Yuna:
Pain.
That was the first thing Yuna felt.
A sharp, throbbing pain spreading from her head down to her body.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly.
Everything was blurry at first.
Dim.
Dusty.
She blinked a few times, trying to focus.
Where… am I?
The air smelled of rust and oil. The place was quiet—too quiet. Only faint sounds of metal clinking somewhere in the distance echoed through the space.
As her vision cleared, she realized—
She was in a garage.
An old one.
Abandoned, maybe.
Sunlight slipped through broken gaps in the walls and ceiling, forming thin beams that cut through the darkness.
Yuna tried to move—
But her body didn't respond the way she expected.
Her hands.
Her legs.
Tied.
Rough rope digging into her skin.
Her breath hitched.
"No…"
She pulled slightly, testing the ropes.
Too tight.
Her heart started beating faster.
"What… what happened…"
She forced herself to think.
To remember.
Fragments came back.
The road.
The sea.
Her tears.
The speed.
Then—
A blinding light.
A truck.
Her hands gripping the steering wheel—
The sharp turn—
And—
The crash.
Her breath became uneven.
"I crashed…"
She remembered the sound.
The impact.
The smell of smoke.
The engine hissing.
Her head falling forward.
Then—
Darkness.
But that wasn't all.
Her brows furrowed as she tried harder.
There was something else.
After the crash.
Yes—
She remembered faint voices.
A car stopping.
Doors opening.
Footsteps.
Someone saying something she couldn't fully hear.
Her body being lifted.
She had tried to move—
But she couldn't.
And then—
Nothing.
Yuna's eyes widened slightly.
"…I was taken."
Her chest tightened.
"I was kidnapped."
Fear slowly crept in.
Cold.
Heavy.
Real.
She looked around again.
No one.
No guards in sight.
Just silence.
Her fingers tightened against the rope.
"Think, Yuna… think…"
She started moving her wrists slightly, trying to loosen the knots.
The rope burned against her skin.
She winced but didn't stop.
"If I can just—"
The rope didn't budge.
She tried her legs.
Nothing.
Her breathing grew heavier.
"Come on…"
She twisted her wrists again, ignoring the pain.
Her skin was already turning red.
Still—
Nothing.
Tears stung her eyes, but she forced them back.
"No… don't panic…"
She whispered to herself,
"You can get out of this…"
She had to.
For herself.
For—
Ethan.
The thought of him made her chest ache.
Her movements slowed.
"…Ethan…"
A flash of memory hit her.
The room.
Valentina.
His hands.
Yuna shut her eyes tightly.
"No…"
Her voice broke slightly.
"Not now…"
She shook her head, forcing the thought away.
This wasn't the time.
She needed to survive.
She took a deep breath and tried again—
And then—
Footsteps.
Her entire body froze.
The sound echoed through the garage.
Slow.
Heavy.
Not just one.
Several.
Her heart started pounding violently.
Her eyes locked onto the entrance.
A shadow appeared first.
Then another.
And then—
A man stepped into the light.
Tall.
Well-dressed.
Calm.
Dangerous.
Behind him, several men followed.
Yuna's breath caught.
The man looked at her—
And smiled.
Not kindly.
Not warmly.
But like someone who had already won.
"Awake already?"
His voice was smooth.
Controlled.
Yuna stared at him, fear and anger mixing in her eyes.
"Who are you?"
He walked closer, his shoes echoing against the concrete floor.
"You don't recognize me?"
She didn't answer.
He stopped right in front of her.
Then slightly tilted his head.
"Disappointing."
A small smirk appeared on his lips.
"My name is Adrian Moretti."
The name meant nothing to her.
But the way he said it—
Made it feel important.
Dangerous.
He crouched slightly to her level.
"You caused quite a scene last night."
Yuna's jaw tightened.
"You kidnapped me."
He chuckled softly.
"Such a harsh word."
"Let me go."
His smile didn't fade.
"I don't think I will."
Her eyes hardened.
"What do you want?"
Adrian studied her face for a moment.
Then said quietly—
"You."
Silence filled the space.
Yuna's heart dropped.
He stood up again.
"You're more valuable than you realize."
Her breath became uneven.
"…To who?"
Adrian's smile widened slightly.
"To the man who's going to come looking for you."
A pause.
Then—
"To Ethan."
Yuna's eyes widened.
Adrian turned away slightly, adjusting his sleeve.
"I've been waiting a long time to get his attention like this."
Her voice shook slightly.
"…You're using me."
He glanced back at her.
"Of course."
Yuna's chest tightened.
"If you think he'll just let this go—"
Adrian interrupted calmly.
"I'm counting on him not letting it go."
The garage fell silent again.
Heavy.
Tense.
And somewhere deep inside—
Yuna realized—
This wasn't just about her.
This was war.