Inside the dark car, the air felt freezing. Antonio sat in the driver's seat, playing with a knife. Eimi was huddled in the back, her eyes wide with fear. Suddenly, Antonio's phone rang again.
It was Marco.
Antonio laughed and pressed the speaker button. "You are fast, Marco. Are you already missing your bride?"
"How much?" Marco's voice came through the phone. It was flat and cold, like a machine. "I told you I will pay. Name the price and don't you dare touch her. If there is even one scratch on her skin, I will spend every cent I own to make sure you suffer for the rest of your life."
Antonio leaned back, a mean smile on his face. He wanted to hurt Marco. He wanted to make the powerful billionaire lose his mind.
"Don't worry so much, Marco," Antonio said, looking at Eimi through the mirror. "Your little princess is very safe for now. And I have to say... she is very beautiful. In this black dress, she looks incredibly hot. I swear, I can't stop looking at her."
Eimi felt sick. She tried to pull her dress over her knees, feeling exposed and disgusted.
"If she were my wife," Antonio continued, his voice oily and gross, "I would be thankful to God every single night. I wouldn't leave her alone in a villa. I would stay in bed with her all day."
The Dark Voice
There was a long, terrifying silence on the other end of the line. For five seconds, the only sound was the wind hitting the car.
Then, Marco spoke.
His voice was different now. It wasn't the voice of the man who painted lakes or the man who argued about contracts. It was a dark, dangerous growl. It was the voice of a man who was ready to kill.
"Antonio," Marco said, his voice so deep it made the phone vibrate. "Listen to me very carefully. You think you are safe because you are in the woods. You think you are powerful because you have a knife."
Marco's voice dropped even lower, becoming a whisper that felt like a shadow in the car.
"I am tracking your phone right now. I have already found the tower you are using. I am coming for you. And when I find you, I won't call the police. I won't call the guards. I am going to tear you apart with my own two hands for even thinking about her like that."
Antonio's smile disappeared. He looked at the phone, suddenly feeling nervous.
"Every word you just said about her... I will make you regret every single one," Marco continued. His voice sounded like it was coming from the depths of hell. "You have thirty minutes to live, Antonio. Use them to say your prayers. Because when I get there, even God won't be able to save you from me."
The Race Against Time
Marco hung up the phone.
Antonio stared at the screen, his hands starting to shake. He looked at Eimi, then at the dark trees outside. He had tried to make Marco angry, but he had accidentally woken up a monster.
"He's lying," Antonio whispered to himself, his face turning pale. "He's just a rich boy. He's not coming."
But Eimi saw the look in Antonio's eyes—it was pure fear. She realized then that Marco wasn't just a businessman protecting an investment. He was a man who was truly, dangerously protective of her.
Deep in the distance, the sound of a fast engine started to roar. It was getting closer.
Marco was coming. And he wasn't coming to talk.