.
Two men jumped out.
"Hey—!"
One grabbed her arm violently.
Another clamped a hand over her mouth.
Anna struggled, kicking and twisting, panic surging through her veins.
"Mmmph—!"
Her scream was swallowed by the rough hand covering her mouth.
"No noise," one of them growled.
Tears filled her eyes as she fought harder, but it was useless.
They dragged her into the van.
The door slammed shut.
And just like that—
She was gone.
Across the city, Vincent sat in his private study.
The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of a desk lamp casting shadows across his sharp features.
A file lay open in front of him.
Anna.
But not the Anna he knew.
This was different.
Background reports.
Old records.
Fragments of a past she had never spoken about.
Vincent leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.
Something had been bothering him.
For days now.
There was something about Anna… something that didn't add up.
No clear family history.
No strong connections.
Too many missing pieces.
And Vincent hated missing pieces.
He picked up a document again.
"Father: Unknown."
His jaw tightened.
Unknown?
That didn't sit right with him.
Everyone had a past.
Everyone had roots.
So why did Anna's feel… erased?
He tapped his fingers lightly against the desk.
"Find out who her father is," he had ordered earlier that day.
"And whether he's alive."
Now he was waiting.
Waiting for answers.
But something in his gut told him…
Whatever he was about to uncover would change everything.
His phone rang.
Vincent frowned slightly, glancing at the screen.
Helen.
He answered immediately.
"What is it?"
But the moment he heard her voice—
He knew something was wrong.
"Vincent!" Helen's voice was shaking. "Anna—Anna is gone!"
His entire body went still.
"What do you mean 'gone'?" His voice dropped dangerously low.
"She—she was supposed to meet me, but she never showed up. I tried calling her—her phone is off. And someone said they saw a van—"
Silence.
A deadly silence.
Vincent stood up slowly.
The air in the room shifted instantly.
Cold.
Sharp.
Terrifying.
"Say that again," he said quietly.
Helen swallowed.
"She was taken."
That was all it took.
The file on his desk was forgotten.
His thoughts went blank—
Then exploded into pure, controlled fury.
"They made a mistake," Vincent said softly.
Helen shivered at the tone of his voice.
Because it wasn't anger.
It was something far worse.
It was promise.
"I'm going to find her," he continued.
"And when I do…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Helen already understood.
Meanwhile…
Anna's vision blurred as the van came to a stop.
Her hands were tied.
Her head throbbed.
Fear coiled tightly in her chest.
The door opened.
"Out."
She was dragged out roughly and pulled into a dark warehouse.
Her heart pounded as she looked around.
Men.
Weapons.
And at the center of it all—
A man.
Maverick.
He stood still as Anna was forced to her knees in front of him.
For a moment, he said nothing.
He just… stared.
His expression shifted.
Confusion.
Then something deeper.
Something almost… unsettling.
Anna's breathing quickened.
"W-who are you?" she whispered.
But Maverick didn't respond.
He stepped closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like he was seeing something impossible.
His eyes scanned her face.
Every detail.
Every feature.
His breathing changed.
"No…" he muttered under his breath.
Anna frowned, confused and terrified.
"What do you want from me?!"
Still no answer.
Maverick crouched in front of her now, his gaze intense.
Too intense.
"What's your name?" he asked quietly.
"A-Anna…"
His expression darkened.
"No."
He shook his head slightly.
"That's not what I asked."
Anna's fear spiked.
"That is my name!"
Maverick's jaw tightened.
But his eyes…
They softened.
Just slightly.
"Mirabel…" he whispered.
Anna froze.
"What?"
But Maverick had already stood up, stepping back like he had seen a ghost.
One of his men approached cautiously.
"Boss… is everything okay?"
Maverick didn't respond immediately.
His mind was racing.
Memories.
A face from years ago.
A girl he had loved once.
A girl he had lost.
Mirabel.
And now—
This girl.
Anna.
She looked exactly like her.
Not just similar.
The same eyes.
The same expression.
The same presence.
It was impossible.
"Boss?" the man repeated.
Maverick snapped back to reality.
His expression hardened instantly.
"Get out," he said coldly.
The men hesitated.
"But—"
"I said get out!"
They quickly obeyed, leaving him alone with Anna.
Anna's breathing was uneven.
"Who is Mirabel?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Maverick didn't answer immediately.
He walked slowly around her, studying her from every angle.
"You shouldn't be here," he finally said.
Anna's confusion deepened.
"You're the one who kidnapped me!"
Maverick stopped.
Then turned to face her again.
"That wasn't supposed to happen."
Anna blinked.
"What?"
But before he could respond—
The door opened again.
Sheila walked in.
Confident.
Calm.
Calculating.
Her eyes immediately locked onto Anna.
And for a split second—
Satisfaction flickered across her face.
"Well," she said smoothly, "looks like the plan worked."
Anna's heart dropped.
"You…"
Understanding hit her like a wave.
"You did this?"
Sheila smiled faintly.
"Don't look so shocked."
Anna's chest tightened.
"Why?"
The question came out broken.
"Why would you do this?"
Sheila stepped closer.
"Because you don't belong in Vincent's life."
Anna's eyes filled with tears.
"And you do?"
Sheila's expression hardened slightly.
"I was there first."
Maverick watched the exchange silently, his mind still unsettled.
Something about this didn't feel right anymore.
Sheila turned to him.
"So? Everything went smoothly?"
Maverick didn't answer immediately.
His gaze shifted between Sheila and Anna.
Then he spoke.
"This changes things."
Sheila frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Maverick's voice was calm, but firm.
"She's not just leverage anymore."
Anna looked at him, confused.
Sheila narrowed her eyes.
"What are you talking about?"
Maverick didn't explain.
Instead, he turned away slightly.
"We proceed carefully."
Sheila crossed her arms.
"I thought the plan was simple. Use her to get Vincent."
Maverick's eyes darkened.
"It was."
His gaze flickered briefly to Anna again.
"But now… it's not."
Sheila noticed.
And for the first time—
She felt uneasy.
Across the city…
Vincent stood in the middle of his war room.
Men surrounded him.
Weapons were being prepared.
Phones were ringing.
Information was being gathered.
The atmosphere was deadly.
"Find the van," Vincent ordered coldly.
"I want every camera in the city checked."
"Yes, boss."
"Track her phone."
"It's off, sir."
Vincent's jaw tightened.
"Then track everything else."
His eyes burned with intensity.
"They took what's mine."
Silence filled the room.
Because everyone knew—
This wasn't just business anymore.
This was personal.
Very personal.
Vincent turned slightly, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"I don't care who did it."
"I don't care where they're hiding."
His fists clenched.
"But when I find them…"
His eyes darkened completely.
"They'll wish they never touched her."
Back in the warehouse…
Anna sat silently, her heart racing.
Everything had changed.
Vincent.
Sheila.
Maverick.
Nothing made sense anymore.
But one thing was clear—
She was at the center of something far bigger than she understood.
And somewhere deep inside…
A truth was waiting to be uncovered.
A truth about her.